Chongqing Overview
Lying in southwestern China on the upper reaches of the Changjiang (Yangtze) River, Chongqing Municipality is the largest industrial and commercial center in the southwest, and provides a land and water communications hub on the upper reaches of the Changjiang River. It has 40 districts, cities, and counties under its jurisdiction, a population of 30.2 million, and an area of 82,000 square kilometers. In 1997, Chongqing was made the fourth municipality directly under the central government.The city flower is the Camellia and the city tree is Ficus Lacor. It is one of the five cities in China as of 2013 in allowing 72-hour visa-free transits, offering chances for passengers from 45 countries who uses Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport wishing to visit Chongqing City for a while and transfer to a third country.
Called Yu for short, Chongqing was established some 3000 years ago at the time of the Ba Kingdom. As an inland port it was opened to foreign trade in 1890 and played a key role in the economy of the southwest region. During World War II, it was the provisional capital of China (1938-1945). The Japanese bombed the city heavily and only the long foggy winters saved the city from worse damage. Chongqing or "Chungking" was known to most of the world as a heavily bombarded yet brave city. Many places of interest here are related to its wartime struggles and or the revolution led by the Communist Party leaders who later took control of China.
The Square, Chongqing
The urban area of Chongqing is located on the tip of a spur of the Huaying Mountains, slanting from west to east. Chongqing is surrounded by mountains on all sides and by the Changjiang and Jialing rivers on three sides. It is called the "mountain city." The city has a humid, cloudly climate with a long rainy season but snow and frost are rare. Mist lingers on in spring and autumn, hence it is also called "misty Chongqing." The mean annual temperature is 18.6c.
Chongqing features convenient water, land, and air transport facilities. There are more than 50 airlines flying to Nagoya, Singapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Lhasa, and other places. It is the meeting place of the Chengyu (Chengdu-Chongqing), the Xiangyu Xianfan-Chongqing and Yuhuai (Chongqing-Huaihua) railroads. The renowned Three Gorges - one of the natural wonders of the world - are just 20 hours sailing away, so Chongqing is the start or end point for most Yangtze river cruise. There are more than 100 houseboats suitable for both foreign and home tourists and over 80 star-class hotels.
The Ciqikou Ancient Town, Chongqing
Chongqing features a picturesque landscape, an enchanting night view, cultural sites from the Three Kingdoms period, exquisite stone sculptures in Dazu, the magnificent yet treacherous Three Gorges, The well-known places well-known to the memory of the revolutionaries, rich cultural relics from the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, parks, scenic attractions, and nature reserves. All these make Chonqing a popular tourist center, ideal for sightseeing, holding meetings and exhibitions, spending weekends and holidays, shopping, and eating.
