China’s city of Bridges:

Chongqing(重庆) is well-known for its hot-pot cuisine, mountains and fog. Yet few people know Chongqing as China’s City of Bridges. Two rivers flowthrough Chongqing - the Jialing Changjiang - and these rivers and the mountains they carved generate the essence of the city.

Fog envelopes a bridge on the Changjiang River.

When rivers absorb the warm sunlight, fog is condensed and rises from the surface of the water, meaning Chongqing is often enveloped in mist. At times, the scenery vanishes in a white world until peeks of sunlight pierce through clouds. The fog brings such cold and moisture, it is no wonder the Chongqing hot-pot was invented at the bank of Jialing River near the dock of Chaotianmen between the end of the Ming Dynasty(1368--1644) and the beginning of Qing Dynasty(1644-1911). The hot-pot kept the body warm and the spicy taste cut through the moisture. Several hundreds of years later, this delicacy spread throughout China and has become a symbol of Chongqing.

Passenger liner and bridge are two important commuting tools for people in Chongqing.

If the mountains are like the body of Chongqing and rivers equal to its blood vessels, obviously bridges are the city’s vital joints. With so many numerous bridges, Chongqing is a paradise for bridge designers. AMong the many examples of bridges – many bold and exquisite – are the the humpbacked bridge, cable-stayed bridge, girder bridge, suspension bridge and others. I love Chongqing for its hot-pot, mountains, rivers and bridges. When I love a city, I love everything about it. Even the hot weather in summer and the city’s numerous steep ladders are reasons why I love Chongqing.

Cable car over Changjiang river

Endless ladders in the "City of Mountain":

For many persons come to Chongqing at the first time, climbing ladders is a hard challenge. But for the local people, climbing ladders is saving time and enegy. Chongqing is a city of Mountains, described as ups and downs. If you are not climbing up ladders, you must be climbing down ladders.

'Ladder road’ at Eling Park in Chongqing. As Chongqing is built on a mountain, the city is dotted with steps and steep climbs.

Ci Qikou Ancient Town locates adjacent to Jialing River and it was firstly built up dated back to Song Dynasty(960-1279). Its name “Ci Qikou”, in English “china town” was given due to its ever prevailing fame in china production with good quality and high productivity.

 History of the city:

Tourists visit the shops along the business street of Ciqikou ancient town.

The night of the Hong Ya Cave area. Hong Ya Cave is not a cave at all, but a stilted building complex hung over the hill, in which hotels, bars, restaurants and malls are scattered.

Food in Chongqing:

When it comes to taste, hot pot and Xiao Mian top the list. The taste of Chong Qing hot pot cannot be found in ostentatious grand hotels, for assembly line-made hot pot lacks several touches of localism. The scent of local hot pot will reach your nostrils far away from the alleys in which it is made. So, when you travel here, just follow the distinctive scent and you will find it. As night falls and friends sit in the hot pot bar, with perfume suffusing the air, they play a finger-guessing game, at times going wild with euphoria, at times stopping to enjoy the spicy feast. This wonderful picture, in my eyes, signifies one facet of Chong Qing taste.

Hot pot

Xiao Mian, noodle with Chongqing style.

Pepper sauce in small bowls

Other travel tips when you in Chongqing:

1. Take selfies with Chongqing’s landmark Jie Fang Bei to prove you have been to Changqing.

2. Gele Mountain and Zha Zi Dong (cinder cave) are strongly recommended if you are a history geek.

3. Discover the Chongqing-only cable cars, and you will find it a compelling experience.

4. To know the reason why Chongqing got its new nickname “3D Magic City”, you should take line 2 of the light rail. Line 2 rides through the building, across the river, underground, up to the sky.

5. For a comprehensive exploration of Chongqing, don’t let slip the opportunity to check out the outskirts’ attractions such as Three Gorges, Tiankeng Difeng (great hollows and crevices), and the Dazu stone carving.

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