Chengde Summer Palace is located north of Chengde City and is the largest surviving royal garden in China, occupying an area of 564,000 square meters, even bigger than the Summer Palace in Beijing. It contains emperor's residential buildings, royal gardens and some magnificent temples. The gardens are divided into three themed areas: a Lake District, a Plain District, and a Mountain District. The Lake District comprises of a number of small fishing villages that surround the area's lakes, while the Plain District is a replica of typical Mongolian grasslands. The Mountain District is characterized by dense forests. Within the Lake and Mountain districts are temples, pagodas and pavilions that are interspersed in a manner that harmonizes with the surrounding topography. [Globaltimes.cn]