Even I live and work in Beijing for very long time, but when
somebody ask me to introduce the most interesting,
charming and magical city in China, firstly I will recommend Chongqing, which
is the mountain and spicy food city in South west of China.
Chongqing was temporarily the capital of the Republic of
China during World War 2, after Nanjing was occupied by the Japanese. The
capital was subsequently relocated back to Nanjing after the Japanese
surrendered in 1945.
Neighbouring provinces: Hubei (east), Hunan (east), Guizhou
(south), Sichuan (west), Shaanxi (north)
Located on the edge of the Yungui Plateau, and surrounded by
small green capped mountains, Chongqing City is intersected by the Jialing
River and the upper reaches of the Yangtze. It contains the Daba Shan in the
north, Wu Shan in the east, Wuling Shan in the southeast, and Dalou Mountain to
the south. Chongqing is notorious for its hot and humid weather. The air
quality in the warmer months as well as the winter can be challenging to people
with respiratory problems due to massive amounts of smog. Chongqing has been
ranked by the World Bank as one of the most polluted cities in the world.
You could find more story about this city from the movie STILL LIFE and
Crazy Stone.
.
Hot Pot (huǒguō, lit.: firepot) 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 red soup (hong tang). 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 Hot Pot (Yuan Yang Huo Guo), 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 do not like it too spicy, it is
possible to order red soup without the jolt (wei la hong tang). It is 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 will have to put up
with a lot of drinking, you will 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. You will also have to be aware that you will be fed with a lot of
dishes from your Chinese friends because they like to see your bowl is full of
food so you might feel a little uncomfortable by being fed like a child but
that is the way Chinese show their concern and enthusiastic to their friends
especially when eating hot pot.
The Dazu Rock Carvings, in Dazu county, are a
series of Chinese religious sculptures and carvings, dating back as far as the
7th century A.D., depicting and influenced by Buddhist, Confucian and Taoist beliefs.
Listed as a UNESCOWorld Heritage Site, the Dazu Rock Carvings are
made up of 75 protected sites containing some 50,000 statues, with over 100,000
Chinese characters forming inscriptions and epigraphs.
The Three Natural Bridges and Furong Cave in Wulong Karst
National Geology Park, Wulong County are
listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the South China
Karst.
Ciqikou is a 1000-year-old town in the Shapingba District of Chongqing. It is
also known as Little Chongqing. The town, located next to the lower reaches of
the Jialing River, was at one time an important
source of chinawares and used to be a busy commercial dock during the Ming and Qing
Dynasties.
