Planning your Chengde Tour ? As one of famous tourist destinations in China, Chengde is endowed with a large number of fantastic sceneries.
If you have only one full day in Chengde and you would like to feel, touch and see the essential Chengde, the one-day itinerary in Chengde below is my suggested example to plan your own memorable Chengde One Day Tour.
Tour Destinations: Chengde Summer Resort, Putuo Zongcheng Temple, Puning Temple, Pule Temple
Chengde Summer Resort
Get up early and have a fast breakfast, and board a local bus tour to Chengde Summer Resort. The Mountain Resort and Eight Outer Temples have been listed as the world cultural heritage sites by UNESCO. It is the must see attraction in Chengde.
Chengde Summer Resort is the largest existing imperial garden and also one of the top 10 scenic spots in China. Boasting the beauty of scenery in both north and south China, it covers an area of 5.64 million square meters, almost half of the urban area, twice that of the Summer Palace, and eight times that of Beihai Park in Beijing.
This attraction is a vast complex of palaces and administrative constructions. It will take you around three hours in the summer resort.
Putuo Zongcheng Temple
After lunch, it is time for you to visit the outer temples around the Summer Resort. Since the time is limited, you can choose some famous temples to visit. Many travelers choose the Puotuo Zongcheng Temple as the alternate to the Polata Palace in Tibet, given the exact resemblance between the two. It is the largest temple of the Eight Outer Temples in Chengde City.
The Putuo Zongcheng temple complex covers a surface area of some 220,000 square meters. It stands in the north of the Chengde Mountain Resort in Chengde. The temple was modeled after the Potala Palace of Tibet, the old sanctuary of the Dalai Lama built a century earlier. Hence the Putuo Zongcheng has been nicknamed the “Little Potala Palace”.
Puning Temple
After visiting Putuo Zongcheng Temple, you can visit Puning Temple. The Puning Temple, or Temple of Universal Peace of Chengde is a Qing Dynasty era Buddhist temple complex built in 1755. As one of the eight outer temples in Chengde, Puning Temple is located near the Chengde Mountain Resort.
The front temple was constructed in the Chinese style, although the temple complex follows both Chinese and Tibetan architectural styles. The Puning Temple also houses the world’s tallest wooden sculpture of the Bodhisattva Avalokite? vara (22.28-meter-high and 110-ton), hence the Puning Temple is often nicknamed the “Big Buddha Temple”.
Pule Temple
Getting out from Puning Temple, you can walk to Pule Temple directly. Pule Temple is also one of the best known temples of the outer temples.
The Pule Temple is located on a hillock 1 km to the east of the Wulie River in the east of Mountain Resort of Chengde. Emperor Qianlong built the temple in 1766. The temple is made up of the front hall, side halls and the massacre city.
After visiting Pule temple, it is time to have supper. At night, you can watch some performances in Chengde Theatres or eat the local delicious food in the night markets. It’s all up to you. Enjoy your one-day Tour in Chengde!
Tip: Hassle-free Chengde Guided Tours
If you don’t want to go the do-it-yourself route and prefer the hassle-free escorted tours, here are some options for guided tours to Chengde:
Chengde tour
Chengde One Day Tour
Chengde 2 Day Private Tour Package with hotel
Chengde Car Rental with Driver
Beijing Chengde One Day Tour By High Speed Train
Beijing Chengde 2 Day Tour by Train
Beijing Chengde 2 Day Tour By Car or Van
Beijing Chengde One Day Tour by car or van
Further Readings
Best Time to Visit Chengde
Top 10 Attractions in Chengde
How to Visit Chengde in One Day
Chengde Outdoor Winter Activities
Best Travel Options Between Beijing and Chengde