Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Tibetan religious artefacts, an exhibition slanted to portray the gorier side of Tibetan religion
and including a drum made from two children's skulls. The roof of the temple has a good
view over the surrounding countryside.
Pule Si
普乐寺 , pŭlè sì • Daily 8.30am-4.30pm • 50 (joint ticket with Anyuan Miao) • Bus #10 from Lizhengmen
Dajie
Due northeast of Bishu Shanzhuang, the Pule Si (“Temple of Universal Happiness”) was
built in 1766 by Qianlong as a place for Mongol envoys to worship, and its style is an odd
mix of Han and Lamaist elements. The Lamaist back section, a triple-tiered terrace and hall
with a flamboyantly conical roof and lively, curved surfaces, steals the show from the more
sober, squarer Han architecture at the front. The ceiling of the back hall is a wood-and-gold
confection to rival the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. Glowing at its centre is a mandala of
Samvara, a Tantric deity, in the form of a cross. The altar beneath holds a Buddha of Happi-
ness, a life-size copper image of sexual congress; more cosmic sex is depicted in two beauti-
ful mandalas hanging outside. Outside the temple, the view from the car park is spectacular,
and just north is the path that leads to Sledgehammer Rock and the cable car.
Anyuan Miao
安远庙 , ānyuăn miào • Daily 8.30am-4.30pm • 50 (joint ticket with Pule Si) • Bus #10 from Lizhengmen
Dajie
AnyuanMiao (“Temple of Appeasing the Borders”) lies within walking distance to the north
of the Pule Si, and is decidedly less appealing. It was built in 1764 for a group of Mongolian
soldiers who were moved to Chengde by Qianlong, and has a delightful setting on the tree-
lined east bank of the Wulie River.
Sledgehammer Rock
棒钟山 , bàngzhōng shān • 50 • 2km walk from the Pule Si, or cable car ( 50 return) • Bus #10 from Lizheng-
men Dajie
Of the scenic areas around Chengde, the one that inspires the most curiosity is Sledgeham-
merRock . Thinner at the base than at the top, the towering column of rock is more than 20m
high, and skirted by stalls selling little models and Sledgehammer Rock T-shirts. According
to legend, the rock is a huge dragon's needle put there to plug a hole in the peak, which was
letting the sea through. The rock's obviously phallic nature is tactfully not mentioned in tour-
ist literature, but is acknowledged in local folklore - should the rock fall, it is said, it will
have a disastrous effect on the virility of local men.
On the south side of the rock, at the base of a cliff, is Frog Crag ( 蛤蟆石 , hámá shí), a
stone that vaguely resembles a sitting frog - the 2km walk here is pleasant, if the frog itself
disappoints.
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