Chengde, previously known as Jehol or Rehe, is a prefecture-level city in Hebei province, situated northeast of Beijing. It is best known as the site of the Mountain Resort, a vast imperial garden and palace formerly used by the Qing emperors as summer residence.
In 1703, Chengde was chosen by the Kangxi Emperor as the location for his summer residence. Constructed throughout the eighteenth century, the Mountain Resort was used by both the Yongzheng and Qianlong emperors. The site is currently an UNESCO World Heritage Site. Since the seat of government followed the emperor, Chengde was a political center of the Chinese empire during these times.
Chengde is located in the northeastern portion of Hebei, and contains the northernmost point in the province. Chengde has a four-season, monsoon-influenced humid continental climate, with widely varying conditions through the prefecture due to its size. The average temperature is 9.11 °C (48.4 °F).
With road and railroad links to Beijing, Chengde has developed into a distribution hub, and its economy is growing rapidly. The newly built Jingcheng Expressway connects Chengde directly to central Beijing, and more freeways are planned for the city.
The first ever bandy match in China was organised in Chengde in January 2015 and was played between the Russian and Swedish top clubs Baykal-Energiya and Sandviken. Chengde city was one of the initiators when the China Bandy Federation was founded in December 2014.The city will host the 2018 Women's Bandy World Championship.
Chengde Mountain Resort is the largest royal garden in China. The whole Resort can be divided into three areas which are lakes area, plains area and hills area. Another popular attraction of the Chengde area is Sledgehammer Peak, a large rock formation in the shape of an inverted sledgehammer. A variety of other mountains, valleys, and grasslands lie within the borders of the city.
Population: 3.78 million
Temperature: average 9.11 °C (48.4 °F)
