Chongqing
Overview
Chongqing is a major city in southwest China. Administratively, it is one of the four municipalities under the direct administration of the central government of the People's Republic of China (the other three are Beijing, Shanghai, and Tianjin). The city was the provisional capital of the Republic of China during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945).
Geography and Climate
Chongqing is situated at the transitional area between the Tibetan Plateau and the plain on the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River in the sub-tropical climate zone often swept by moist monsoons. It often rains at night in late spring and early summer, and thus the city is famous for its "night rain in the Ba Mountains", as described by poems throughout Chinese history including the famous Written on a Rainy Night-A Letter to the North by Li Shangyin.
History
The history of Chongqing covers more than 3,000 years dating back to the Bronze Age. The city was established in 316 BC during the Warring States Period by the State of Qin. It has been the economic centre of the upstream Yangtze basin since the time of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127–1279) with powerful shipbuilding, salt, silk, and trade industries.
Economy
Chongqing's economy has grown rapidly in recent years. The city is a centre of heavy industry and manufacturing; the municipality is China's largest automotive manufacturing centre, and home to various plants in automotive industry including Changan Automobile, a Chinese automobile manufacturer headquartered in Chongqing, and the Chinese operations of foreign manufacturers such as Ford Motor Company and Mazda.
Culture
Chongqing is the birthplace of numerous cultural phenomena and regional specialties that are well known across China. The city is the origin of the popular hot and spicy Sichuan cuisine, and particularly famous for its hot pot dish, usually a spicy and numbing hotpot with a characteristic tingling and numbing sensation from the Sichuan peppercorns.
Education
Chongqing is a national centre of higher education with numerous universities and colleges. It is home to several major universities, including Chongqing University, one of the top universities in China, and Southwest University, which is well known for its pedagogical and agricultural studies.