Putuo Zongcheng Temple

Putuo Zongcheng Temple sits on a hillside on North Huancheng Road in Shuangqiao District, Chengde, Hebei Province, China, and is the largest of the Eight Outer Temples that surround the Qing imperial Mountain Resort. It was built between 1767 and 1771 for the Qianlong Emperor's sixtieth birthday and his mother's eightieth, and was modelled on the Potala Palace in Lhasa, which is why it is widely nicknamed the Little Potala Palace. The Qing court used it to host Tibetan and Mongol leaders during imperial birthday celebrations.

The complex rises up the slope in a series of terraces. Visitors enter through a large gate and a stele pavilion, pass a white-painted five-pagoda gateway, and climb toward the Great Red Platform, a massive fortress-like block of red walls pierced with rows of blind windows. Inside the red platform is the Wanfa Guiyi Hall, topped with gilded copper tile roofs that catch the light. The surrounding grounds hold smaller white terraces, prayer halls and stone steps with panoramic views across Chengde and toward the Mountain Resort and Club Hammer Rock in the distance.

A visit usually takes one and a half to two hours, much of it climbing steps. Late afternoon is the favoured time for photography, when low sun warms the red-and-white walls and the gold roofs, and tour groups have thinned out. Mornings and weekends bring the heaviest crowds, especially in the national holiday weeks of May and October. Photography of the exterior is widely practised, though some interior halls restrict it. The climb is steep and exposed, so a hat and water are advisable in summer, while winter visits are cold and windy but very quiet. Consider combining the temple with nearby Puning Temple for a half-day Eight Outer Temples itinerary.