Four principal temples

* Temple of the Potaraka Doctrine

Located directly north of the Chengde Summer Resort, it is the largest of the Eight Outer Temples, occupying an area of 220,000 square meters. Construction begun in 1767 and was completed almost four years later in 1771. This temple is modeled after the great Potala Monastery in Lhasa , Tibet and is thus also known as the Little Potala. The temple buildings are a synthesis of Han and Tibetan styles.

The temple was built for the purpose of celebrating Emperor Qianlong's birthday and thoroughly features Tibetan-style architecture. A square piece of architecture called the Great Red Terrace is the principal part, which consists of three halls. The tops of the halls are covered with copper gold tiles, which create a very precious monument. This temple was used for important religious ceremonies and for emperors to interview heads of minorities and ministers.

The temple has a tall and imposing entrance similar in design to a city gate tower. Inside the gate is a pavilion housing three steles -- the largest inscribed with the words "The Record of the Temple of the Potaraka Doctrine" in Han, Manchu, Mongolian and Tibetan. The steles to the east contain the words "The Record of Offering Assistance to the Turgot People", both in the four languages found on the main stele.

To the north of the stele pavilion is the Five-Pagoda Gate, and beyond that is a glazed memorial archway. Dotting the hillside are white terraces and Lamaist pagodas and the awe-inspiring Great Red Terrace towering behind them on the highest point of the mountain slope. From the top of the terrace, the precipitous mountains look like an immense jade screen.

* Temple of Complete Happiness and Longevity

This temple was built for the sixth Panchen Lama (head of Tibet) in 1780. Since August 13, 1780 was also Emperor Qianlong's 70th birthday, in addition to the Mongolian nobles and princes, imperial ministers and their retainers and foreign envoys that attended the celebrations, the Sixth Panchen Lama Erdeni also came from Tibet to pay his respects. To receive his distinguished guest in style, Emperor Qianlong had the temple especially constructed for him to rest and sermonize.

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