Gate at Shui Xin Xie 水心榭
I had to come back to Chengde after getting here later and learning that there are no affordable places to stay here for foreigners. I had to endure a freezing six hour train ride from Beijing to Chengde just to get here. I got lost and tired from all of that walking on mountains and endless trails. So was it worth all the trouble to get here? To be honest, I wasn’t really that impressed with the Mountain Resort itself. However, visitors here will have to put everything in perspective. This is the largest imperial garden in the world and it is really huge.
Dumplings After A Morning of Trekking in Chengde 承德
Emperors and empresses walked these grounds and most of the structures are remarkably preserved. It is also a remarkable place to walk around and commune with nature. Fortunately, it is also big enough to handle most hordes of Chinese tourists. However, there are no affordable places to stay here, this in my opinion is a huge minus especially for the backpacker who doesn’t have a lot of money. It would be an okay place to visit if it weren’t so difficult to get to. However, there is a reason why the this place doesn’t really ring a bell to foreigners. This place is mostly historical in nature and Chinese or people with intimate knowlege of Chinese history would better appreciate this place.
It is still a UNESCO world heritage site which underscores the importance of this place. I will probably not come back here though, it was just “nearby” so I thought I needed to come here. Just remember to try to get your transportation to take the expressway if not you will take forever to get here.
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