MOUNTAIN RETREAT

Architect builds temple-like public structure overlooking the Great Wall, Yang Feiyue reports.

In winter, Jinshanling Great Wall looks like a snowy wonderland. The early morning frost descends upon the mountains, cloaking them in a shimmering blanket. As the sun rises higher and thins out the fog, the jagged peaks and rocky outcrops start to glitter.

The snowcapped mountains, dark gray tree branches, rugged valleys and yellow rock faces, all give off a strong sense of antiquity. It is a scene of rare beauty, further accentuated by a piece of recently built architecture in the vicinity.

The building, known as the Jinshanling Shangyuan (upper cloister), is a public space open to travelers, sitting in a valley at the foot of the Jinshanling section of the Great Wall. This piece of the snaking structure of fortifications complex, which reaches far into the deserts of western China, is located close to Beijing, near Chengde, the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) summer retreat in Hebei province.