The imperial summer Resort (Bishu Shanzhuang) is in North Chengde, which is situated two hundred and fifty kilometers of Beijing. It is known as the largest imperial landscape garden in China.

During the Qing Dynasty this resort served as a resting place for emperors on their way to the hunting reserves. Emperor Kangxi (1654-1722) was fascinated by the beautiful scenery in this area, and ordered workmen to construction took many years and was not completed until 1790.

The resort, built on mountain slopes, occupies an area of 5.6 square kilometers, about twice the size of the Summer Palace in Beijing. It is surrounded by a wall ten kilometers long, which is also called the “Lesser Great Wall.” The style of the resort is simple and elegant. Unlike other imperial buildings or traditional temples which commonly have bright colors, most structures of the resort are built of grayish bricks to make the grand resort a place of royal glamour with an atmosphere of peace.

For about a hundred and fifty years, the Qing emperors spent as long as six months each year in Chengde, living and conducting state affairs in the resort. So, it became known as the second capital of the country.

The whole resort is divided into two parts – the palace area and the scenic park. The palace area is in the southern part of the resort and contains four groups of buildings. The main building is made of namu, a hard wood, so it is also known as the Nanmu Hall. It was the place where the emperors received leaders of national minorities and foreign diplomats. It was also used for official ceremonies. The scenic park consists of plains, lakes and mountains. The scenery captures the charm of the Inner Mongolian grassland. On the plain the emperors staged horse races, hunting parties and picnics.

The Imperial Summer Resort is a combination of the landscape gardening styles of both and North China and reflects how Qing emperors dreamed of uniting the beautiful sceneries of all of China into a man-made garden resort.

In recent years tourism in Chengde has developed very quickly. It is one of the 24 Famous History and Culture Cities that were approved early by the State Council and is one of the Top 10 Famous Scenic spots in China. At the end of 1994, the Imperial Summer Resort, together with the temples in the area, was added to the list of UNESCO World Cultural Heritage.