主题：【文摘】纽约时报登的承德山庄游记 -- 林小筑

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IN another hall I found a list of the animals Kangxi slew while hunting at the Mountain Resort. According to the declaration, he killed 135 bears, 93 boars, 14 wolves and 318 deer. A painting hanging beside the ancient parchment showed how he managed such spectacular figures: Kangxi and several assistants stand with their rifles in the middle of a clearing as hundreds of soldiers prowl the woods to flush out game. It was such distractions, our guide informed us, that led to China's weakness and the eventual end of dynastic rule.

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In the Hall of Refreshing Mists and Waves, where the emperors slept and met with their ministers, visitors can see a small writing table. "This is where Emperor Xianfeng signed the Beijing Treaty, which gave more of our country to the British and French," Shu said. A sign on the end of the building records the 1860 event: "No Forgetting the National Humiliation."

We headed out a small gate at the northern edge of the complex and into the park where Kangxi hunted. There are several ways to get around the park: on footpaths, by rowboat through a series of connected lakes and waterways, or by small comfortable tour buses that whisk visitors to pagodas on nearby hilltops. With only a few hours, we chose to take a bus.

Part of Chengde's appeal is that it provides a glimpse of China's diverse landscapes and cultural traditions in one place. Besides the Little Potala Palace, there are gardens sculptured to look like those in the cities of Suzhou and Hangzhou, and a grassland landscape with Mongolian yurts where Emperor Qianlong received dignitaries.

There is even a miniature Great Wall. At the northern edge of the park we climbed along the ridge of the wall and looked down into the valley, where on Sundays there is a festive market.

Later, we stopped at the Clear Green Wind Pavilion to listen to musicians play classical Chinese music on ancient bells and chimes. I was thoroughly enjoying the Mountain Resort, but our guide was moving again, his yellow flag bobbing between ancient incense burners and sweeping wooden eves.

Our last stop was at the Temple of Universal Peace, a Unesco World Heritage Site and an active temple. In the first of several halls, the architecture and iconography were similar to what we had seen - giant statues of smiling Buddhas, steles covered with beautiful Chinese characters, thick red walls. But at the back of the monastery was Chengde's treasure. I found myself looking up at a 75-foot-tall wooden statue of the Buddhist saint Guanyin.

Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy, is the most popular saint in China, and statues of her are often ornate. But confronted with this huge statue, I was astonished. First I was struck by the detail of her 42 arms. More slowly, I was overcome by the incredible effort the statue must have taken to build. As in much of imperial China, resources and persistence created a work of extraordinary grandeur.

Visitor Information

These sites are open daily.

Temple of Universal Happiness and Sledgehammer Rock; admission $2.50; it takes 30 minutes to hike to the rock. There is also a chairlift, $5.

Chengde Mountain Resort; $11 admission covers all museum fees.

Admission to the eight outlying temples is $2 to $5; they are two to five miles from the Chengde Mountain Resort front gate; most taxi rides cost less than a dollar. Hotels can provide maps and arrange English-speaking guides for about $20 a day.

Getting There

Several trains run between Beijing and Chengde each day. The four-hour trip costs about $5. Xieli International Travel Service, (86-10) 8511-6996; fax (86-10) 6523-5094; e-mail, [email protected], can arrange transportation, hotels and guides.

Hotels and Dining

The modern Lolo Hotel, 6 Cuiqiao Road, (86-314) 206-8888, offers 141 rooms with private bathrooms and a hearty breakfast for $75 a night (often lower online through services like www.chinatravelhub.com).

The Mountain Villa Hotel, 11 Shan Zhuang Lu, (86-314) 202-5588, fax (86-314) 203-4143, is next to the Chengde Mountain Resort and has 350 clean, large rooms starting at $20.

For restaurants, head to Qingfeng Dongjie, a popular shopping street. Chengde offers excellent local chestnuts, mushrooms and apricots, as well as a locally popular glutinous rice snack called fengjia dangao, for under $1. Most dinners for two cost less than $10.

CRAIG SIMONS, a freelance writer, lives in Beijing.