Chengde
is an 18th-century imperial resort, about 250 km northeast of Beijing,
that is also known as Jehol or “Rehe.” It was discovered by the
early Qing emperor Kangxi in the late 17th century, who found the cool
summer climate and natural scenery appealing as a summer retreat. Kangxi
and his successors built some 72 palaces there by the end of the 18th
century, along with replicas of the Potala Palace of the Tibetan
Buddhist lamas. Today Chengde is a popular tourist center and now a
summer retreat for Beijing urbanites.
In
September 1793 Chengde was the site of the first British Embassy to
China under Lord Macartney, whose part made the long journey from
Beijing after finding that the Qianlong emperor had already decamped
there for the summer. Macartney refused to prostrate himself before the
emperor, and brought gifts from the British East India Company that were
designed to open trade with China. The Qianlong emperor turned down his
request, declaring that China already possessed all things, and had no
use for objects of British manufacture. Although China was still near
the height of its military power and commercial prosperity under
Qianlong, his refusal to engage the emerging European powers on the
verge of the Industrial Revolution may have contributed to China’s
rapid decline as a world power.
Chengde
came to be seen as unlucky after two 19th-century Chinese emperors died
there, including the Jiaqing emperor who was struck down by lightning
near the palace in 1820. The complex was largely neglected during the
20th century and still bears many traces of that neglect, although
ongoing restoration projects were begun in the 1980’s.
Click for Chengde Location Map
