North of the town of Chengde lies the Imperial Summer Palace. The complex was built from the year 1703 onwards as the summer residence of the emperors of the Qing Dynasty (1616-1911). The site includes the emperor's palace rooms, the imperial park, and majestic temples, making it China's largest ancient palace garden with imperial temples.
From here, the emperor ruled his realm and hosted receptions. The residence covers an area of 5.64 million square meters and is divided into the Palace Halls District and the Imperial Landscape Park District. The Palace Halls District includes the four buildings Zhenggong, Songhezhai, Wanhe Songfeng, and Donggong, all made exclusively of bluish-green bricks and gray roof tiles. Their style is simple and tasteful, yet not devoid of imperial family flair.
The park features lakes, grasslands, and forested areas. Particularly noteworthy is the lake area, reminiscent of gardens in southern Chinese style.
During the reigns of Emperors Kangxi and Qianlong (1736-1795), the Lamaist Eight Outer Temples were constructed east and north of the Summer Palace.
