Chengde travel guide

Chengde is close to Beijing, just 230 km away. It can be reached by following Jingmi Road and the Jing-Cheng Expressway, both in good condition. Travellers coming from Wuling Mountain Scenic Area can first head to Miyun, then take the Jing-Cheng Expressway straight to Chengde. Visitors heading toward Jinzhou or Shenyang also have convenient transport options.

Chengde has a small airport south of the city, with irregular charter flights between Beijing and Chengde.

Chengde borders Beijing and Tianjin to the south, Chifeng and Xilin Gol League to the north, and Qinhuangdao, Tangshan and Zhangjiakou to the east and west, making it an important hub linking Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Liaoning and Inner Mongolia. With the full opening of the Beijing–Harbin High-Speed Railway, Chengde has entered the high-speed rail era. Travellers can now take high-speed trains to and from the three northeastern provinces, Beijing, Hebei and Inner Mongolia. Chengde Station (承德站) runs regular trains, while Chengde Nan Station (承德南站) runs high-speed services.

Rail and road links between Beijing and Chengde are both very convenient. The drive takes about 4 hours, so flying over this distance is neither necessary nor time-saving. It only costs more.

It is best not to travel to Chengde by long-distance bus. Most of the route runs through mountainous, hilly terrain, where rain makes the roads slippery and slows buses down. During peak tourist season, traffic jams are common, and a journey that should take 4 hours can stretch to 7. Trains avoid these problems.

1. During peak tourist season, tour buses run directly from Beijing and Tianjin to Chengde. At other times, scheduled long-distance buses also run regularly between these cities and Chengde.

2. Chengde Long-Distance Bus Station also operates express coaches to Beijing and Shijiazhuang.

Chengde has a well-developed road network: north to Inner Mongolia, east to Liaoning, southwest to Beijing, and southeast to Tianjin.

Chengde offers many local transport options, including driverless buses, minibuses and taxis, which are very convenient for visitors unfamiliar with the area.

2. Minibuses: routes and schedules meet visitors' needs, and nearly all sights, with a few exceptions, can be reached right at the entrance. Fares are usually just ¥1.

3. Taxis: flagfall of ¥7 for the first 2 km, then ¥1.4 per km thereafter.

4. Chengde is phasing out three-wheeled motorcycles. Although they are slightly cheaper than taxis, they carry higher safety risks, so they are not recommended.

Chengde Mountain Resort is vast. If you only have one day, the following route covers most of its highlights:

Lizheng Gate → Inner Noon Gate → Danbo Jingcheng Hall → Sizhi Study → Yanbo Zhishuang Hall → Yunshan Shengdi Tower → Cailing Ferry → Ruyi Islet → Yanyu Tower → Canglang Islet → Changhu Lake → Wenjin Pavilion → Rehe Spring → Jinshan Pavilion → Shuixin Pavilion → Eastern Palace Ruins → Dehui Gate.

There are plenty of hotels around Chengde Mountain Resort, while those inside the resort have average facilities and high room rates. Staying there just to save on entrance tickets is hardly worthwhile. The only real advantage is that you can enjoy the resort's scenery at night.

Unlike the cuisine of the imperial capital, Chengde cuisine, the representative of court-style dishes from beyond the Great Wall, relies mainly on mountain delicacies and is typically prepared by dry-braising (干烹) and fragrant-braising (香烹). Well-known specialties include Pingquan frozen rabbit meat, five-spice venison, stir-fried pheasant rolls, wild game hotpot, braised venison and wild pheasant. Everyday home-style dishes are mainly stir-fried mushrooms with shredded pork and Maren Dabian.

Among Chengde's specialty snacks, Pupang venison and fragrant-braised venison skewers are excellent and worth trying. The main street south of Chengde Mountain Resort is lined with restaurants serving local specialties. In the evening, roadside stalls sell grilled sweet corn, whose aroma fills the air.

1. Youmian food is a common staple, much like Beijing's zhajiangmian. There are many Youmian restaurants in Chengde, from well-established 'old-brand' shops to ordinary small eateries.

2. Youmian has a very pleasing texture, but it is not easy to digest.

3. Chengde's nectarines are both delicious and inexpensive.

When buying packaged local specialties, be cautious to avoid adulterated products.

Tengshi cloth-paste painting, Fengning paper-cutting, silk hanging tapestries, and a range of ingenious root carvings, nut carvings, porcelain engravings and penjing (potted landscapes) are all unique to Chengde. They are known as 'China's unrivalled crafts.'

For southerners, Chengde's meals are generally on the salty side, and soups often include ground white pepper.

As a specialty of the frontier region, Youmian wowo (rolled Youmian cakes) and Youmian jiaozi (dumplings) are the snacks you'll find most easily in Chengde. Youmian wowo is made by rolling Youmian dough into sheets, rolling them up and steaming them, then eating them dipped in sauce. Youmian dumplings filled with sour cabbage are especially distinctive. Lü Da Gun (donkey rolls), Qiaomian Heliu (buckwheat noodle strands) and Wantuo are also famous Chengde snacks.

You won't have trouble finding accommodation in Chengde. The city has hotels of every grade, from star-rated hotels to budget guesthouses, as well as Mongolian yurt hotels, though prices and standards vary considerably.

1. Before setting out, it is best to call ahead to check hotel availability, as many hotels accept phone bookings.

2. Nanyingzi Street is the heart of Chengde, with excellent transport links, and it is not far to walk from here to the Chengde Mountain Resort, so this street is a good place to look for accommodation.

3. There are plenty of hotels near the Chengde Mountain Resort and the Outer Temples, with convenient transport and reasonable prices.

Qianyang Grand Hotel, Yunshan Hotel, Honglou Guesthouse and Shenghua Hotel are all star-rated hotels, invested in by national and provincial-level institutions, with excellent facilities.

Kuixing Tower is the best vantage point for admiring Chengde's night view. Below you will see a sea of twinkling lights, and on a clear night, the starry sky adds extra charm.

You can also wander through the night market, which offers a rich variety of local specialties.