what to eat

chongqing hot pot

Chongqing Hotpot has long been the symbol of Chongqing's food culture. The most famous thing in Chongqing is the hotpot. With the spicy and hot characteristic, Chongqing Hotpot can be regarded as one wonder of Chinese food.  Chongqing Hotpot is mainly divided into two kinds-one is red soup and the other is clear soup. The red soup is mainly characterized by being spicy, delicious and fragrant, while the clear soup is mainly characterized by light color and delicious taste. Yuanyang Hotpot is the combination of these two kinds of soup. Namely, the hotpot is divided into two parts by an s-shaped metal slice and forms a pattern of Taiji. The colors of the two parts are distinct, with a half white and a half red. Chongqing Hotpot can use many things as materials. "Hun" (meat or fish diet) can be taken from poultry, domestic animal, viscera organ and aquatic products. Almost all vegetables can be used as the vegetable dish. As regards oil dish, Chongqing people like to mix castor oil with crushed garlic. It has the function of clearing away heat and can make the taste more delicious. In Chongqing, all seasons are suit to eat hotpot. It's perfectly justifiable to eat it in winter, but the hotpot business is more flourishing in summer. Famous hotpot restaurants in Chongqing are listed as below.

what to buy

Rongchang Paper Fans
It is almost 450 years since the first Rongchang paper fan was made. Since then, the fan has enjoyed unique fame domestically and internationally. It is hardly surprising then, that hundreds of years ago the fans were exported to India and Burma. At first only the nobility could afford to buy the elegantly made fans. The past several decades have witnessed rapid innovation utilizing different materials to make the fans and the original few styles have now expanded into 345 different types of fan.

Shu Brocade
Shu brocade (also known as Sichuan brocade), soft in feel and flamboyantly colored, has a history of over two thousand years, and it is one of the four best and most famous brocades in China along with Nanjing Brocade, Suzhou Brocade and Guangxi Brocade.
Developed over more than twenty centuries, over several hundred types have evolved and brocade has become an integral part of the women’s dress among the ethnic groups from southwestern China. However, handmade brocade has given way to modern textile industries and there is only one factory in the city that specializes in making Sichuan Brocade.

Three Gorge Inkstone
For travelers fascinated by Chinese calligraphy, Three Gorge Inkstone might be the best shopping item in Chongqing. Made from special stone excavated on the Libi Gorge section of Jialing River, the fine-shaped inkstone is delicately engraved with beautiful patterns.

what to see in the evening

Dragon Lantern in Tongliang County
Tongliang County has long been well known for its dragon lanterns and the dragon lantern dances. The dance features large stage properties, exaggerated dance movements, and a grand atmosphere. It is performed amidst the blowing and beating of Chinese wind and percussion musical instruments and a display of fireworks to present an exhilarating scene of jubilation and celebration.

Acrobatics
Chongqing is famous for its acrobatics. ‘Balancing on a Plank and Bowls Topping’ by the Chongqing Acrobatic Troupe won a silver medal at the Ninth World Acrobatics of Tomorrow Festival and the troupe’s Plate Spinning and Jumping Through Hoops were winners of the Silver Lion Medal at the National Acrobatics Tournament.

weather
Chongqing is located in the transition area between the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the Middle-lower Yangtze Plain. It is part of the humid sub-tropical monsoon climate belt. The annual average temperature is 18 C (64 F) to 20 C (68 F) with a low temperature of 4 C (39 F) in winter and a high temperature of 40 C (104 F) in summer. Chongqing weather is famous for the hot summers and the city is known as one of 'the three furnace cities'. The other two are Nanjing and Wuhan. Bring light clothing such as T-shirts, shorts and sandals if you come in summer. Also, remember to bring your umbrella, sunglasses, and suntan lotion to avoid the heat of the 'burning furnace'. Chongqing is also a fog city that has about 100 foggy days a year usually in spring and summer. Chongqing receives abundant rainfall, averaging about 1000 to 1400 millimeters (39 to 55 inches) annually. It has plenty of evening rain all year round but it's best to visit the city during spring, autumn and winter.