Chongqing
In 1189, Prince Zhao Dun of the Southern Song dynasty described his crowning as king and then Emperor Guangzong as a double celebration. This event transformed Yu Prefecture into Chongqing Fu, marking the city's current name. Before this moment, the area was known as Jiangzhou under Qin Shi Huang's rule during the Qin dynasty. The name changed again in 581 AD to Yu Prefecture during the Sui dynasty. In 1102, it became Gong Prefecture under the Northern Song. The abbreviation Yu survives today in Yuzhong, the historic center where the old town once stood. Earlier still, the location was associated with the State of Ba, an ancient kingdom that flourished in the region. A Qin general named Zhang Yi established the name Jiangzhou, anchoring the city in imperial history for centuries.
From November 1937 to May 1946, Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek used Chongqing as his provisional capital during the Second Sino-Japanese War. After retreating from Wuhan in 1938, the General and his army lived there before it was formally declared the wartime capital on the 6th of September 1940. Between 1938 and 1943, the city suffered continuous massive bombing campaigns by the Imperial Japanese Navy and Army Air Forces. Battles were fought entirely by Chinese Air Force squadrons and anti-aircraft artillery units. Many lives were saved by air-raid shelters that took advantage of the mountainous terrain. Joseph Stilwell, one of the Allies' deputy commanders of operations in Southeast Asia, was based in the city after Britain and the United States entered the war in December 1941. Lord Louis Mountbatten, Supreme Commander of SEAC headquartered in Sri Lanka, also visited. The city earned the title City of Heroes due to the indomitable spirits of its people and their contributions during the war. Factories and universities relocated from eastern China transformed this inland port into a heavily industrialized center.
On the 14th of March 1997, the Eighth National People's Congress decided to merge the sub-provincial city with adjacent Fuling, Wanxian, and Qianjiang prefectures. This decision granted Chongqing independence from Sichuan province. The resulting single entity became Chongqing Municipality, containing over 30 million people across forty-three former counties without intermediate political levels. Its first official ceremony took place on the 18th of June 1997. The municipality became the spearhead of China's effort to develop its western regions and coordinate resettlement for residents displaced by the Three Gorges Dam project. On the 8th of February 2010, Chongqing became one of nine National Central Cities alongside Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Wuhan, Xi'an, and Zhengzhou. That same year on the 18th of June, the Liangjiang New Area was established as the third state-level new area at the time. Zhou Liqun, a consultant for the National Development and Reform Commission, stated that Chongqing's status would encourage development in Western China.
Chongqing sits in the subtropics within the transitional area between the Sichuan Basin and the plain on the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. The Daba Mountains stand in the north, while the Wu Gorge lies in the east. The Wuling Mountains stretch southeast, and the Dalou Mountains form the southern boundary. Karst landscape is common here, featuring stone forests, limestone caves, valleys, and numerous collections of peaks. The Longshuixia Gap with its Three Natural Bridges has made the region a popular tourist attraction. The city experiences frequent monsoon conditions, often raining at night in late spring and early summer. This pattern appears in poems throughout Chinese history, including Written on a Rainy Night, A Letter to the North by Li Shangyin. Summers are long and among the hottest and most humid in China, with highs reaching 40 degrees Celsius in July and August. Winters are short and somewhat mild but damp and overcast. The city records only 983 hours of annual sunshine nationally, lower than much of Northern Europe. Monthly percent possible sunshine ranges from just 5% in January to 43% in August. Over 100 days of fog occur per year, earning Chongqing the nickname Fog City.
Chongqing serves as China's third largest motor vehicle production center and the largest for motorcycles. In 2007, it achieved an annual output capacity of one million cars and 8.6 million motorcycles. Leading manufacturers include Changan Automotive Corp, Lifan Hongda Enterprise, and Ford Motor Company, which operates three plants in the municipality. The area is also one of nine largest iron and steel producers and three major aluminum producers. Southwest Aluminum stands as Asia's largest aluminum plant. Agriculture remains significant, producing rice, fruits like oranges, and natural resources such as coal, natural gas, and over 40 kinds of minerals including strontium and manganese. Chuandong Natural Gas Field holds around 270 billion cubic meters, more than one-fifth of China's total reserves. Recent efforts aim to shift toward high technology industries through zones like the Chongqing New North Zone. Local government hopes to create a 400 billion RMB high technology manufacturing hub surpassing its car industry and accounting for 25% of exports. Foreign direct investors from companies like HSBC, Standard Chartered Bank, Citibank, Deutsche Bank, Wal-Mart, Metro AG, and Carrefour have arrived due to infrastructure improvements.
Chongqing boasts the world's longest and busiest monorail system with 70 stations, the most of any system globally. According to an ambitious plan from May 2007, the city invested 150 billion RMB over 13 years to finish a combined underground metro and heavy monorail network. By 2050, Chongqing aims to operate 18 lines. The municipality has 31 bridges across the Yangtze River, including over a dozen in the urban core. Aside from the first two Yangtze River bridges built respectively in 1960 and 1977, all others were completed since 1995. Within nine districts, there are 20 bridges on the Yangtze and 28 on the Jialing. Chongqing is sometimes called the Bridge Capital of China. Jiangbei International Airport ranks as the second-busiest airport in China and one of the top 50 busiest worldwide. It serves domestic routes to most other Chinese cities plus international destinations like Auckland, New York City, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Milan, Doha, Dubai, Seoul, Bangkok, Phuket, Osaka, Singapore, Chiang Mai, Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Malé, Bali, Tokyo, Kuala Lumpur, Batam, Rome, and Helsinki. The city also maintains public aerial tramways, with the Yangtze River Tramway being the only one still operating today.
Common questions
When did Chongqing get its current name?
Chongqing received its current name in 1189 when Prince Zhao Dun of the Southern Song dynasty was crowned Emperor Guangzong. This double celebration transformed Yu Prefecture into Chongqing Fu, establishing the city's modern identity.
Who used Chongqing as a provisional capital during the Second Sino-Japanese War?
Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek utilized Chongqing as his provisional capital from November 1937 to May 1946. The city was formally declared the wartime capital on the 6th of September 1940 after the General and his army retreated from Wuhan in 1938.
What date marked the establishment of Chongqing Municipality?
The Eighth National People's Congress decided to merge the sub-provincial city with adjacent prefectures on the 14th of March 1997. This decision granted Chongqing independence from Sichuan province, with the first official ceremony taking place on the 18th of June 1997.
Why is Chongqing known as Fog City?
Chongqing earns the nickname Fog City because it records over 100 days of fog per year. The city also experiences frequent monsoon conditions and only receives 983 hours of annual sunshine nationally.
Which companies operate manufacturing plants in Chongqing?
Leading manufacturers operating in Chongqing include Changan Automotive Corp, Lifan Hongda Enterprise, and Ford Motor Company. Southwest Aluminum stands as Asia's largest aluminum plant within the municipality.