(Punning Temple)

Mountain Resort for Escaping the Heat and the temples around it are located in Chengde City, Hebei Province. It construction lasted 89 years from 1703 (the 42nd year of the Qing Kang Xi reign) to 1792 (the 57th year of the Qing Qian Long reign). The various building posses characteristics of the scenery of both north and south China---majesty and elegance. Being but 250 kilometers from Beijing and that documents could arrive from one place to the other the same day, Kang Xi, Qian Long and emperors after them would come here with their harem and ministers every year from the third day of the third lunar month to the ninth day of the ninth month. The emperors continued to discuss court affairs and received the nobility of China's various nationalities and foreign envoys here and it became the second political center of the Qing Dynasty. The main hall called Danpojingcheng built entirely of a fine-grained hardwood -nanmu--is austere and unadorned. Wenjin Pavilion is built to house the "Complete Works of the Four Treasures" compiled in the Qing Dynasty. This copy is now in the collection of the National Library of China. Also in the grounds are Jinshan Temple, Temple of Smoke and Rain and Ruyi Oasis.

(Putuozongsheng Temple)

Outside the enclosure of the Mountain Resort 12 lama temples dot the slopes in the north and in the east. They manifest the Qing Policy of uniting the nationalities and befriending their nobility. The temples that remain to this day include Puning, Pule, Xumifushou, Putuozongsheng, Anyuan and Shuxiang.