Eight Outer Temples

The Eight Outer Temples lies to the north-east of the Mountain Resort of Chengde. It was built in varying architectural styles drawn from throughout China. Eight Outer Temples is a collective name given to 12 temples located outside Gubeikou - a section of the Great Wall.  Together with the Mountain Resort of Chengde, the temple has been as a World Heritage Site. Now it becomes a renown scenic spot in Chengde.

The 12 temples were built in succession. Construction began in 1713 in the Qing Dynasty and completed in 1780. Six temples are now open to tourists, and each one has its own particular features and special appeal. The Eight Outer Temples were built by the Qing government to strengthen a unity with the minorities, thus the temples not only feature Han style, but also the Mongolian and Tibetan styles, with the symbolic meaning of unity in China. The architectures, inscriptions, sculpture, and murals in these temples are important materials for the study of history, culture, religion, and architectural art.

Among the eight temples, Putuo Temple is the biggest and the most magnificent building. Putuo Zongchengzhi Temple is located to the north of Mountain Resort of Chengde. Built in 1767 imitating the style of the Potala Palace, the temple is also named 'little Potala Palace'. For another reason that 'Putuo Zongchengzhi' is a Tibetan language meaning 'Potala Palace' in Chinese. The halls and pavilions in it were designed to naturally strew on hillside according to the hypsography. The Big Red Platform is the principle construction of the temple. The platform and the three halls on it are all with the copper gold tiles roof.

Also located to the north of the Mountain Resort of Chengde is Puning temple which was built in 1755. It is also known as 'Big Buddha Temple', for a big wooden Buddhist statue housed there. The Buddhist statue is unusual, being of Kwan-yin, standing 22.23 meters (approx. 72.93 feet) tall, with a thousand eyes and a thousand arms. It is made with five kinds of lignum - pine, cypress, elm, fir and linden, and is one of the biggest preserved wooden statues in China.

The Eight Outer Temples is really a great place to visit. First it lies in Chengde, which is near to Beijing and has a comfortable climate. Second, it is near to Mountain Resort, we can save time by visiting them once.
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