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Chengde, which is the summer retreat for the royal family. http://www.pbase.com/towkay/image/20839808 Good for an overnight trip, with a night time re-visit to the grounds http://www.pbase.com/towkay/image/20839750 Good to spend a day in the park, and another half day at the 8 temples built around the park.

Each temple is a mini copy of a famous temple from another part of china. (including the Potala in Tibet http://www.pbase.com/towkay/image/20839718)

One of the temples contain a very BIG　Buddha. Its not the size, but the holiness of this Buddha that makes me like it a lot. Something about it, makes me like it a lot. http://www.pbase.com/towkay/image/20839709

Zhengding Town, near Shijiazhuang. Shijiazhuang is an important railroad intersection near Beijing. Zhengding is about 30 min away by bus. It used to be an important trading post, and postal relay point for Beijing.

In the town, you will find a fairly complete old city wall, and 4 very well preserved old pagodas from 4 very different periods of China. All quite close to each other. Very good for a day trip. http://www.pbase.com/towkay/image/24503398

One of the pagoda, the Green Pagoda (can’t remember the actual name) http://www.pbase.com/towkay/image/24503375 is the tomb of the founder of Zen Buddhism, and is contained within one the temple which is the source of Zen Buddhism. Its good to start your pagoda tours from here.

There is also a very big temple in the town (known as the big Buddha temple by the local). In it, you will find a very big Buddha, it doesn’t strike me as much as the one in Chengde, but still very good. http://www.pbase.com/towkay/image/24503482

This temple is one of the earliest Buddhist temple built after Buddhism was brought to China, so the style is distinctly different from other more typical Chinese temples. http://www.pbase.com/towkay/image/24503469

ANDFINALLY, inside this temple, at the back facing side of one of the halls, you will find the MOSTBEAUTIFUL and fantastic Guanyin Figure in the world.

Guanyin, also known as the goddess of Mercy, is a very well loved deity in Chinese Culture, for Buddhists and non Buddhists alike. http://www.pbase.com/towkay/image/24503472

For people passing through here, you should really stop and make a detour to Zhengding, 30min away by bus.