Chongqing
From ChinaTravelGuide
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Southwest China (西南) » Chongqing (重庆) » Chongqing (重庆)
[edit] Overview
Chongqing became China's fourth municipality in 1997 under the direct control of the central government. It covers 82,400 sq km and has 31.07 million people. It is best known as Southwest China's commercial center.
Chongqing is known as "Mountain City" and "River City" because it is surrounded by mountains, and the Yangtze River and the Jialing River cut through the city's central districts. The mainstem Yangtze River flows through the whole Chongqing area from west to east for a total distance of 665km.
When the night falls, the reflections of the colorful and lively Chongqing lights creep over the surface of Yangtze river - dancing and sparkling to the rhythm of the water. The dramatic cityscape of downtown Chongqing can be seen from the buildings along the Yangtze and Jialing Rivers.
[edit] History
Chongqing has a history of over 3000 years. During the 11th century BC, Ba people (巴人) established the Ba State in this area, and called Chongqing as Jiang Prefecture (江州). Ba State was later overrun by the State of Qin in 316 BC, which divided the unified country into 36 Jun (郡) (or provinces). Chongqing belonged to Bajun (巴郡), one of the 36 Juns. So Chongqing was once called as Bajun. Chongqing was also called as Chu Prefecture (楚州) during South-North Dynasty, and was subsequently renamed to Yu Prefecture (渝州) in 581 AD during the Sui Dynasty, and then to Gong Prefecture (恭州) in 1102. Chongqing received its current name in 1189, after Emperor Guangzong of the Song Dynasty promoted the city as Chongqing subprefecture (重庆府) to mark the "double celebration" (双重喜庆 or 重庆) of his crowning first as king of Gong Prefecture and then as Emperor of the Song Dynasty.
In 1891, Chongqing became the first inland commerce port open to foreign trade. In 1929, Chongqing became a municipality of the Republic of China. In 1937, it became the war-era capital of the Republic of China during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945).
In 1954, Chongqing (along with Harbin, Changchun, Shenyang, Luda, Anshan, Fushun, Benxi, Wuhan, Guangzhou, Xi'an) was demoted to a provincial city. In 1997, Chongqing was promoted to the 4th Municipality after merging with neighboring Fuling, Wanxian, and Qianjiang prefecture-level districts.
[edit] Weather
Current Conditions (2010-03-14 18:00:00, local time)
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Chongqing |
Temp: 59°F (15°C) |
Chongqing Weather Forecast
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Chongqing has the humid subtropical monsoon climate. Because of its surrounding mountains, Chongqing's city area is extremely hot in summer. The highest temperatures are in the July ranging about 27 ℃ ~ 38 ℃, but the historical highest temperature is 44 ℃ reached in 1933. Chongqing (along with Wuhan and Nanjing) is known as one of the three "furnaces" along the Yangtze River because of its long and hot summer. The average temperature in January is 6 ℃ with low of -4 ℃.
Ironically, Chongqing is among the Chinese cities with shortest sunshine time. Summer and fall are the rainy seasons with an annual rainfall of about 1,100 milliliters. Late fall to early spring is the fog season. The annual average foggy days are 68 days. Hence Chongqing also earns the title of "fog city".
| Weather averages for Chongqing | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| Avg high °C (°F) | 10 (50) | 13 (55) | 18 (64) | 23 (73) | 26 (79) | 29 (84) | 33 (91) | 33 (91) | 28 (82) | 21 (70) | 17 (63) | 11 (52) | |
| Avg low °C (°F) | 6 (43) | 8 (46) | 11 (52) | 16 (61) | 19 (66) | 22 (72) | 25 (77) | 25 (77) | 21 (70) | 16 (61) | 12 (54) | 8 (46) | |
| Rain cm (inches) | 1.85 (0.7) | 2.33 (0.9) | 4.72 (1.9) | 10.45 (4.1) | 15.51 (6.1) | 21.89 (8.6) | 15.25 (6) | 12.47 (4.9) | 9.71 (3.8) | 8.81 (3.5) | 4.76 (1.9) | 2.53 (1) | |
| Source: Average Conditions of Chongqing per MSN 2008 | |||||||||||||
[edit] Map
Click here to open Chongqing map.
[edit] Getting in & Getting out
[edit] By Air
Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport is located at Shaping Town of Yubei District in the northeastern part of Chongqing. The airport is about 23 km away from the urban areas, and is connected to the city by expressways. It has domestic flights to 27 large and mid-size cities in China, and international flights to Japan and Thailand. The airport occupies an area of 300 hectares with a 2,800m-long and 60m-wide runway.
All the major Chinese airlines including China Eastern, Xiamen Airline, Sichuan Airline, Wuhan Airline, Yunnan Airline, and the Great Wall Airline provide services in this airport.
You can use taxi or Airport Shuttle Bus to get to/from the airport from/to the city center. The taxi costs about 100 RMB if you bargain with the driver. The airport shuttle bus is at the terminal gate near domestic arrival. Shuttle buses stop at the Shangqing Temple Civil Aviation Ticketing Office in the city center.
[edit] By Train
Chongqing railway station is lcoated in downtown Chongqing. It is linked to other cities by the Chengyu (Chengdu-Chongqing) railway (zh:成渝铁路) (total length of 504 km), Chuanqian (Chongqing-Guiyang) railway (zh:川黔铁路) (total length of 463 km) and Xiangyu (Xiangfan-Chongqing) railway (zh:襄渝铁路) (total length of 915 km), and has further links to the national railway system.
[edit] By Bus
Chongqing's highway network consists of national highway lines 210, 313, 319, and 17 provincial highways to nearby provinces such as Guizhou, Sichuan, Hunan, Hubei, and Shaanxi.
Chongqing has more than ten long-distance passenger bus stations including Chongqing Bus Station, Shapingba Bus Terminal, Chongqing Northern Bus Station, Jiefangbei Bus Terminal, Kaixuan Road Bus Station, Ying Bin Bus Station, etc.
- Chongqing Bus Station (重庆汽车站) is right beside the Chongqing Railway Station, and the address is No 6 Chaiyuan Road. It's a hub station for Chengdu-Chongqing Expressway. Buses from here go to surrounding areas and also other cities in the neighboring Sichuan Province. The station's inquiry line is 023-63873196.
- Shapingba Bus Terminal (沙坪坝区汽车客运站) is at 58 Tianchen road in Chongqing's Shapingba district, neighboring Chongqing North Railway Station. It has daily buses to Nanchong (南充), Quxian (渠县), Guangan (广安), Nanchuan (南川), Shehong (射洪), Yibin (宜宾), Luzhou (泸州), Leshan (乐山), and other places. The station's inquiry line is 023-65336881.
- Chongqing Northern Bus Station (重庆汽车北站) is at Hongqihegou, and has daily buses going to Cizhu (茨竹), Xingren (兴仁), Tongjin (统景), and other surrounding areas in Chongqing. The station's inquiry line is 023-67853898 .
- Chongqing Ying Bin Bus Station (重庆港迎宾汽车站) is located outside Chaotianmen Gate (朝天门), and has daily buses going to Nanchong (南充), Yibin (宜宾), Luzhou (泸州), and Zigong (自贡). The station's inquiry line is 023-63736778.
- Jiefangbei Bus Terminal (解放碑汽车客运站) is located at Chongqing Youth Road, and has daily buses to Chengdu (成都), Qianjiang (黔江), Wansheng (万盛).
- Kaixuan Road Bus Station (凯旋路长途汽车站) is located at on the Kaixuan Road, and has daily buses to Yibin (宜宾), Leshan (乐山), and Zigong (自贡).
[edit] By Ship
Chongqing Ferry Terminal is at Chaotianmen, which is at the eastern end of Yuzhong District, and the junction of the Yangtze River and Jialing River. It's generally regarded as the best starting point for the Yangtze River Three Gorges Tour. Your can reach this port through the public bus lines 401, 418, 102, 103, 128, 232 and 382.
There are three types of passenger vessels for the Yangtze River Three Gorges Tour: the "foreign tourist ferry," "domestic tourist ferry", and "regular passenger ship". The fare for foreign tourist ferry are the highest, the domestic tourist ferry is less expensive, and the regular passenger ships are the least expensive.
[edit] Getting Around
[edit] By Public Bus
Chongqing has a well-established public transport system. Public buses run between 5:30 am and 9:00 pm. There are also numerous minibuses and tour buses available.
[edit] By Tour Bus
[edit] By Metro
[edit] By Taxi & Rental Car
The starting fare for Chongqing taxis is 5 RMB for the first 3km. It's usually less than 20 RMB to get to most places in town by taxi.
[edit] Attractions
Chongqing has more than 300 tourist attractions with natural scenery or cultural heritages, and 13 national heritage preservation units, 6 national scenic areas. The magnificent Three Gorges of the Yangtze River, the dazzling colors of the Chongqing night, the beautiful and pleasant Furong Jiang, are among the popular tourist attraction in Chongqing.
[edit] Video
| Chongqing |
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| Chongqing |
[edit] Hotels
[edit] Budget
[edit] Mid Range
[edit] Luxury
[edit] Restaurants
Chongqing is a harbor city and with this comes what is called "matou wenhua" or "dockside culture". This culture is blamed for a lot of things from cursing to...Hot Pot.
Hot Pot, called huoguo, or "firepot" in Chinese is one of Chongqing's claims to fame. In cities across China, one can find hot pot restaurants, but only Chongqing people can really stand a real hot pot, so if you want authenticity, get it while you can in Chongqing.
When ordering Hot Pot you have a a choice between three kinds. First, the spicy version called "hong tang" or "red soup". Then there is one without any spices. This is basically a bone soup, and it is tasty. To get this, simply ask for "yuan wei" or tell them "wo bu yao la" which means "I don't want the spicy stuff!" Finally there is a compromise with Yuan Yang Huo Guo (Yuan Yang Hot Pot), which is basically a pot split down the middle with the spicy stuff on one side and the mild on the other.
For those who like spicy but don't like it too spicy, it is possible to order "wei la hong tang" which is "red soup without the jolt". It's a nice mild experience.
For those who can not speak Chinese, it would be best to grab a Chinese friend to take you, though be warned, you'll have to put up with a lot of drinking, you'll be forced to smoke more than you normally would, and some of the things they go slipping into the pot might not be your cup of tea.
Aside from Hot Pot there are hundreds of dishes worth trying out while you're in the city. Suggested dishes:
At nicer restaurants:
- hui guo rou (Twiced cooked spicy pork slices) (highly recommended)
- suan cai yu (Fish slices in sour and spicy pickled vegetable soup)(recommended)
- tang cu liji (Fried pork fillet slices in sweet and sour sauce)
- shao bai (Steamed fatty pork with preserved vegetables)
- yu xiang qie zi ("Fish Flavoured" aubergine) (highly recommended)
- lao hu cai (Onions and parsleys in spicy mustard)
- doufu yu (Fish with tofu)
- yuxiang rou si ("Fish flavoured" pork shreads) (recommended)
- hong shao rou (Chinese bouilli)
- gong pao jiding (Gongpao Chicken)(recommended)
- mu er rou pian (Black Agaric and pork slice stir-fries)
- shui zhu rou pian (Pork/beef slices in hot and spicy soup) ( very spicy but recommended)
- mapo tofu (Numbing and spicy tofu) (spicy but highly recommended)
"Friendship Restaurant" next to the Maison Mode Plaza is highly recommended. You can also find loads of street restaurants around that area.
At noodle shops:
- xiao mian (Noodle with no tops)￥3.0
- niu rou mian (Beef noodle)￥5.0
- liang mian (Cold noodle)￥2.5
- liang fen'r (fer) (Rice/soybean pudding slices)￥2.5
- hun dun (T'sao sou) ( Szechuan dumplings)￥4
All of the above served in the noodle shops can be either spicy flavoured or plain flavoured, though spicy flavour is preferably recommended for a trial.)
Overall it is also a good experience to try some "gou rou" or"dog meat" in winter.
There are many "Western Restaurants", but it is very difficult to find any real western food in them. Many smallish restaurants will have a reasonable stab at spaghetti bolognaise, and some will have menus in "Chinglish" and even pictures of dishes. However as an exception, you can find quite nice fusion dishes (ranging from Japanese Sushi and Tempura to American Sirloin Steak in the "Ali&Ade" on the second floor of the Pacific Dept. Store inside the Metropolitan Plaza (Daduhui) right next to the Harbour View Hotel in the downtown area of Jiefangbei. Another recommneded "Western restaurant" in the downtown area is "Casablanca" in Dekang Dept. Store. For less than ¥50, you can enjoy a decent meal served with a cup of nice drink, salad and dessert. Shapingba also offers some great western choices; 'Why Not' a Belgian style restaurant owned by a Belgian couple. Authentic fries and an ecclectic menu at below the high Jiefagbei prices.
--from wikitravel.org
[edit] Shopping
Although "Mountain City" is enclosed by hills and not as "open" to the outside world as Beijing, Shanghai, or Guangzhou are, it does not lack the contemporary atmosphere of a typical modern city.
Chongqing shopping districts are clustered in Jiefangbei (解放碑) of Shapingba area. The area is often compared to Wangfujing shopping district in Bejing or Nanjing Road in Shanghai.
Jiefangbei shopping plaza hosts some of the most popular, most bustling commercial street, and most vibrant walking street known as "shopping paradise". Merchants gathered around the towering buildings on both sides of the street. Well-known shopping malls include Chongqing Department Store, the New Century Department Store, the Metropolitan Square, Meimei Department Stores. As the old saying goes, "If you have not visited Jiefangbei, you have not visited Chongqing."
[edit] Night Life & Entertainment
Sichuan opera and "face-changing" are among the most famous traditional performances in Chongqing.
Sichuan opera is noted for its high-pitch tune accompanied with percussion and chorus, but not with any wind or string instruments. Most opera shows are adapted from the Chinese classical novels and folk tales. The programs come with distinctive local flavor, and are always humorous, witty, and filled with lively dialogue.
Sichuan opera is also known for its stylish movements. Unlike other types of Chinese opera, where actors wear fixed facial make-up, performers of Sichuan opera often pull off stunt of "face-changing" to change its face in a dazzling speed to portray special characters.
The elderly in Chongqing are especially fond of watching the Sichuan opera.
[edit] Sports & Recreation
[edit] Excursions & Day Trips
[edit] Area and Postal Codes
All the districts and counties in Chongqing have an area code of 23.
