Chongqing
Chongqing is the largest and most heavily populated city of China. It covers an area of thirty-one thousand square miles and has a population of over thirty-one million people. Chongqing can trace its historical roots back to the third century BC during the Qin Dynasty. This was when the emperor order the construction of the city, which was named Jiang at the time. During the Sui Dynasty in the fifth century the city was renamed Yu Prefecture. It wasn’t until the twelfth century that Prince Zhao Dun of the Southern Song Dynasty renamed it to Chongqing. The next relevant period of time in the history of Chongqing came during the fall of the Ming Dynasty. This was when the city was captured by the revolting population that would eventually overthrow the entire dynasty. In the nineteenth century, Chongqing was the first Chinese city opened to foreign traders. This city wouldn’t become an industrialized city, however, until the Second World War. During the war many universities and factories were relocated to this city to save them from Japanese bombers.
Today, Chongqing is quickly urbanizing, due in part to its seperation from the Sichuan province and its newly acquired status as a municipality. Recently over one and a half million square feet of residential and commercial space has been added to the city scape. Also the city sees a daily influx of almost thirteen hundred new residents. Manufacturing capabilities of this city include automobiles, textiles, machinery, electronics and chemicals. Its most profitable industry is automobile and motorcycle production. In fact, this city is the third largest producer of motor vehicles in all of Chinas. The production of Chongqing’s automobile industry includes over one million cars and almost nine million motorbikes every year. This city is also in China’s top ten for the production of steel and aluminum. Chongqing also profits from a vast supply of natural resources which include minerals, coal and natural gas. The city currently has a plan to build a refinery that will process ten million tons of crude oil a year. The Gross Domestic Product has reached over seventy-three billion US dollars in the past few years. The many commercial ventures of this city provide Chongqing with more than enough wealth to attend to its infrastructure. As a result, this city has attracted many foreign investors and tourists. Foreign investors in the city include Ford, Mazda, Walmart and Carrefour.
The educational needs of Chongqing is handled by several national, provincial, private and municipal universities. These include Chongqing University, Southwest University, Southwest University of Political Science and Law, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing University of Technology, Jiaotong University, Chongqing Normal University, Three Gorges University, Hechuan University, University of Posts and Telecommunications, University of Science and Technology, Fuling Teachers College, Sichuan Fine Arts Institute, Southwest Agricultural University, University of Logistics, Chongqing Technology and Business University, Sichuan International Studies University, Western Chongqing University and Yangtze Normal University.
A popular tourist destination in the city is People’s Liberation Monument. This monument is located at the epicenter of the Mingquan, Mingzhu and Zourong roads in the district of Yuzhong. It stands over eighty-two feet high and has a ladder where visitors can make it to the top of the structure. The People’s Liberation Monument was erected in 1940 and was rebuilt in 1945 to mark the victory over the Japanese during World War II. The area around the People’s Liberation Monument is a major economic center and contains many theaters, bars, hotels, shops and bookstores. Another popular attraction in the city is the Dazu Rock Carvings. The Dazu Rock Carvings are a complex of sculptures and carvings of a religious nature that date back as far as the seventh century. These carvings show and are influenced by Buddhist, Taoist and Confucian beliefs and are listed as a World Heritage Site. This attraction features over seventy-five distinctive site that contain over fifty thousand statues. The carvings at this location was started during the seventh century, but most of the work was completed during the twelfth century. This was when a Buddhist monk named Zhao Zhifeng spent over seventy years of his life in dedication to producing many of the fascinating works located here.
No trip to Chongqing would be complete without a visit to Chongqing Zoo. This zoo contains over one thousand birds and one hundred and over forty-five hundred animals from two hundred and thirty species. Animals here include golden hair monkeys, Chinese tigers and giant pandas. This zoo is very well stocked and covers an area of over forty-five hectares. During the warmer months, large groups of people can be seen in the zoo practicing Tai Chi. Another location to visit is the ancient town of Ciqikou in a suburb of Chongqing. This little town covers a mile area and is surrounded by three mountains, Jingbi Shan, Fenghuang Shan and Ma’an Shan. This town was erected during the tenth century by the Emperor Zhenzong and as a result is simply brimming with history and culture. Traditions to be witnessed in this town include the temple fair, dragon dance, Sichuan opera, chuntai drama, pingshu culture and dragon boat races.
Besides the many restaurants, hotels, tea houses and cafes in the city there are also quite a few other attractions for visitors to see and experience. These include attractions such as Furong Cave, the Fishing City, Chongqing Museum, Stilwell Museum, Great Hall of the People, Renmin Hotel, Luohan Si Temple, Red Rock Village Museum, the natural bridges, Compound of Zhong’s, Bao Lun Buddhist Temple, Bayu Dwellings Collection and Han Lin Academy.
