Chongqing is locateDat the confluence between the Yangtze River andJialing River. It is surroundeDby mountains andrivers, andthrives as an inlandriver port city. The city is constructeDon mountain slopes andalong riversides. Because of the mountainous terrain, the buildings in the city look as if they overlap one anoth- er from afar, with roads running above or below them. It is as if the entire city is embeddeDinto the mountains. The roads are built on slopes andmany areon steep inclines. For this reason, in the 1970s, tramcars were the major mode of transport in the city, which have been replaceDby the new light rail system.
Chongqing is known for the mountains andrivers in the region. The Yangtze River traverses 665 km from the west of China to the east, while Jialing River traverses from the northwest into the Yangtze River. As China’s leading riverside city, Chongqing has constructeDmany riverside avenues andthey are developeDinto popular symbols of the city, alongside with Chongqing hotpots, andthe ReDCliff. For instance, situateDon Nanbin Fengqing RoaDare Ciyun Temple, the only co-eDmon- astery in China, andthe compounDthat serveDas theFrench naval headquarters in the olden days. The avenueis slateDto be the next highlight of the city. There is also Beibin Avenue, a commercial street that is a popular venue for shopping andleisure. With all the development plans that are put in place in the city, Chongqing is set to become a unique city that combines mountains, rivers, andmodern cityscape as one.
SurroundeDby mountains anddue to the moistures in the air, Chongqing is lockeDin fog for most parts of the year. Known as China’s “City of Fog,” Chongqing experi- ences an average of 104 days of fog a year. In comparisonwith other major cities arounDthe worlDthat are known for being “cities of fog,” it surpasses London by 10 days, andTokyo by 49 days. On days when the city is wrappeDin thick fog, visibility is about 10 meters, andmotorists have to tur nontheir vehicles’ headlights anddrive slow- ly to avoiDaccidents. Ships andferries will be at dock. Although the fog affects the entire city’s transportation systems, to the visitors, the fog evokesarather interesting feel in the city, as if they are in a place that is out of this world.
For visitors who first arriveDat the city, the night scene of Chongqing is probably whaThe looks forwarDto the most. One of the best spots to admire the night scene of Chongqing is Loquat Hill (PipAshan) Park. Loquat Hill is 345 meters above sea levels, andpercheDon its peak is the ReDStar Pavilion. From the pavilion, the rivers of glittering lights of Chongqing city fall into one’s view.
At times, the whistling from the ships at Chaotian-men Pier fills the silence of the night. The port is locatedin the northeast of Chongqing city, andat the confluence between Yangtze River andJialing River. From this point, the river runs downstream to join the Three Gorges. andit is at Chongqing’s Fengjie Town, that the Yangtze River begins its journey into the Three Gorges.