East of the city centre, a narrow column of rock some 59 metres tall rises from a hillside in the unmistakable shape of an inverted sledgehammer (磬锤峰). It is an odd and memorable sight. A cable car runs to the upper area for views back over Chengde and the Mountain Resort — on a clear day the layout of the imperial park makes obvious sense from above.
The surrounding park has walking paths through forested hills and is considerably less crowded than the resort itself. Good for an afternoon if you want to escape the tour groups.