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| Chengde (Chengteh) |
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For those looking to get away from the heat of Beijing in the sweltering
summer months, you may be advised to follow the lessons of history.
It was the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911 AD) emperors, starting with the
revered Kangxi, that were to truly appreciate the cooling charms of
the little village of Rehe or Jehol, that has since come to be known
as Chengde. The Qing court were to live here between May and late
October every year, until finally the warming comforts of the capital
lured them back. Nowadays, Chengde not only still has these cool summers,
it also retains the memories of this Qing invasion with some of the
best Imperial Garden architecture in China.
It was not just the temperature, however, that drew Kangxi here
in the late sixteenth century. With his troops in tow, he passed
through the region on the way to the hunting grounds in Mulan, and
the peaceful calm of the region appealed to his imperial sensibilities.
In 1703, he began the construction of a summer palace, that gradually
grew into plans for 36 constructions (temples, palaces, pagodas
etc.). A wise ruler, Kangxi perceived the usefulness of the region
as a place to entertain emissaries from all over China, especially
from the more troublesome regions to the north and northeast. Many
of the constructions were later built with this in mind, either
in the form of replicas of minority architecture from around the
country, such as the "Tibetan Sumero Temple inspired"
Puning si, or with obvious naming policies, such as the deviously
hopeful Temple for Distant Security.
Qianlong (1736-1796), Kangxi's grandson, was the next to take the
throne and he followed in his predecessors footsteps by building
another 36 constructions. The golden days of Chengde had arrived,
and thousands of visitors, from all over China and beyond, flocked
through the region to pay their respects to his imperial majesty.
These visitors were charmed with buildings that looked like home
and some of the best hunting grounds in China, wooed with dance
troops and song and fascinated by seemingly limitless courses of
banquets. Some of the most famous visitors included the Sixth Panchen
Lama, who was housed in a temple that resembled the Tashilhunpo
Monastery on Qianlong's 60th, and Qianlong mother's 80th, birthday.
The British emissary Lord Macartney was also to visit in 1793. He
was refused the request for open trade, a prelude to the Opium Wars
of the 1840s, with the statement that China was fully self-sufficient
and not in need of his small country's exports.
The death of Qianlong saw the gradual disintegration of the Qing
power structure. A Chinese saying states that a dead caterpillar
still doesn't stiffen (Baizuzhichong, sierbujiang), or, more to
the point, old institutions take a long time to disappear, and thus
it was for the Qing Dynasty. The death of Qianlong in 1796, was
preceded by another hundred years of floundering Qing rule. Although
later emperors were still to make Chengde their summer home, the
area was gradually to become considered unlucky after the deaths,
within the villas grounds and in a short period of time, of the
two emperors, Jiaqing (1820) and Xianfeng (1862). In the 1860s,
the court was, however, moved here permanently, after a joint Anglo-French
force began making its way towards Beijing in attempts to gain more
control over trade and internal politics.
The twentieth century saw Chengde into serious decline. The court
was moved back to Beijing for the Qing Dynasty's last few years,
after the death of the wily Empress Dowager Cixi, and the area was
left to disintegrate. A 1930s warlord in this region, Tang Yu Liu,
did his best to desecrate and loot most of the temples and grounds
of the Imperial Summer Villa. The Red Guards of the Cultural Revolution
(1966-76) years, also did their bit, attempting to remove this feudal
monument of the Imperial era.
The 1980s saw a reversal of opinion on the area. Many of the constructions
have been given restoration and remodeling works, some good, some
bad. In 1994 the area was named as a UNESCO historical sight, following
in the footsteps of the State Council, and giving hope for the future.
Nowadays eight of the twelve original outer temples have had some
form of work done on them, and all can be visited by taxi, minibus,
bicycle, or on foot. The Imperial Summer Villa has also seen restoration,
although much of the park area still needs much work.
Unfortunately, this reversal also brings the crowds in the summer
months swarming into the town. The town itself is also changing
into a light industrial, commercial and tourism center that is a
sharp contrast with the glorious architecture and natural scenery
to the north of the town. For those looking to get away from the
heat of Beijing in the sweltering summer months, then, you may be
advised to think twice before following the lessons of history.
Think twice and then go. |
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