Mountain Resort and its Outlying Temples, Chengde

country. China

year of inscription. 1994

criteria. Cultural

This WHS, located in Liaoning province, is a vast imperial complex of palaces, buildings and temples set amongst a landscape composed of lakes, pastureland, and forests. It includes the Mountain Resort, built between 1703 CE and 1792 CE, which served as the summer palace of the Qing Dynasty. The site was chosen as it was near an imperial hunting ground, and it was set in traditional Chinese garden landscaping, which balances human aesthetics, feng shui (Chinese geomancy) principles, and the natural setting. It was here that many historical events during the Qing Dynasty took place. Around the palace complex are twelve outlying temples, some of which were built in the traditional style of ethnic minority groups and featuring a blend of Han, Mongolian, and Tibetan architectural styles. As the sites where Qing monarchs met with leaders of ethnic minority groups and with foreign emissaries, they are witness to how the Qing Dynasty managed cross-cultural relations within and outside of the country. 

what. stamp (China, 1998)