Chongqing In China

Chongqing, formerly known as Chungking, was the wartime capital of China during the Japanese invasion of World War II. Located at the confluence of two rivers, the Jialing and the Yangtze, it is also a city built upon a mountain. Both these factors proved essential to Chongqing’s survival during World War II, when the Japanese flew more than 9,500 sorties over the city and dropped nearly 22,000 bombs from 1938 to 1945 in an attempt to destroy the Nationalist government.
Because of the rivers and humid climate, Chongqing is a very foggy city, and Japanese bombers in those days did not have radar; thus the fog protected many vital targets. In addition, the population of Chongqing built thousands upon thousands of airraid shelters, digging directly into the mountain base of the city. Some of these shelters were only large enough for one or two people to squat inside. Others could hold battalions of soldiers and even supply trucks.

   Today Chongqing (pronounced “chohng cheeng”) is a mix of new and old, with remnants of former bomb shelters converted into shops and dance clubs while modern skyscrapers break the horizon line where once only the city’s ancient wall stood. The city center is adorned with giant video screens projecting endless streaming advertisements and videos, evoking comparisons to the movie Blade Runner. (Fortunately, Chongqing’s air quality is better.) The city was named a Special Economic Zone in 1998, accelerating its development, and the entire metropolitan area now comprises some 30 million people.

     Tourists may visit many World War II historical sites, which include Zhou Enlai’s bunker and the Stilwell Museum, which is filled with videos, artifacts, and photographs from the era when General Joseph Stilwell served as President Roosevelt’s adviser to Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek. Unfortunately, the airfield where the famous Flying Tigers were stationed is now under water due to the building of the Three Gorges Dam, but visitors may see photographs of the air force jointly run by
Americans and Chinese in various historical displays in the city. Chongqing is unique in Chinese history in that the Nationalists, the Communists, and the Americans all had representatives working together here during various periods in World War II in a united effort to defeat the invading Japanese army and air force.

    Chongqing is renowned for its fiery hot cuisine, especially the hot pot. Similar in concept to the Western dish fondue except without the cheese, hot pots are tureens with a fire beneath and filled with a spicy, oily broth. Many courses are served, of everything from noodles to lettuce to meats and fish, which are then dipped into the hot pot to cook and steep in the spices. Sichuan peppercorns provide an unusual sensation different from Thai or Indian “hot” spices in that after a first rush of heat themouth begins to feel numb. If, however, the heat does not subside, a spoonful of white sugar or something sweet can help greatly to cleanse the palate. Most restaurants will provide a mid-meal sweet, such as a tiny petit four for this purpose. If you feel the need to reduce the heat in your mouth sooner, don’t hesitate to ask your waiter or waitress for something sweet. Water alone will not do the trick.

   Outside Chongqing the modern world slips away rapidly and visitors can see giant Buddhist statues carved into the mountainside in the nearby town of Dazu or visit the famed natural hot springs, now a resort known in Mandarin as shan dong. Farmers can be seen working in terraced fields that climb the steep mountains in seemingly endless spirals, water buffalo walk beside the new superhighways, and traditional stilt houses built off the sides of the mountains are still visible, although plans to raze all these old buildings and house the people in high-rises instead are under way.

   Chongqing is also one of China’s “three furnaces” (the other two are Wuhan and Nanjing), so named because of the extreme heat and humidity of the summers. So, be forewarned if you are planning a summer trip to the city.

  Visitors should definitely partake in the city’s penchant for public dancing, called “baba” dancing after the local dialect’s term for parks. In 2012 alone, nearly a million people participated in Chongqing’s myriad dance contests. Before his fall from power, former party secretary Bo Xilai made use of his city’s proclivity for public dancing with mass musical sing-offs and dance events using Mao-era standards to boost civic spirit (and his own political fortune). Public dancing in Chongqing’s many public parks and city squares remains a vibrant part of the megacity’s culture, where current musical tastes favor international pop standards from K-Pop rapper PSY to Beyoncé and Lady Gaga.