Younger sister of Chengdu, China's Sichuan metropolis has recently experienced a population explosion and one of the biggest urban developments in China. Intersected by the Jialing River and the Yangtze River, the city looks like it has been made just from small steep hills, floating over a land made up mostly of water.
But, unlike its big sister Chengdu, Chongqing is a city where man was able to control the elements and exercise his power over nature. You don't become the capital of western China for no reason! However, the immoderation that characterizes the city and its 8 million intra muros inhabitants, does not detract from the splendor that a visitor in search of extravagance and Asian color will find there; starting with these utterly Chinese paradoxes. So, the ancestral buildings and Sichuan fondue restaurants of the old town have seen huge buildings spring up right next to them. The most impressive of these monuments is probably that of the Assembly of Huguang with the exquisite elegance of its decor and furnishings An unmissable cultural visit!
Much less paradoxical are the city's surrounding areas that you really should visit for a breath of fresh air and a feeling of wonderment at Sichuan's riches. The almost unreal atmosphere of Wulong Karst will amaze even the most exacting of visitors, while the nature reserve of the Three Gorges Dam and its Three Gorges Museum, is sure to satisfy anyone who loves the great outdoors. This site, of enormous beauty, proves that it is possible for man and nature to live in harmony, ably demonstrated by the Dragon airbridge and its impossible curves. The more curious among you will head for the ghost town of Fengdu, with its many statues dedicated to the gods of the afterlife, to experience some excitement amid the mystical mists…
