What follows are some photos from a trip to the city of Chengde China, which is a popular tourist destination due to its temples, a geological wonder called "sledgehammer" rock, and a summer resort popular among rulers in the Qing Dynasty.
The first night arriving there I was denied entry to our planned hotel due to being a foreigner. The following morning I was allowed to keep my bag in the store, as opposed to check it in at security, due to being a foreigner. So it goes.
First off, the city of Chengde.
The city center with the obligatory statue of a man on a horse.
A river runs through it.
On the way to a temple....
At the temple...
A Buddha
A bell.
Old style roofs.
More temples...
Michelle turning prayer wheels.
A statue that is a hippo I think...
The temple is large and impressive.
In the distance is "Sledgehammer Rock" something of an attraction to the area.
A very large wooden Buddha with 1000 arms.
I really like these bright coloured flags.
Even more.
Temples.
The um...sledgehammer rock.
View from the top of the mountain.
Go down by cable car and see goats on the way down.
Around the train station.
The river is dammed and people play in the subsequent space.
I think Chinese like neon lights.
Peacock at the hotel which Michelle tries to feed.
Inside Putuo Zongcheng Temple, built to resemble the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet.
More of the same temple.
Flags!
After leaving the temple there is random rubble, which to be honest, you see quite often in China. Not a lot, but enough...
A different temple on the way to sledgehammer rock which has Dragons on the roof.
Chinese going to the summer resort.
Coy and water Lilies are popular even in Beijing. There is sun for at least 14 hours of the day now, and vegetation is thriving.
Imperial summer resort, breath taking lake, better add some pedal boats!
And that is all for the Chengde trip. All in all, it was a good place to visit with a small town charm and a lot of history.
