Cities > Chongqing City
Overview
Chinese Name: 重庆English Name: Chongqing City
Climate Conditions: Subtropical Monsoon Humid Climate
Airports: Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport, Wanzhou Wuqiao Airport, Qianjiang Wuling Mountain Airport, Chongqing Wushan Airport, Chongqing Xian'nv Mountain Airport, Chongqing Liangping Airport
Train Stations: Chongqing North Station, Chongqing West Station, Chongqing Station, Shapingba Station, Wanzhou North Station, Rongchang North Station
Background
Chongqing, abbreviated as “Yu”, also known as the Mountain City and River City, is a municipality directly under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China and a megacity, a national central city. Chongqing is the birthplace of Bayu culture, with a history of over 3,000 years of city construction, historically known as "Naturally Born Chongqing". It is a model for mountainous cities in China, the World Capital of Hot Springs, the Capital of Hot Pot in China, and the inaugural city for the China-Europe Railway Express.Climate
Chongqing has a subtropical monsoon humid climate, with an annual average temperature ranging from 16 to 18°C. Areas in the Yangtze River Valley, such as Banan, Qijiang, and Yunyang, exceed 18.5°C, while places in the southeastern part, like Qianjiang and Youyang, have temperatures between 14 and 16°C. The northeastern region, at a higher altitude, has an average temperature of only 13.7°C. The hottest months average temperatures between 26 and 29°C, and the coldest month has averages from 4 to 8°C. Using the temperature method, four distinct seasons can be clearly defined. The annual average rainfall is abundant, with most areas receiving between 1,000 and 1,350 millimeters, concentrated mainly from May to September, accounting for about 70% of the total annual precipitation.Chongqing's average annual relative humidity is typically between 70% and 80%, placing it in a high-humidity area in China. The annual sunshine hours range from 1,000 to 1,400 hours, with a sunshine percentage of only 25% to 35%, making it one of the regions in China with the least sunshine. Winter and spring have even less sunshine, contributing to only about 35% of the annual total. The main climatic characteristics can be summarized as: warm winters and early springs, hot summers and cool autumns, distinct four seasons, a long frost-free period; humid air, abundant precipitation; weak solar radiation, short sunshine duration; frequent clouds and fog, with fewer frost and snow; a notable three-dimensional climate; rich climate resources with frequent meteorological disasters.
Due to the combined effects of terrain and climate, there is often night rain in the transition from spring to summer, which is why it is said to have "Bashan Night Rain", along with its scenic mountain and water landscapes. It is also known for its fog, often referred to as "Foggy Chongqing" or "Fog Capital". The average annual foggy days in Chongqing are 104 days, while London's average annual foggy days, known as the Fog Capital of the World, is only 94 days, and Tokyo, dubbed the Fog City of the Far East, has only 55 days. In Bishan District, Yunjue Mountain has up to 204 foggy days a year, making it the "world's highest".
Cuisine
The main characteristics of Chongqing cuisine are its spiciness and numbing flavors, highlighted by the creative use of various ingredients. Chongqing is also the birthplace of hot pot; in March 2007, the city was awarded the title of "Capital of Hot Pot in China" by the China Culinary Association. Major representative dishes of Chongqing cuisine include Chongqing Hot Pot, Jianghu Cuisine, Poached Fish, Twice-Cooked Pork, Sauerkraut Fish, Spicy Chicken, Spring Water Chicken, Poached Sliced Meat, Old Duck Soup, Hot and Sour Noodles, Fish-Flavored Shredded Pork, Pickled Pepper Fat Intestines, Steamed Pork with Rice Flour, Stewed White Pork, Chongqing Noodles, and various Chongqing snacks.Architecture
Traditional residential buildings in Chongqing went through multiple processes: dry pier style, temple style, garden style, and Western style. Ordinary residential houses in Chongqing have minimal decoration, with dim colors, simple forms, and deep spaces. During the Republican period, due to a large internal migration caused by the war, many Western-style and garden-style villas appeared in Chongqing's residential architecture, especially in suburban areas. Chongqing's architecture is divided into five major stylistic types: Ming and Qing Immigration, Traditional Bayu, Opening of the Port and Municipal Construction, Wartime Capital, Southwest Region; and nine categories, including residential buildings, commercial buildings, public service buildings, religious and temple assembly buildings, industrial buildings, military defense buildings, scenic landscape buildings, municipal water conservancy facilities, and other buildings.Stilted buildings are a typical representation of Chongqing's architecture, often built along mountains and rivers, presenting a tiger-sitting shape and classified as pier-style buildings, but differing from typical pier styles. Stilted buildings should ideally be entirely elevated, hence they are referred to as semi-pier-style buildings. The primary feature of stilted buildings is that the main house is built on the solid ground, while the side rooms—except for one side connecting to the main house—are all suspended and supported by columns. The stilted houses preserved in Chongqing's central urban area were mostly constructed after the 1930s and 40s. The existing Hongyadong in the central urban area is a significant representative. They are also widely distributed in Shizhu County, Youyang Gongtan, Qijiang Dongxi, Jiangjin Zhongshan, and other areas in Southeast Chongqing.
Folk Customs
The customs and traditions in Chongqing are primarily expressed through New Year's greetings during the Spring Festival, lantern viewing on the 15th day of the first month, Qingming ancestor worship, Mid-Autumn moon viewing, and various local customs such as hanging wine signs, attending temple fairs, sitting in flower palanquins, and flying kites, encompassing marriage, funeral, entertainment games, beliefs, taboos, seasonal festivals, and trade.Traditional Opera
The representative of Chongqing's regional opera culture includes Sichuan Opera, Xiushan Lantern Festival, Youyang Yangxi, etc. Additionally, there are Liangshan Lantern Opera, Three Gorges Shadow Play, and Shizhu Earth Opera.Sichuan Opera can be traced back to the "Bayu Song and Dance" of the Pre-Qin period, and by the early years of the Republic, the Sanqing Association brought together various styles for collective performance, generally referred to as "Sichuan Opera". Over a long period of performance, Sichuan Opera formed four major schools: the Sichuan West School, which focuses on Huqin performances; the Ziyang River School, which focuses on high-pitched operas; the Sichuan North River School, known for its ballad performances; and the Lower Sichuan East School, characterized by diverse vocal styles, with the Lower Sichuan East School centered in Chongqing.
Crafts
Chongqing's traditional arts and crafts encompass carving crafts, lacquerware crafts, drawn thread embroidery crafts, weaving crafts, metal crafts, ceramics, jewelry making, and floral painting techniques. Notable representatives include the world cultural heritage of Dazu Rock Carvings, Liangping woodblock New Year pictures, Shu embroidery, Liangping bamboo curtains, Wuxi marriage flower decorations, Dazu stone carvings, Fengjie wooden carvings, Tongliang dragon lanterns and paper crafts, Rongchang pottery, Rongchang folding fans, Rongchang summer cloth weaving, Chongqing lacquerware finishing, etc.
