Mountain Resort and its Outlying Temples, Chengde - Essay Example

?Mountain Resort and its Outlying Temples, Chengde The mountain resort located in the Chengde,a prefecture-level in the Province of Hebei, covers almost half of Chengde’s urban area, which is the area of about 564 square meters and it is enclosed by a 10.400 meter-long wall. Within the resort which is divided into two sections (palace zone and garden zone), there are over 100 buildings. Chengde’s older name, Rehe (or Jehol) came from the name of the local river, Rehe, which is translated as “hot river”. This river was named this way because it didn’t freeze in winter. It is also the shortest river in the world, only 14.7 kilometers long. There are 11 magnificent temples in the outlying area, standing on the hills in a semi circle. They were usually referred to as the “Eight Outer Temples” because they were divided into eight sections under the administration of the Beijing-based Harmony and Peace Lamasery- a monastery for lamas. Only seven temples remained intact, including Puren Temple (Universal Humanity), Temple of Sumeru (Happiness and Longevity) and Puning Temple (Universal Tranquility). They consist of the largest temple building complex in China. The mountain resort and it outlying temples were inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites at the 18th session of the World Heritage Committee in Phuket Thailand, December 12-17, 1994. It is described as a huge complex of temples, palaces, administrative offices and ceremonial buildings and these structures harmoniously blend into the landscape of lakes, pastures and forests. Moreover, they represent a variety of architectural styles and reflect the aesthetic aspiration of imperial China of that period. I have chosen this site to write about for it has a fascinating architectural diversity, as well as a contrast between well developed bio diversity and a lack of water, deforestation and desertification. It is also very fascinating how after a disaster, a “heaven” can return to its prior heavenly state with the help of people who give their best to maintain the nature and keep the environment healthy as possible. Furthermore, it was most amazing to learn about the outlying temples and the divinity of the whole area and its uniqueness. Chengde mountain resort is divided into two sections: a palace section and a garden section. The palace area is situated in the southern part of the resort, which is made up of the Main Palace, Pine-Crane Hall, Pine Soughing Valley and East Palace. The Main Palace consists of the Front Court and the Back Imperial Bedroom. The main hall of the Front Court was the place where all important ceremonies were held during the emperors staying in the mountain resort. The garden section can be further divided into a lake section, plains section, and mountain section. The lake section is on the north of the palace section and covers about 80 hectares; going north, you will get to the plains section where the Qing emperors held banquets and recreational activities. This area is mainly covered with grassland and woods; the mountain section is located in the northwestern part and four-fifths of the Mountain Resort is mountainous, sloping down from the northwest to the southeast. The Kuixing Pavilion is a tourist spot newly that was built upon the foundations of a former, ancient pavilion that had fallen into ruin. It is located atop Banbi Mountain in the south of city, the three main areas of this complex comprise a palace, square and garden zones. The whole architectural style is bright and colorful, and some cultural sights  can still be seen in this beautiful scenic spot.There are also many forest parks in and around Chengde, including Qingchuifeng and Liaoheyuan National Forest Parks, Beidashan Stone Sea Forest Park, and Liuliping Forest Park, etc. The Qingchui Cliff National Park, lying to the east of the city, is a natural park that features with a dramatic, lofty and steep formation called the Danxia Landform. The highlight of the park is the Qingchui Cliff, which is nearly 60 meters (197 feet) high and looks like a wooden club in the  upper part. More than 100 species of wild flower, including rhododendron, peony, rose, lilac, cherry, and pinks, etc. can be found all over this area creating an intoxicating ambiance of scent and color. If you are interested in horse riding or hunting, you may well enjoy Mulan Imperial Hunting Park situated in Weichang County. It is cool in summer when you can enjoy riding, gathering mushrooms, and grass sliding; while in winter it is covered with snow and is a good place for both hunting and skiing. Other sceneries such as the Town God's Temple, Shuangta Mountain, Jingbei No. One Grassland and Jinshanling Great Wall are all in or around the city are of tourist value likewise. Chengde has a four-season, monsoon-influenced humid continental climate . The winters are cold, long and windy, but dry, the springs are dry, the summers are rainy, hot and humid and the autumns are cool. Due to the high altitude (of at least 1000 metres), temperatures are much cooler than they are in Beijing: monthly means range from -9.1° (15.6° F) in January to 24.5°C (76.1°F) in July. The warming with the coming of the spring is quick, but dust storms can blow in from the Mongolian steppe. The cooling with the coming of autumn is similarly quick as the spring warming. Precipitation averages at 512 millimeters (20.2 in) for the year, with more than two-thirds of it falling during the three summer months.  The temperature is very distinct especially between day and night. The average number of no frost days in a year is 73-170 days. January is the coldest month of the year. The average month temperature is 9.4?C below zero. The hottest month is July. The annual amount of rain declines gradually from the north to the south. Chengde Mountain Resort is a famous summer place in China with the most comfortable conditions and facilities. Average Data Jan Feb Mar Apr May June Average High (F) 26/29 33/36 46/50 63/67 76/80 82/86 Average High (C) -4/-2 0/2 8/10 17/19 24/26 28/30 Average Low (F) 4/7 10/13 23/27 39/42 51/54 60/63 Average Low (C) -16/-14 -12/-10 -5/-3 4/6 10/12 15/17 Rain (in) Read More