A Few Sights to See in Chongqing, Soutwest China

In 1000BC it is believed that Chongqing was founded as the capital of the shadowy state of Ba. Situated on a peninsula at the junction of the Yangzi and Jialing rivers, Chongqing is known as one of the Yangzi valley's "three furnaces." The reason for this is because of its stifling summer humidity, which is made even worse by its pollution.

Chongqing is a lively and rapidly modernizing city with few historic attractions (although there are a few). The main reason that most visitors pass through Chongqing is to catch a Yangzi ferry downstream through the Three Gorges.

Even so Chongqing is still worth spending a little time in.

Chatian Men (Gate Facing Heaven)

This is Chongqing's wharf district and is right at the top of the peninsula. Here you will see cruise boats lining the muddy banks, readying themselves for their journey into Eastern China. There is a viewing platform overlooking the river junction which was built in 2000 and from here you can see some splendid views but on windy days viewing is somewhat impaired by the heavy fog caused by intense pollution.

Luohan Si

This is a Ming-era temple and is famed for its hall crowded with luohan (those freed from the cycle of rebirth).

Victory Monument

Victory Monument is a plain looking clock tower that commemorates the Communists defeat of Kuomintang forces in 1949. It is situated in the heart of down town Chongqing and is surrounded by a busy shopping district.

Chongqing Museum

Housed in this fascinating museum is a superb collection of eastern Han tomb relics (AD 52-220) collected from sites around Sichuan. Upstairs in the museum is a display of Ba-era (500BC) boat coffins.

Great Hall of the People

This building was inspired by Beijing's Temple of Heaven and is 213 ft high and seats 4,200 people. Built in 1954 as a conference hall to commemorate Chongqing's important war time role the Great hall of the People is today part of the Renmin Hotel and is occasionally used for concerts. This intriguing building with its three tiers of red-pillared eaves beneath a blue canopied roof stands out amongst the modern high rises that now encircle it.

Stilwell Museum

Situated 3 miles SE of the city centre this was once the home of General Stilwell (1883-1946) who was based in Chongqing between 1942 and 1944 as commander of the US forces and Chiang Kai Shek's chief of staff. The US was instrumental in helping China over throw the Japanese and Stilwell led the effort. The many exhibits include maps and photographs as well as a display on the legendary Flying Tigers, a volunteer group of US fighter pilots who held off the Japanese along the China-Burma border between 1941 and 1942.

Hongyan Cun

During World war II these whitewashed buildings were the base of the Nationalist-Communist 'United Front' Government. The communist leader Zhou Enlai and his wife Deng Yingchao were based here and Hongyan Cun had a brief visit from Chairman Mao after the Japanese surrender in 1945. He came to attend the US sponsored talks with the Kuomintang forces led by Chiang Kai Shek. The buildings today are home to a collection of sparsely captioned wartime photographs and the real appeal of a visit is to enjoy the hilly parkland which surrounds the site.

Ciqi Kuo

9 miles west of Chongqing, sitting on the banks of Jialing Jiang, is Ciqi Kuo. Founded 1,700 years ago, during the Ming era, Ciqi Kuo was a famous porcelain production centre. Today it is something of a museum piece. Preserved in their original flag-stoned state its river front lanes are flanked by old timber, adobe, and split stone buildings with carved stonework, latticed windows and grey tiled roofs. Tea houses are in abundance here and a couple of the more traditional ones overlook the river and sometimes host opera performances. Although procelain isn't made here anymore Ciqi Kuo has become the haunt of painters in both modern and traditional styles.

Source - China by the DK Eyewitness Travel Guides.