Chongqing, Heaven for foodies
Chongqing is a municipality in southwest China (the other three municipalities are Beijing, Shanghai, and Tianjin), and shares borders with the provinces of Hubei, Hunan, Guizhou, Sichuan, and Shaanxi. It is also a modern port city on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River at the confluence of the Yangtze and Jialing Rivers, which before was a part of Sichuan Province.
Known as the ‘Mountain City’, it has a wavy terrain and encompasses a wealth of water reserves, mineral resources, dense forests, and abundant flora and fauna. It is also called ‘Fog City’. This is because, in the spring and fall, a thick layer of fog enshrouds it over 100 days of fog per year.
The city attracts visitors from home and abroad for its natural wonders and cultural heritage. As a common starting port for the Yangtze River cruise, tourists can go for a downstream tour to the magnificent Three Gorges.
If you have enough time, you can visit two of the most famous scenic spots near Chongqing: one is Wulong Karst, one of the world’s natural heritage sites in southern China’s karsts; the other is the world’s cultural heritage, Dazu Rock Carvings, one of the eight great grottoes in the world.
Certainly, if you want to see the attractions in the city, Hongya Cave, Jiefangbei CBD, Ciqikou, Chongqing Auditorium, and E’ling Park are good choices. In addition, do not miss Raffles City, the landmark building of Chongqing. The Three Gorges Museum maintains a trinity with the People’s Square and the People’s Auditorium offers the culture of Chongqing and the changes of the Three Gorges for you to understand.
Because Chongqing is a city built along the river so the Jialingjiang Bridge (built-in 1966), the Chongqing Yangtze Bridge (built-in 1980), and the Chaotianmen Bridge over the Yangtze (built-in 2008), and cableways across the Jialing and Yangtze are also worth experiencing.
How to get to Chongqing?
Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport, a major aviation hub serving Chongqing metropolitan areas and Western China, is one of the top 50 busiest airports in the world. It has 203 navigable cities, including 142 domestic cities, such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Kunming, and other municipalities and provincial capitals, and 61 international cities such as Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Kathmandu, New York, Paris, Sydney, Amsterdam, Cairo, etc.
Useful Information
Area: 82,400 km²
Average annual temperature: 17-23 degrees
Geography: Southwest China
Population: 32.8 million, some people say that Chongqing is the largest city in China. Of course, this means population.
Elevation: 73 – 2 797 m
Ethnic minorities: Yi, Tujia, Hui, Miao…
Economy: Manufacturing, Trade, Transportation.
Language: Mandarin, Chengdu-Chongqing dialect (Chengdu-Chongqing Dialect is spoken within central Chongqing, Chengdu, and surrounding provinces. Chengdu-Chongqing dialect is a branch of the Sichuan dialect.).
Chongqing is the heaven of the gastronome. Among the four major Chinese cuisines, Sichuan cuisine is the most popular, and you can find Sichuan restaurants in every corner of China.
Chongqing Chicken (Chongqing spicy chicken or Chongqing la zi ji)
This is a crispy, hot, and numb Chongqing-style dry fried chicken made with dried chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns. Chongqing Chicken is a dish that has everything going for it. It’s legendary. And despite its deadly spicy look, it’s tasty.
Chongqing Hot Pot (Chongqing Huo Guo)
Chongqing is famous for its hot Sichuan cuisine and world-famous hot pot, and various brands of hot pot restaurants can be found throughout the city. The way of eating hot pot is different from traditional Chinese food. It’s not that ready-made dish to serve on the table; instead, serves the semi-finished dishes, and is operated by you to put the ingredients in the hot pot soup, and heated by yourself. People choose various kinds of food to prepare for Chongqing hot pot, such as beef, pork, chicken, Chinese sausages, beef strips, pig blood, and duck intestine.
Chongqing noodles (Chongqing Xiao Mian)
Fiercely spicy, mouth-numbing, and super aromatic, Chongqing noodles are one of the most popular street foods in China. Xiao Mian noodles are typically prepared using wheat. There are two main types of xiao mian dishes: noodles with soup and noodles without soup. Chongqing noodle dishes are typically spicy and prepared using a variety of spices, seasonings, and sauces. Sichuan pepper is often used in the dish’s preparation. Myriad meats and vegetables are also used in their preparation. Various garnishes and condiments are also used, such as spring onions and chili oil.
Chongqing has a humid subtropical monsoon climate, and April, September, and October are the best times to visit Chongqing, with little rain and sunshine. For a river cruise, perhaps coming in the autumn is the best so that you can bask in the sun. Chongqing is known as one of the “Four furnaces” of China, the other three being Wuhan, Nanchang, and Nanjing. Chongqing gets unbearably hot during the summer, especially in July and August (up to 43.8 °C). It is recommended to avoid summer to visit it.
Average Temperature (°F)
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