History
Chongqing's location on the life-giving and -taking Yangzi has seen it settled since the Paleolithic era, and densely populated villages existed in Neolithic times, but it first rose to prominence with Ba culture, around 1000 BC. The city was given its current name, Chongqing (which means “Double Celebration"), by the emperor Zhao Jiezhong and remained a stronghold against Mongol rule well after they had taken control of the rest of the country. In more recent times Chongqing was ceded as a treaty port to the British and Japanese in the 19th century and was used as the headquarters of the KMT after they were ousted from Nanjing by the invading Japanese. During World War II Chongqing played a crucial role as the drop zone for the resupply of Allied-Nationalist forces against the Japanese. US General Stilwell was a key figure in the joint effort until the alliance with the Nationalists failed in 1944, but much of the city was heavily bombarded by the Japanese and little of Chongqing's long history remains intact.
Chongqing's key location on this most significant of waterways has continued to serve it well and it soon developed into a center for heavy industry, which has left the city polluted, but prosperous. More recently Chongqing has emerged as a manufacturing hub for China's burgeoning automobile industry – Ford has a factory here, in partnership with local producer Chang'an and Chongqing recently produced China's first armored car.
Shopping on the modern streets around the Victory Monument, Jiefangbei, you can feel the wealth, but, as ever, this goes hand in hand with poverty and you'll see plenty of people struggling to stay above the breadline. The city's meteoric growth has left it with several million residents in the Yuzhong peninsula alone, and over 30 million in the municipal area! This gargantuan population and the city's strategic importance led to Chongqing's separation from its parent province, Szechuan, in 1997, and it was designated as a “specially administered municipality," controlled directly by the central government. Industry and tourism combine to give Chongqing its fair share of foreign visitors and the city is being spruced up little by little but, with the enticing vistas of the Three Gorges waiting just along the river, few visitors stay long. If you are willing to explore Chongqing a little you'll find a gritty but captivating slice of Chinese city life.
Getting Here & Away
As one of China's principal industrial cities, Chongqing is served by planes, trains and buses from around the country, but these can get very booked up in the peak season. It's worth buying a ticket from the travel agent you book your cruise with or, if this isn't possible, getting one as soon as you arrive.
By Air
The airport lies 20 miles out of the city, from where there are shuttle buses ($15) to the airline offices on Zhongshan San Lu.
Destinations, frequencies & durations
Beijing (13 daily, 2 hrs 20 mins), Guangzhou (11 daily, 2 hrs), Guilin (2 daily, 1 hr), (3 daily, 2 hrs 10 mins), Hong Kong (2 daily, 2 hrs), Shanghai (14 daily, 2 hrs 30 mins), Shenzhen (10 daily, 1 hr 40 mins), Xi'an (5 daily, 1 hr 10 mins), Yichang (1 daily, 50 mins).
By Rail & Road
The train station lies on the western end of the peninsula, and the main intercity Caiyuan Bus Station is next door, although the train is a better bet for most destinations – both are connected to the city center at Jiefangbei by taxi or buses #122 and #130, the latter also runs to Chaotianmen.
Rail destinations, frequencies & durations
Beijing (2 daily, 24 hrs 51 min-33 hrs 12 mins), Guangzhou (5 daily, 30-38 hrs), Hangzhou (3 daily, 39-43 hrs), Shanghai (1 daily, 42 hrs 5 mins), Xi'an (4 daily, 13-19 hrs).
Getting Around
Chongqing's mountainous nature can make orienting yourself difficult, while its oven-like summer heat rules out walking for other than the shortest distances. Fortunately, speedy and cheap taxis are on hand ($5 for the first 1.2 miles and $1.1 for each 0.6 mile after that), although empty cabs can be elusive during rush hour, in which case motorcycle taxis are an exciting option, but you'll have to bargain (within the peninsula should be no more than $5). Buses also run around the peninsula, but routes are difficult to decipher so you're better off sticking to cabs.
Chongqing's metro has finally been given the green light for construction, but won't be complete for some years to come. There is also a light rail line that runs from Jiachangkou in the south, up to Jiefangbei and then northwest past Daxigou, although this is of little use to casual visitors. Far more fun, though serving little functional transport purpose, there are two cable cars that cross from the Yuzhong peninsula to the north across the Jialing River and south across the Yangzi. Tickets are $1.5 each way and the services leave every 15 minutes from 8:30 am to noon and 2 pm to 6:30 pm.
Orientation
In spite of Chongqing's vast population and size, the principal area you need to concern yourself with is the teardrop-shaped parcel of land encircled by the Jialing and Yangzi rivers known as the Yuzhong district. The city center is focused on Jiefangbei, the Victory Monument, and includes the main business and shopping districts, as well as a good selection of hotels. Cruise boats and ferries leave from the Chaotianmen Docks on the eastern side of the peninsula, while Renmin Square in the west is the site of the new Three Gorges Museum and the People's Concert Hall. South of here you'll find the train and bus stations.
Information Sources
Chongqing has a monthly expat-oriented magazine, Chongqing Comments, which has a few local stories and reviews and can be found in major hotels.
Post Office: Just south of the Jiefangbei junction on Minquan Lu.
Telephone code: 023
Internet Access: There are Internet cafés dotted around the downtown region.
Bank of China: Just east of the Jiefangbei junction on Zourong Lu and another near the Hui Xian Lou Hotel on Minzu Lu.
Public Security Bureau: 1 Linjiang Lu, off Wusi Lu (tel.023-6396-1944).
Medical Services: Chongqing Emergency Medical Center (tel.023-6369-2147) at 1 Jiankang Lu in Yuzhong.
Sightseeing
With a day to spare you could comfortably make the trip out to the Buddhist caves at Dazu, but if you just have a few hours you'll have to settle for the few sights within Chongqing. Foremost of those is the new Three Gorges Museum, although the Luohan Temple also makes for an interesting diversion. If you'd like a stroll, walk up Zhongshan Yi Lu (past the Chongqing Guesthouse) for a few minutes and you'll will find a surviving section of the old city walls which have been spruced up and are now adorned with a series of bronze statues that depict the siege of the city. There's also a good teahouse here.