Putuozongcheng Temple

Lonely Planet review

The largest of the Chéngdé temples, Putuozongcheng Temple is a minifacsimile of Lhasa's Potala Palace and houses the nebulous presence of Avalokiteshvara (Guanyin). The temple is a marvellous sight on a clear day, its red walls standing out against its mountain backdrop. Enter to a huge stele pavilion, followed by a large triple archway topped with five small stupas in red, green, yellow, white and black.

In between the two gates are two large stone elephants whose knees bend impossibly. The scale of the place comes into relief when you reach the Red Palace and look up - it's an astonishing sight, especially when framed against a blue sky.

Fronted by a collection of prayer wheels and flags, the Red Palace (also called the Great Red Platform) contains most of the main shrines and halls. Continue up past an exhibition of thangka (sacred Tibetan paintings) in a restored courtyard and look out for the marvellous sandalwood pagodas in the front hall. Both are 19m tall and contain 2160 effigies of the Amitabha Buddha. Among the many exhibits on view are displays of Tibetan Buddhist objects and instruments, including a kapala bowl, made from the skull of a young girl. The main hall is located at the very top, surrounded by several small pavilions; the climb to the top is worth it for the views. In the uppermost hexagonal pavilion in the northwest part of the roof is a small statue of Guanyin. The temple's sacred aura is sadly spoiled by the numerous souvenir stalls, but the faithful can buy a bust of Chairman Mao from the Buddhist Statue Shop.