Chengdu Summer Resort, situated north of Chengde and 230 kilometers from Beijing, was first built in the 42nd year of Emperor Kangxi's reign of Qing Dynasty, taking about 90 years to construct. It covers a total area of 564 square meters, twice as big as the Summer Palace of Beijing and eight times as big as the Beihai Park. It was listed in the World Cultural Heritage Directory in 1994.

Chengde is providently endowed with a picture-perfect landscape and a pleasant climate. In summer the weather is especially cool and pleasant. Chengde Summer Resort was originally built for the royal family to spend the hotel summer months. The emperors handled court affairs and received foreign envoys and tribal leaders in this summer resort, which was known as the second capital of Qing Dynasty. It is divided into four parts: Palace Area, Lake Area, Mountain Area and Plain Area.

The Palace Area locates in the south part of Chengdu Summer Resort where Qing Dynasty Emperors handled the political affairs and the royal family lived. It covers an area of 100,000 sq meters (25 acres), consisting of four main complexes: the Main Palace, the Pine-Crane Hall, the East Palace and the Pine Soughing Valley. The Main Palace was the place where important ceremonies and events were observed but today it is used as the Mountain Resort Museum. The Pine-crane Hall was the residence built by Emperor Qianlong for his mother-the empress while the East Palace was damaged in a fire in 1945 with only the groundwork still visible today. The Pine Soughing Valley was the reading room of the emperors and the office where the emperors handled the political mandates.

The Lake Area lies in the north of the palace area, the scenery of the lake zone sparkles like a diamond in the Summer Resort. In total there are eight lakes in the Lake Area, respectively called Cheng Lake, Mirror Lake, Ruyi Lake, Upper Lake, Lower Lake, Silver Lake, Half-moon Lake and Inner Lake. Cheng Lake is the deepest while Rehe Spring is famous for its crystal-clear waters. In the middle of the lake zone are three islands, namely, Happy Island, Island for Enjoying the Water Songs under the Moonlight, and Green Surrounded Island. The Green Surrounded Island is where the princes studied. The Happy Island boasts the most ancient architectures, such as the Yanxun Mansion, where the emperors used to deal with state affairs before the construction of the Main Palace. To the north of the Happy Island lies Green Lotus Island, with the Misty Rain Pavilion. The Wenjin Loft was one of the seven famous libraries in the Qing Dynasty. The Island for Enjoying the Water Songs under the Moonlight was where the emperors enjoyed reading as well as moonlight and water songs.

The Mountain Area is located in the northwestern part of the Resort and accounts for four fifths of the total area. There are four great valleys from north to south: Pine-cloud Valley, Pear Valley, Pine Valley and Filbert Valley. The undulating hills surrounding the area form a natural curtain and beautiful scenery with flourishing woods, steep peaks, gurgling streams and white waterfalls. Architectures in this zone, adopting the styles both of the Southland and of North China, are of great artistic value.

The Plain Area, north of the Lake Area, is located at the foot of the mountain, where the Qing Emperors held banquets and recreational activities. The plain is a vast area, and is covered with thick grass and trees, and is divided into three parts: an arboretum to the east with 28 various Mongolia tents; to the west is a piece of grassland where to ride horses, and temples and other buildings lie to the north.