Chongqing 重庆 – the mega city By Torsten Spiller

Chongqing 重庆 – the mega city

By Torsten Spiller – His website is HERE

Our trip started on the 27.06.2016 from Nanchong in Sichuan (my hometown in China) with a 2 hours HSR (High Speed Rail) train ride to Chongqing. The city is also reachable through the international airport or by HSR from Chengdu. Surprised by the size of the city, I checked the internet and found out that Chongqing is the largest city of the world. Chongqing which is quite unknown outside of China has approximately the size of Austria and a population of unbelievable 35 Mio inhabitants. While the weather is usually subtropical hot and humid, we arrived there on a rainy day. We spent only one and a half day in the city and visited the old loading docks at the Yantze river and the Hongyadong Riverside Block. The latter one is a business block and scenic spot built on mountains by the “stilted building” of Chinese traditional architecture features.

The next day we took a taxi to the Zhazidong prison, a must visit place for domestic Chinese tourists due to the historical importance. Original a coal mine, the site of Zhazidong Prison was covertly set up in 1943 by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) with the help of the Sino-American Cooperation Organization (SACO) and is located in the Gele Mountains. Communists were massacred and tortured by Nationalist Party during the Chinese Civil War between 1945 and 1949.

In the evening we did a walk through the city. Like in all cities in China I really love the fact that elderly people enjoy almost every evening dancing, playing music, gym and other activities in huge groups at public places instead of staying alone at home.

Kunming 昆明 – the spring city

Because of massive rain and through landslides blocked railway lines, we had to change our original route twice and ended up in an aircraft to Kunming. The capital of Yunnan Province, is known as ‘the City of Eternal Spring’ for its pleasant climate and flowers that bloom all year long. To reach the city we took the bus since the airport is quit far away from the centre, the taxi seemed to be too expensive and the metro connection was still under construction. Early morning, we visited the wholesales market for fruits and vegetables. As expected there was a lot activity in this area and a good location for taking photos.

After, we took a taxi and drove to the Yunnan Ethnic Village. The park is an ethnographic display of the architecture and ways of life of Yunnan’s minority population.

After, we took a taxi and drove to the Yunnan Ethnic Village. The park is an ethnographic display of the architecture and ways of life of Yunnan’s minority population.

We finished the day with a walk to the nearby Dianchi Lake, the “Pearl of the Plateau” and a trip with a cable car to the Western Hills which stretch along the west bank of the lake, creating a lovely view of water, mountain, and sky.