Chengde Summer Resort

On the first full day of my China trip, we went to the Summer Resort in Chengde, which is north east of Beijing.
The Summer Palace was originally called 'Chengde Imperial Palace'. It was intended for the emperor's short stays away from Beijing. It is the largest imperial garden in China.

Outside the resort the area is noisy and full of people and big buildings, but once inside it feels like a completely different area. You can't see the buildings and it is very relaxing.