Chongqing city became the fourth
municipality of China in 1997 alongside Beijing, Tianjin, and Shanghai.
Being a municipality allows the city to manage its
own affairs and run directly under the central government,
instead of the Sichuan
province Government.
Chongqing municipality has a population
of 32.4 million, and 79% (24.4 million) of the population
live in rural areas. The urban population of Chongqing
is estimated at 3.4 million, making it the 10th largest
urban population in China. Chongqing municipality
administers 15 districts, 4 cities, 21 counties, and
covers an area of 82,300 square kilometers.
Map of Chongqing China
Chongqing Municipality Map
Chongqing Weather and Climate
The climate in Chongqing is semi-tropical.
It has hot, humid summers, with temperatures going
as high as 40 degrees Celsius (102F). It's known as
one of the "three furnace cities" of China,
and it rarely snows in winter. The air is foggy and
polluted from the industrial plants and coal burning
for electric power.
Chongqing Tourism
Because of the hills and mountains
surrounding the city where buildings are built on,
Chongqing has the nick name "mountain city".
The central part of the city is located at the end
of the Huaying Mountain and the crossing of the Yangtze
river and Jialing river. The terrain altitude of Chongqing
city varies as much as 220 meters with the lowest
point being 160 meters above sea level at Zhaotianmen
in the east, and the highest point at 380 meters above
sea level at Futuguan in the west.
Chongqing and surrounding areas
are full of tourism attractions. The most famous being
the Three Gorges. Chongqing is a port city located
in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, and it
is a major departure port for Yangtze River cruises,
which takes you on an amazing tour of the Three Gorges.
Other tourism attractions in ChongQing
include:
Dazu Stone Carvings
created during the 9th century. There are more than
50,000 Buddhist, Taoist and Confucian rock carvings
scattered throughout 75 major sites. The Dazu site
is now listed in the UNESCO World Heritage.
The Chongqing Museum
has over 40 exhibition halls and over 100,000 relics
spanning 3,000 years of Chinese history.
The Residence of General
Joseph W. Stilwell is another popular tour
attraction. Joseph Stilwell was a chief commander
of US forces during world war 2.
Whether you're interested in visiting
historical and cultural heritages, taking a cruise
of the Yangtze River and touring the Three Gorges,
or in it for the hot, spicy and delicious tasting
food, Chongqing has something for everyone.
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