The mountain city
Chongqing
Chongqing, Ba or Yu for short, is also called Mountain City, Yu City, the City of Fog and the City of Bridges. As one of the four municipalities in China and a central city of the nation, Chongqing is the center of economy, finance, shipping, politics, culture, education and technology in the upstream of the Yangtze River, as well as a national comprehensive transportation hub.
GEOGRAPHY
The city of Chongqing is located at the southwestern part of the Chinese inner land and the upper reach of the Yangtze River. It is exactly located from 105.11 to 110.11 degrees east longitude and from 28.10 to 32.13 degrees north latitude, which is the transitional zone between the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the middle-lower Yangtze Plain.
The Chongqing region borders Hubei Province and Hunan Province in the southeast, Guizhou Province in the south, Sichuan Province in the west and north, and Shaanxi and Hubei Province in the northeast. It is 470 km long from east to west and 450 km wide from south to north. It has a total area of 82400 km2.
CLIMATE
Located in the subtropical humid monsoon climate zone, Chongqing has a mild climate and is livable with the average temperature of 18℃. The lowest temperature in winter stays at 6-8℃ while it’s hot in summer as the highest temperature stays above 35℃ in July. The extreme temperatures are 43℃ and minus 2℃, respectively. Chongqing enjoys ample sunshine, rainfall and a long frost-free season. The annual sunshine and rainfall total respectively 1000-1200 hours and 1000-1450 millimeters. As rain comes frequently in the nights of late spring and early summer, Chongqing is famous for the saying of “night rain in Ba Mountain” and for its beautiful landscape. Because of its foggy weather, it’s also known as the City of Fog in China.
CULTURE
Chongqing’s culture is one of the distinctive national cultures in the upstream of the Yangtze River. It stems from Ba culture, which refers to the regional culture formed by Ba people and Ba State through historical development. The mountains and rivers where Ba people lived shaped their characters.
Under the influence of nature and wild environment, Ba people are featured by braveness and tenacity. Therefore, men from Chongqing are passionate and forthright, while women are gentle and vigorous.
TOURIST SEASON
As the locals say, years in Chongqing are marked by unstable temperatures in the spring morning, tediously hot and dry summers, continuous rainy days in chilly autumns, and foggy, snowless winters. Chongqing is one of the cities with shortest sunshine duration. Rainfalls in Chongqing concentrate in summer and autumn and usually penetrate through the night, which makes Chongqing most romantic for its night rains. The city remains foggy in late autumn and early spring. Comparatively speaking, spring and autumn are both mild seasons for ideal traveling. The Dazu Stone Carvings, the Simianshan Mountain, the Jinfoshan Mountain, the Xiannvshan Mountain, the Jinyunshan Mountain, the Fengdu County, and the Wujiang River Landscape are all must-see sights for tourists. Though summer in Chongqing is usually hot, it is less foggy compared with other seasons, which makes night tours extraordinarily enjoyable. Besides that, the other two features of the city are hotpot and gorgeous young ladies. Dining hotpot with young and charming ladies in a romantic night contribute to the idealist traveling experience one can think of. The Nanshan Mountain, the Eling Park, the Chaotianmen Square, the Monument of Liberation, The Nanbin Road, and the Shapingba District are all recommended spots. Winter in Chongqing is gloomy, cold and damp with occasional sunshine. Travelers from the northern part of China may find it hard to adjust to local climate. Under such circumstances, travelers are suggested to tour around indoor exhibition centers and ancient suburban towns first. Hot spring bath is also highly recommended. The Geleshan Mountain Martyr’s Cemetery, the Great Hall of the People, The Three Gorges Museum, the Ancient Town of Gongtan, the Ancient Town of Ciqikou, and the Tianci Hot Spring Resort are all recommended spots.