Peace and action go hand in hand

Outing offers a cool break and plenty to do and see, Yang Feiyue reports.

Relief from China's sweltering heat is a lot closer than you may sometimes think. In late June after a drive of just three hours from Beijing you can be snuggling under thick quilts in Chengde, Hebei province, where summer temperatures generally range from 15 C to 28 C.

However, for many visitors to Chengde, one of the strongest attractions is its grasslands, at their verdant best from May to October. On the days when I was there this landscape was complemented by the bluest of skies, decked with thick, chunky clouds that seemed to be almost within arm's reach, hanging over the city's Fengning Manchu autonomous county.