From ancient times to now, Chinese have had their favorite locations to escape the summer sun
With unprecedented heatwaves sweeping across China and much of the northern hemisphere this summer, Chinese are as keen as anyone to beat the heat. For China’s emperors back in the Qing dynasty, however, escaping the summer scorch of the capital in Beijing was simple: move north.
From 1703, when the Kangxi Emperor designated Chengde, in today’s Hebei province, as his summer retreat, Qing emperors would move their entire court around 225 kilometers northeast to the mountain city for the hottest months, to avoid the heat or 避暑 (bìshǔ). There, the Qing enjoyed cooler climes amidst forests and mountains, and built themselves “the best of China.” From 1703 to 1792, they built replicas of 72 significant sites from all over the empire in this elite resort, including Lhasa’s Potala Palace and Inner Mongolia’s grasslands.
They also brought poetic scenery from the south of China, such as “the tower of mist and rain (烟雨楼)” modeled after a tower at the Nanhu Lake in Jiaxing and “lotus ferry port (采莲渡)” inspired by the West Lake in Hangzhou. Both the Kangxi and Qianlong emperors loved this summer resort so much that they spent half the year there, breathing fresh air and enjoying freedom from the confines of the palace. In 1994, Chengde mountain resort was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Wang Lin is a contributing writer at The World of Chinese who aspires to tell fresh stories about life, arts and culture in China—no prejudice, no clichés. Her writing has appeared on Nikkei Asia, the South China Morning Post, RADII, and elsewhere. She was born in Ningbo, a bustling port known for its dumplings and seafood.
