Relaxation in Chengdu V: Capital of Fog & City of Mountain--Chongqing

As you know,London is known as "Fog City". But do you know, Chongqing, also known as "Fog city". In history, Chongqing had belonged to Sichuan Province. Then, if you want to relax in your free time, but traveled all around Chengdu, maybe you can try to visit Chongqing, I think it won't let you down.

                                                            Chapter Five

  Capital of Fog & City of Mountain--Chongqing

● Chongqing has its own inherent charm and the region is worth exploring. 

Chongqing is an enormous, one-of-a-kind Chinese megalopolis that represents the greatest population concentration in all of China (in terms of geographical area, it is about twice the size of Taiwan ; in terms of population, it is about twice the size of Beijing ). At its core is the old city of Chongqing, which has a history stretching back some 3000 years.

As a city in the mountains, it is surrounded by two rivers, and has high-rises and buildings in graceful disorder. “Chongqing--Mountains in the city and the city on the mountain.”-- This is a true reflection of Chongqing City. Chongqing enjoys a tropical moist climate of the central Asia, with cloudy days, less frost and snow. In spring and autumn, the city is often enveloped by heavy fog, hence the name the 'Capital of Fog'.

Fog City

It was a part of Sichuan Province, but it was made a "municipality" in 1997. In China, a municipality is a big city with a big territory. Chongqing is one of four municipalities in the country. It is a city with a long history, and it was important as an inland port near the rich Sichuan region. Traders came overland or by river. It is located at the place where the Jialing River meets the Yangtze River.

                                         
Chongqing: Yesterday & Today

Chongqing is the largest municipality located in southwest China. It is a port city in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River at the confluence of the Yangtze and Jialing Rivers. With an area of 82,400 square kilometers (31, 800 square miles), it is the famous 'mountain city' sharing border with the provinces of Hubei, Hunan, Guizhou, Sichuan, and Shaanxi. 

Since the Qin Dynasty (221 BC-206 BC), many dynasties have set up administrative institutions that have endowed Chongqing with brilliant cultures. Perched beside the Yangtze, the "Golden River," Chongqing symbolizes Yangtze River civilizations and is the cradle of Bayu culture.

Chongqing at Night

Today, Chongqing is a modern city, China's fourth municipality after Beijing, Shanghai, and Tianjin. Within its borders it encompasses a wealth of water reserves, mineral resources, dense forests, and abundant flora and fauna. The focal point of the unique Yangtze Three Gorges Dam, it is a tourist attraction as well as a commercial city.

Most importantly, as the cradle of the Ba culture, Chongqing is an ancient cultural city with a history of 3,000 years, thus enjoying advantageous tourism recourse. Chongqing with rich tourist resources is gifted with tourist items represented by the famous Three Gorges of the Yangtze River, the Mountain City and the stone carvings of Dazu, and 44 charming scenic zones, including eight scenic zones of Four-A grade of the state, ten state forest parks and five major scenic zones at the stale level.

                                           8 Must-to-do Things in Chongqing

Given the area's population density and its prominent role in the country's history, it is no surprise that Chongqing offers an array of major historical and cultural attractions. 

Three Gorges

1. Three Gorges: Three Gorges of Yangtze River is one of the top ten scenic spots of China. You will enjoy the downstream cruise from Chongqing and running through the majestic Qutang Gorge, Wu Gorge and Xiling Gorge in sequence. Chongqing Dock is an ideal starting place for the Yangtze River Cruise, a memorable sightseeing experience taking in some of China’s most beautiful rivers and mountains

2. Dazu Rock Carvings: The Dazu Rock Carvings are a series of Chinese religious cliff stone, dating back as far as the end of Tang dynasty and early Song Dynasty, depicting and mainly influenced by Buddhist beliefs. They display Chinese famous ancient stone carving art and were listed as a World Heritage Site in 1999. The general term of "Dazu Rock Carvings" refers to all the Cliffside carvings in Dazu County. There are more than 70 spots of Cliffside carvings composed of more than 50000 statues and over 100000 Chinese characters of inscriptions and epigraphs.

3. Giant Panda: Chongqing Zoo is an ideal place to approach the world rare animal, giant panda. A giant panda is bear-like in shape. It has black fur on ears, eye patches, muzzle, legs, and shoulders. The rest of the animal's coat is white. These lovely animals will surely amuse you to the utmost.

People’s Liberation Monument

4. People’s Liberation Monument: The Liberation Monument serves as the symbol for the city, and currently is surrounded and by numerous grand shopping centers. 

5. Former Residence of General Joseph W. Stilwell: Former Residence of General Joseph W. Stilwell was established for commemorating Joseph W. Stilwell, an American general who contributed a lot to the Chinese people during the Second World War.

6. Great Hall of the People: Chongqing Great Hall of the People is one of the largest public assembly buildings in China. Though built in modern times, it emulates traditional architectural styles, and adjacent to the densely populated and hilly central district, with narrow streets and pedestrian only walkways. 

7. Tasty Eating in Chongqing: Chongqing is famous for its hot Sichuan cuisine and world-famous hotpot dishes. Street vendors as well as restaurants feature exciting spicy delicacies for the adventurers. --Hotpot is Chongqing's local culinary specialty. The local style emphasizes spicy taste. Tables in hotpot restaurants usually contain a central pot where food ordered by the customers is boiled. You should not miss it.

Great Hall of the People

8. Chongqing at Night: The night time view of the heart of Chongqing's downtown area, with its myriad of glittering lights, amplified by their reflections in the city's two rivers, is an especially majestic, if not romantic, sight to behold, especially given the diverse cultural setting. On a starry night, it is an experience rarely equaled anywhere on the planet. --The winding and rolling lines of road lamps, the stepped residence lights and the blazing ship glim, with steam-whistle and auto horn offer the mountain city infinite vitality. 




P.S. My dearest friends, in your eyes, what does Chongqing like? Have you experience all the things I mentioned above? I just need your sharing and suggestions~~