Chongqing City Information

Chongqing is the largest and most populous of the People's Republic of China's four provincial-level municipalities, and the only one in the less densely populated western half of China. The municipality of Chongqing has a population of 32,355,000 (2004), most of them living outside of the urban area of Chongqing proper, over hundreds of miles of farmland. The population of the urban area of Chongqing proper was estimated at 3.4 million in 2004, ranking approximately as the 10th largest urban area of China. Including the unregistered migrants from the countryside, the population of the urban area could be as high as 7.5 million.

The municipal abbreviation, Yu , was approved by the State Council on April 18, 1997. Yu had previously been used by the Kuomintang. It is the old name of a part of the Jialing River that runs through Chongqing with the Yangtze.

The urban area of Chongqing proper consists of the district of Yuzhong 区, i.e. "central Chongqing district"), the central and most densely populated district, where government offices are located, as well as the districts of Nan'an (, i.e. "southern bank district") Jiangbei (,i.e. "north of the river district"), Shapingba , Jiulongpo , and Dadukou .

The climate is semi-tropical, with the two-season monsoonal variations typical of south asia. It has hot summers, temperature can be as high as 40 C (102F). It is known as one of three "hot pots" in China. (The other two are Wuhan and Nanjing)In winter, it is wet and warm. While seldom snow, most of days are foggy. During World War II the frequent dense fogs were welcomed for their protection from Japanese aircraft bombing attacks.

As is true of most of China, severe air pollution is frequently present, largely as a result of the burning of coal without pollution controls, both for industrial processess and for the production of electric power. Also, due to the surrouding mountains, lack of wind makes the air pollution in the city even worse.

Tourism
Chongqing and surrounding areas are full of tourism resources. The most famous is the Three Gorges, a scenic area along Yangtze river. The 200-km long area is the most visited canyon in China. Besides its gorgeous natural scene, it is also a culturally rich area. Other tourism sites include Dazu Stone Carvings, mainly Buddhist themes, it was carved from the Tang Dynasty, now belongs to UNESCO World Heritage. City sightseeing is also a famous part of Chongqing tourism. Historical sites in anti-Japanese war are located in the metropolitan area. In the surrounding areas, Diaoyucheng is an important battlefield event in world history. In 1243, Mongol prince Mengo was defeated here and it stopped Mongol's expansion in Europe and Africa because of turmoil after his death.

The city is home to one of the largest public assembly buildings in China, the Great Hall of the People, built in modern times but in the classic Tang Dynasty style - as a large circular building. This is adjacent to the densely populated and hilly central district, with narrow streets and pedestrian only walkways.
There is a museum at the World War II headquarters of General "Vinegar Joe" Stilwell. The preservation and presentation of the materials here reflect the long and historic affection between China and the U.S., despite the global frictions between their respective governments of the late 20th century.
A giant ferris wheel offers spectacular views of the metropolitan area, although it is currently out of action.
A modern and well stocked zoo exhibits many national and regional animals, including the Giant Panda and the extremely rare South China Tiger.
Chongqing Economy

Historically, Chongqing is a major trading inland port, transporting goods from southwestern provinces to eastern China. During the Anti-Japanese War, Chongqing was transformed into a heavy industrial city, especially the military industry which continued to thrive for decades after 1949. Since the 1980s, many of these military industry enterprises have undergone reforms and turned from producing military goods to mostly civilian products for survival and growth. [1]

Chongqing is rich in natural resources, with more than 40 kinds of minerals. Its coal reserves are estimated to be 4.8 billion tonnes. The Chuandong Natural Gas Field in Chongqing is China's largest inland production base of natural gas, with deposits of 270 billion m³, accounting for more than one-fifth of China's total. Chongqing also contains China’s largest reserve of strontium, and China has the 2nd largest reserve of the mineral in the world. Important industries in Chongqing include mining, iron, steel, aluminum, military, auto, motorcycle, chemical, textiles, machinery, electronics, building materials, food processing, retail, and tourism [2] [3]. Chongqing is also home to Asia's largest aluminum plant, South West Aluminium, which rolled out 213,000 tonnes of finished products in 2004 - for companies engaged in building materials, printing, electrical appliances, aerospace, packaging, and vehicle production [4]. Chongqing's agricultural sector still employs a significant portion of the population. Other than rice, fruits especially oranges are important sources of income for the farmers. In the past 25 years, surplus labor resulted a huge number of farmers to migrate to the relatively more developed industrial centers of southern and eastern China for employment opportunities, thus making Chongqing one of the biggest labor export areas in China.

With recent central government policies aimed to further develop western China (China Western Development strategy), Chongqing has become a "Gateway to the west". Located at the head of the reservoir behind the Three Gorges Dam, Chongqing is planned to be the beachhead for the development of the western part of the country. Massive public works are currently under way in the city, including overhead and surface commuter rail lines connecting the many districts of the city. Foreign investment in the city is growing at a fast pace. Chongqing is enlarging its commercial sector. New development zones such as the Chongqing New North Zone (CNNZ) located north of the downtown district have been established to form Chongqing's modern 21st century industrial base. [5]

In 2005, the nominal GDP of Chongqing municipality was 310 billion yuan (US$38.75 billion), a rise of 11.5% year-on-year. Its per capita GDP was 11,068 yuan (US$1,383). The primary, secondary, and tertiary industries of Chongqing were worth 46.342 billion yuan, 125.832 billion yuan, and 134.736 billion yuan respectively. [6]

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Transportation
Chongqing is the biggest inland river port in western China. Historically, most of its transportation, especially to the eastern China is through the Yangtze river. Now Chongqing is linked to other parts of the country through several railways and highways, including: Chongqing-Chengdu (Sichuan province) railway, Chongqing-Guiyang (Guizhou province) railway, Chongqing-Xiangfan (Hubei province) railway, Chongqing-Huaihua (Hunan province) railway, Chongqing-Suining (Sichuan province) express railway, Wanzhou-Yichang (Hubei province) railway (under construction), Chongqing-Lanzhou (Gansu province) railway (under construction), Chongqing-Chengdu highway, Chongqing-Wanxian highway, Chongqing-Guiyang highway. Also, Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport, located north of Chongqing provides links to most parts of China and to other countries and regions such as Hong Kong, Japan, and Thailand.

Meanwhile, transportation system in the metropolitan area is also under construction to fit modern standards. Due to the hilly geography and Yangtze river and Jialing river running through, unlike other cities, ground transportation in the city needs a considerable number of bridges and tunnels, which increases cost dramatically. However, highway network around the city and to nearby satellite towns is almost completed. One unique transportation in the city is the cable cab flying over the rivers. Recently, Chongqing metro system is completed and is in service starting June 2005.

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Climate

Public art in Chongqing
Magnolia bloom street lights in ChongqingThe climate is semi-tropical, with the two-season monsoonal variations typical of south asia. It has hot summers, temperature can be as high as 40 C (102F). It is known as one of three "hot pots" in China. (The other two are Wuhan and Nanjing)In winter, it is wet and warm. While seldom snow, most of days are foggy. During World War II the frequent dense fogs were welcomed for their protection from Japanese aircraft bombing attacks.

As is true of most of China, severe air pollution is frequently present, largely as a result of the burning of coal without pollution controls, both for industrial processess and for the production of electric power. Also, due to the surrouding mountains, lack of wind makes the air pollution in the city even worse.