Chongqing

cctv.com 09-01-2003 14:19

Some of the local residents, they take a cable car like that across the river to go to work everyday, and the name of the city is synonymous with a particular kind of hotpot. It's Chongqing, which means 'double celebrations'.

Chongqing is a concrete and steel jungle sitting on the undulating hills overlooking the confluence of two great rivers, the Jialingjiang and the Yangtze. The city was built on the area's steep hills and all the skyscrapers speak of the value put on each square inch of land here. It's home to more than 30 million people and is the fourth municipality in China right after Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin. That's why it's no exaggeration to say that Chongqing is the economic, political and industrial hub of Southwestern China. If you are in industry or commerce in China, there's a good chance business will bring you to this city but it's not the only reason to come. Chongqing is also the starting point of most trips to see the magnificent Three Gorges on the Yangtze River.

The Yangtze River is like Chongqing's mother river. The city owes much of its prosperity to the river. And it is the largest port in the upper reaches of the River

Chongqing was one of the earliest settlements in this part of China. About 3,000 years ago, the Ba Kingdom chose this spot to set up its capital. It's difficult to understand why those people chose to build their key centre on this hilly terrain, given that nature would seem to be against them. Maybe it's through this struggle that Chongqing people have earned a reputation for being tempestuous and hard-working. One thing's for sure 鈥like San Francisco, the city is a maze of winding streets. And you won't see the machine that's synonymous with the Middle Kingdom. With all the twists and turns to Chongqing, there's not a bike to be seen. The saying goes that in Chongqing, it's not you who rides the bicycle, but the bicycle that rides you, because you have to carry it over the countless steps.

It's said that in the old times Chongqing people had to take thousands of steps every day around the city. Stairways are still common and there is one very special one. This is the longest escalator in Asia and takes you down or up more than 120 metres in three minutes.

The endless steps in the city have become a kind of mandatory exercise for Chongqing people. People say one that unexpected result is an exceptionally attractive population. So much so that the city is known for producing beauty queens. At the Liberty Monument centre, in downtown Chongqing, it feels like everybody is carrying herself with great confidence and in step with the city's beat.

Editor:Han Ling  Source:CCTV.com