Chengde is a city in Hebei province, northeast of Beijing, built around the Mountain Resort — a vast imperial garden and palace complex used by the Qing emperors as a summer residence. Outside its walls stand the Eight Outer Temples, built in architectural styles drawn from across China, and further out lie mountains, valleys and grasslands.
For a visitor, the layout is simple to grasp: the Mountain Resort and the temples just outside its wall form the historic core, and the city spreads around that core, with road and rail links back to Beijing. This guide covers which parts of Chengde make sense as a base, and what kind of accommodation you tend to find at each budget level. It does not recommend individual properties.
Best areas to stay in Chengde
1. Around the Mountain Resort and the Eight Outer Temples
This is the historic heart of Chengde: the Mountain Resort itself — lakes, plains and hills areas ringed by a wall over 10,000 metres long — with the Eight Outer Temples just outside that wall, including the Putuo Zongcheng Temple and the Puning Temple. Basing yourself here puts the main sights within easy reach on foot or by a short ride.
It suits first-time visitors and anyone whose trip is centred on the imperial sites. Expect the widest choice of places to stay in the city here, from simple guesthouses to more comfortable hotels. One practical point: the resort is enormous, and its hills area is much larger than the lakes and plains areas, so even staying close by, you will still cover real distances inside the grounds.
2. Chengde city centre
The city centre is the practical, everyday Chengde — transport connections, services and the general urban fabric of a prefecture-level city that has grown into a distribution hub with road and railroad links to Beijing. It suits travellers who want convenience and a range of accommodation rather than proximity to the monuments.
From here you can reach the Mountain Resort and the temples by road, and the Jingcheng Expressway connects the city directly to central Beijing if you are arriving or leaving by car. Note that the airport lies about 19.5 kilometres northeast of the city centre, so if you are flying in or out, factor that transfer into your plans.
3. Tougou Town area, Chengde County
Tougou Town, in Chengde County to the northeast of the city, is where the city's airport opened in 2017. Staying in this area makes sense mainly for travellers with an early departure or a late arrival, or for those who prefer to be outside the built-up centre.
It is not a base for sightseeing — the Mountain Resort and the Eight Outer Temples are back towards the city — so treat it as a practical stopover rather than a touring base. Accommodation here is limited in scope compared with the centre.
Where to stay on a budget, mid-range or splurge
- Budget: simple guesthouses and basic hotels, most plausibly in and around the city centre and near the Mountain Resort; expect functional rooms rather than facilities.
- Mid-range: comfortable city hotels with standard amenities, concentrated in the city centre and convenient for reaching the resort and temples by road.
- Splurge: the top end of Chengde's accommodation stock, again centred on the city and its approaches; the source material does not identify specific luxury properties, so compare what is actually available for your dates.
Best area for a first visit
For a first visit, base yourself around the Mountain Resort and the Eight Outer Temples. The resort and the outlying temples are the reason most people come to Chengde, and staying beside them removes the need to commute to the sights each day. It also gives you the flexibility to split the vast resort — lakes, plains and hills — across more than one visit.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to visit Chengde?
Summers are hot and humid, and more than two-thirds of the year's precipitation falls in the three summer months, but temperatures near the city are cooler than in Beijing because of the higher elevation. Winters are long, cold, windy and dry; spring can bring dust storms from the Mongolian steppe, and autumn cools quickly.
How do I get to Chengde from Beijing?
Chengde has road and railroad links to Beijing, and the Jingcheng Expressway connects the city directly to central Beijing. The city's airport, opened in 2017, is about 19.5 kilometres northeast of the centre in Tougou Town.
Which sights are outside the Mountain Resort?
The Eight Outer Temples sit just outside the resort wall, including the Putuo Zongcheng Temple and the Puning Temple, which houses the world's tallest wooden statue of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara. Further out, Sledgehammer Peak is a large rock formation shaped like an inverted sledgehammer, and mountains, valleys and grasslands lie within the city's borders.
Is Chengde walkable from a central base?
The Mountain Resort and the Eight Outer Temples are close enough to each other to combine on foot or with short rides, but the resort itself covers a very large area, with the hills area by far the largest of its three parts. Plan on covering ground inside the grounds regardless of where you stay.
Compare live prices for your dates with the booking tools on this page before you decide where to base yourself.