Putuozongcheng Temple

If it looks familiar, it’s because the largest of Chéngdé’s temples, Putuozongcheng Temple, is based upon Lhasa’s Potala Palace. Also called the Little Potala Palace ( 小布达 À 宫; Xiǎo Bùdálā Gōng), the temple is a striking sight on a clear day, its vast red walls standing out against the mountain backdrop. Preceded by squeaking prayer wheels and flapping flags, the RedPalace (also called the Great Red Terrace) encloses the majority of main shrines and halls. Press on past an exhibition of thangkas (Tibetan sacred art) in a restored courtyard and look out for the marvellous sandalwood pagodas further up. Both are 19m tall and contain 2160 effigies of the Amitabha Buddha. Among the many exhibits are displays of Tibetan Buddhist objects and instruments, including a kapala bowl, made from the skull of a young girl; all captions are in Chinese. The main hall is housed at the very top, surrounded by several small pavilions; the climb to the top is rewarded by fabulous views.