Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Rooms are simple but kept nice and clea
n, and
staff h
ere ar
e more informative than those at
Chengde's most expensive hotels. Dorms
￥
100
, twins
￥
330
Mountain Villa
山庄宾馆
, shānzhuāng bīnguăn 127 Xiaonanmen (entrance on Lizhengmen
Dajie) 0314 202 5588.
This grand, well-located complex has huge rooms, high ceilings and
a cavernous lobby, and is extremely popular with tour groups. The large rooms in the main
building are nicer but a little more expensive than those in the ugly building r
ound
the back,
and there are some very cheap rooms in the basement. Service can be patchy.
￥
550
Qiwanglou
倚望楼宾馆
, yǐwànglóu bīnguăn Near Bishu Shanzhuang 0314 218 2288,
qiwanglou.com
.
A well-run (though hugely expensive) hotel in an imitation Qing-style
building around the corner and uphill from the main entrance to Bishu Shanzhuang. Its
flower-filled grounds make for an interesting walk even if you're not staying here. Service
is exce
llent, and the staff are among the few people in Chengde who speak some English.
￥
1680
Shang Ke Tang
上客堂宾馆
, shàng kè táng bīnguăn Puning Si 0314 205 8888.
This
interesting hotel's staff wear period clothing and braided wigs befitting the adjoining Pun-
ing Temple, and glide along the dim bowels of the complex to lead you to appealingly rustic
rooms. You're a little away from the action her
e, thou
gh this is not necessarily a negative,
and there are a few cheap restaurants in the area.
￥
550
One of the cheaper places foreigners are allowed to stay in, this is a cheery, well-located place
with r
ooms overlooking the main roundabout. Staff speak no English, but are eager to please.
￥
318
EATING AND DRINKING
Chengde is, unfortunately, not a great place to eat. There are plenty of
restaurants
catering
to tourists on Lizhengmen Dajie around the main entrance to Bishu Shanzhuang; on summer
evenings, rickety tables are put on the pavement outside, and plenty of diners stay on drinking
well into the evening. The best place for a
drink
is busy Shaanxiying Jie, a streamside street
stretching west of Nanyingzi Dajie. There are a few quieter places across the road to the east.
Daqinghua
大清花
dàqīnghuā 21 Lizhengmen Dajie 0314 208 2222.
Pine-walled dump-
ling restaurant that's the best option in the area around the Bishu Shanzhuang entrance. Their
dumplings (
￥
12-20) are great and come with a variety of fillings, though there's a full menu
of tasty Chinese staples to choose from.
Daily 11.30am-8.50pm.
FangyuanRestaurant
芳园居
fāngyuánjū. Inside Bishu Shanzhuang 0314 216 1132.
This
snazzy restaurant serves imperial cuisine, including such exotica as “Pingquan Frozen Rab-
bit”. Prices are pretty high, though, and you won't get much change from
￥
150 per person,
even without drinks.
Daily 11am-5pm.
