Chengde: Emperors' Playground
This is the Qing dynasty's answer to Shenzhen's Splendid China theme park.
Chengde, the summer retreat of the 18th century Qing emperors, was designed to be part stately pleasure dome, part manifestation of nation-building propaganda. It's open to everyone now, but the job descriptions still hold.
Chengde the town, a friendly place and small enough to get around on foot, offers no [ read more ]
