The climb to the summit of Emei Mountain or 峨眉山, is extremely popular. It is important to take enough time for the climb and descend. Normally, it takes one day to climb up and one for coming down. Monasteries and at the summit, you will come across some reasonably priced accommodations for travelers. It is important to bring some spare food and wear enough warm clothes because the temperature is lower than at the foot.
The mountain can be reached by train as well as by bus. The “Chengdu-Kunming” line (train) will take you directly to the mountain. If you prefer by bus, you can get on the bus at Chengdu’s Xinnan Men Bus station or from Leshan to Emei Mountain.

The Giant Buddha of Leshan, the tallest stone statue of the world, is close to the Emei Mountain. For interested travelers, the bus at the Xinnan Men Bus Station will go to Leshan and will begin to operate at 8 am and the last bus departs at 7pm. For visiting the giant Buddha, a ticket is required. Furthermore, there are bus rides to Emei Mountain at Shiyangchang Transportation Center from 7.30 am. – 7.00 pm. Also, the Jinshan Station also offers buses to that area. Most buses to Leshan or Giant Buddha operates on a regular interval between 7.30 am. – 7.00 pm.

In Dujiangyan (都江堰), there is the oldest water conservation project in the world. The irrigation project was established around 250 BC during the warring states period. It is easy to get to Dujiangyan because there are regular bus rides.

Near the border of Yunnan, a four hours ride from south Chengdu, is the Yibin Bamboo Sea (宜宾竹海). This area can be explored by numerous ways from well visited paths which can be traveled within a few hours to small passages taking one day. The trip can be done in one weekend but for a more leisure visit, a four day travel is ideal. Take the train from Chengdu or Chongqing to Yibin city then transfer to the bamboo sea of CMB. It is about 2-3 hours car ride.

For all places mentioned above, an entrance ticket is required. The following table will show the entrance price for the respective places mentioned above.

峨眉山 – Emei Mountain:
150rmb/person

青城山 – Qingcheng Mountain:
150rmb/person

乐山大佛 – Giant Buddha of Leshan:
90rmb/person

都江堰 – Dujiangyan:
90rmb/person

宜宾竹海 – Yibin Bamboo Sea:
85rmb/person

1. Dazu Rock Carvings

Located 167 kilometers east of Chongqing, Dazu county is known as the county of rock carvings.

Started around 650 during the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and continued through the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, the Dazu Rock Carvings contain all the cliff-side carvings in Dazu county and demonstrate the peak of ancient artisans’ skills in the area.

The collection is composed of rock carvings in Beishan, Baodingshan, Nanshan, Shimenshan and Shizhuanshan. There are more than 5,000 statues and 100,000 Chinese characters of inscriptions and epigraphs among the rock carvings, with Buddhist, Taoist and Confucian figures showcasing the artistic achievements of the area and its people.

2. Ciqikou

On the banks of the Jialing River, not far from its junction with the Yangtze River, lies the ancient village of Ciqikou (porcelain village). Covering an area of about 1.2 square kilometers, it is 14 kilometers west of Chongqing.

Ciqikou can be traced back more than 1,000 years. It gets its name from the classic porcelain handicrafts made in the village.

Formerly a busy port at the lower reaches of the Jialing River, Ciqikou remains a symbol and miniature of old Chongqing. In 1998 the State Council listed Ciqikou as a protected cultural site.

Tourists will find that the locals are still devoted to their traditional lifestyles and unaffected by the trappings of modernity in the city. A major attraction is the Shu Embroidery workshops.

3. People’s Assembly Hall

As one of the largest public assembly buildings in China, the People’s Assembly Hall in Chongqing is one of the landmark buildings in the city.

Standing at Xuetian Wan, Renmin Road, the auditorium is built in the traditional Chinese style.

The main complex is a cluster of attached structures, which contain the hall and three attached buildings to the east, south and north. It is spanned by a greenish-glazed tile dome, supported by scarlet columns. The building’s pillars and other structural elements are sculpted in a delicate and refined way, all framed amid lush greenery.

4. Eating and drinking

As one branch of Sichuan cuisine, Chongqing cuisine, also called Yu cuisine, is famous for its distinctively spicy and strong flavors.

The city has a humid, cloudy climate with an annual mean temperature of 18.6 C, leading the locals to become addicted to spicy dishes that they reckon are stronger in taste than their Sichuan neighbors’ offerings.

Chili pepper, sesame, scallions, ginger, garlic, wine, soy sauce and seasoning are employed in almost 40 different cooking methods, including drying, salting, spicing, frying and smoking. Smell, taste, presentation and nutrition are all delicately coordinated in Chongqing dishes.

Many local specialties such as steamed sticky rice sparerib, taoran chili chicken with taro are popular with residents and visitors.

Chongqing is touted as the birthplace of hot pot in China and the restaurants can be found in virtually every corner of the city.

Hot pot used to be a winter dish but is now eaten all year round.

With the catering business thriving, many food streets are developing. The pedestrian streets around Jiefangbei (called Jiefangbei Central Business District), Nanbin Road, and Bayi Street are full of restaurants.

Many eateries also dot Nanbin Road by the bank of the Yangtze. Tourists can pick a riverside table to take in the night view of the river and the city as they wine and dine.

(Source: Chongqing express/China Daily 2012)

Chongqing has three city centers offering appeal for centrality and general convenience.
Jiefangbei (解放碑) is the location where it is most likely to have a upscaled and westernized lifestyle surroundings. However, it still is not equivalent to the likes of Shanghai or Beijing.
Jiangbei (江北) seems to catch up with Jiefangbei of late but still have a long way to go but the presence of best foreign food supermarkets has its appeal.
And then there is the Shapingba (沙坪坝). It is a lively and young area due to the fact that is closely located to several universities. Also here, the amenities are more foreign/friendly than in the suburbs.

Besides these three flourishing and busy metropolises, there are other city centers catching up th these big three like Nanping (南坪), Yangjiaping (杨家坪), and Yubei (渝北). Despite the big development progress of Yubei,its location is not me most convenient because it’s situated close to the airport. There are another three city centres – Beibei (北碚区), Dadukou (大渡口)and Yudong (渝东) – but these are relatively marginal locations.

City Centers – Pros and Cons

Whether living in the city center becomes a benefits or disadvantages depends on the person. Being able to take part of the vivid nightlife, the best shopping and vibrant atmosphere make them ideal for many and for the same reason, a terrible experience for others. These centers can appear hectic, packed with crowds, over-noisy from morning until night with tannoy-amplified commercialism. However, for party-animals, the city centers are ideal and for those who like to sleep occasionally, they leave much to be desired.

The following table will provide you some pro and contra arguments of living at the city center:

Pro

- Blocks tend to be well-guarded, incl. visitors check-in and out in the foyer
- It’s unlikely that your apartment will be burglered because hundred of family lives in such a block
- Foyer guards can give you information if any apartments are available in their particular block

Contra

- For 30-40 m2 : Expected to pay up to 1,000 RMB per m2
- The higher the storeys, the noisier it will be
- Accomodation is normally limited to small appartments

The advantage and disadvantages living in the Suburbs

Out of the city centers, the suburbia in the Chongqing conurbation has also amenities to offer. However, it’s the perfect place for people who want to escape from the noisy and never resting city centers. Here are some pro and contra arguments for paying attention to while choosing a home in the suburban areas:

Pro

- Fairly cheap
- Less noisy
- Surroundings are more relaxed emphasized with greenery and water features here and there (though usually turned off)
- The gate security is not as tight as in the city center
- Rapid improvements because a few supermarket chains are established in the suburban areas. Even though you have to go the city center, you’ll have to go less and less as things develop
- Security guards can give you information if any apartments are available in their particular block

Contra

- Foreigners might be an easy target for burglary because they are considered as being rich
- Far less high-rise
- Expensive security: 50-100 RMB estate fees per month
- The shops close-by: small and crammed with little of interest on offer
- Nightlife: restricted to KTV emporia

It is invested by the Chongqing Travel Investment Group and will become the largest theme park min the city. The highlights of the projects will be the Earth Village and Heaven of Fun including large entertainment facilities, performance stages and enclosed playing stations.

Furthermore, the Zoo area is also to be upgraded. The Africa Tribe, Jungle of South America and Stone-age Cave, which will show the customers different kinds of animals, will be included in the first reconstruction phase.

For the theme park, hotel and resorts are planned which are expected to be finished within two years

Source: Chongqing Morning Post 2011

As part of the 5th Chongqing Yangtze River International Red Leaf Festival of China, the organizing committee sincerely invites you to join the “International Red Leaf Festival” Three Gorges Tour. All costs are taken care of and personal accident insurance is included

Schedule:

Please contact Terry He of Xinhua News Agency for more information or subscription.

Mobile: 13627688178, E-mail: xhstaoye@gmail.com

There are a lot of movie theaters in Chongqing playing English movies. (with Chinese subtitles) Especially the popular movies can be very crowded and  are already sold out when you get there. So it is recommended to reserve the tickets upfront or buy them one or two hours in advance. In addition to the conventional screen some of the cinemas also offer a 3D Version.  The Ticket prices vary a lot and can go up sum up to almost 90 Yuan per ticket while you get cheaper tickets sometimes as low as 25 Yuan. Attached you will find a list of the cinemas of Chongqing:

Chongqing Studio City Cinema
6F Metropolis Plaza
Yuzhong District

Chongqing Warner Shenguo Cinema
4th Floor, Jiulong Square
Ph:68789778
Chongqing UME International Cinema
5th Floor, Zone B, Tian Street Market Square, Bei Cheng
Ph:67706969
Xingle Xiangyang Cinema
1 East Village, Jialing Bridge
Ph:63639172
Jiangjin Cinema
Zone B, Time Square
Ph:47530403
Jialing River Cinema
6 Jialing 2nd Village
Ph:67700094
Palace in the Sea Dancing Cinema
8th Floor, 85 Zhongshan 1st Road,Yuzhong District
Ph:63528888
Wangfujing Cinema
6th Floor, Wangfujing Shopping Plaza, 166 Minzu Road,Yuzhong District
Ph:63736565
The Art Cinema
199 Wuyi Road, Yuzhong District
Ph:63721384
The Labor Force Cultural Palace Cinema
174 Zhongshan 2nd Road, Yuzhong District
Ph:63619693
Danzishi Cinema
1 Qunhui Road, South Shore District
Ph:62511827
Daping Cinema
35 Daping Zheng Street, Yuzhong District
Ph:68811987
Bachuan Cinema
Revolution Road, BaChuan, Tongliang County
Ph:45632089
Beibei Cinema
Victory Street, Beibei District
Ph:68862026
Guotai Cinema
108 Zourong Road, Yuzhong District
Ph:63842950
Yubei District Cinema
93 Victory Road, Yuzhong District
Ph:6782283
Shanpingba Cinema
85 New Street, Xiaolong Kan
Ph:65479068

3D Art Cinema
199 Wuyi Road
Ph:63841113

Chongqing Sichuan Opera Academy
76 Jingtang Street, Yuzhong District
Ph:63834146

To help this craving transform into a full stomach, Maxxelli blog has prepared yet another Google map to help you find what you need.
So far that map contains KFC and Mcdonalds only but we will constantly be updating the map.

We wish you good luck and a happy feast!
View

in a larger map

A new find in the heart of Chongqing – a wine lounge, as they call it – but in my opinion much more. We are used with wine lounges to be somewhere where we must buy a bottle of overpriced wines by the bottle and when after a couple of glasses have nothing to eat and must move to the nearest eatery. But this is changed now.

Recently I found(of course with the directions of a friend of mine) this hidden jewel in the heart of the city – within a walking distance from the Marriott hotel, in a living complex, and more precise – in an ancient wooden house second floor of which is a spa but let’s get back to where I was…
A really relaxing atmosphere, sofas, nice music varying from ambient to relaxing. The menu looked promising and I started my trip around it – wine looked decently priced and some also sold by the glass. “Obviously the owner understands what he is doing” I thought. Started with a glass of white. Nicely chilled, what a nice change from all other places with luke warm wines trying to get me to put ice into them!
Apart from the wines I noticed cocktails, coffee, tea and even beer. The food section was small but decent. A seasonal salad, two appetizers, two main and one desert.

Started with a salad. Great fresh greens, roasted peppers and freshly made croutons.
I ordered the bruschetta which came as a nice surprise. French bread done really good, freshly chopped tomatoes, garlic, basil with just the right seasoning! Mouthwatering even now when I think about it.
With the two dishes ordered and being surprised by both of them – yes, simple you think – but in my many years I have been let down even from the simplest things that you always think nothing can go wrong. Ordered the pizza and got back to my book.

This was the time where another foreigner entered and introduced himself to me – David. I found out that he is from Bulgaria, been living here for 8 years and is the manager of the place. He shared that even though this is a wine lounge and the focus is on the wine – he is offering a variety of almost everything that you might need for an afternoon tea or coffee while doing some work or a nice, really nice meal with a glass of wine while socializing or making guanxi with business partners. The most surprising fact that he shared is that each and every month they will be changing the menu.

The pizza arrived, sizzling from the oven and wow! Fresh thin crust, melted mozzarella, and homemade tomato sauce. What a surprise. Finished my pizza a little by little with two more glasses of red. Even though the red wine by the glass was only 25 yuan, it was more than reasonable.

This is exactly what this city was missing – a place with taste! I am definitely going back to try the stuffed mushrooms that by David’s words were “designed to be paired” with the white wine I was already drinking as well as the homemade pasta.

Because I am so excited by my new find, I decided to share with you – all other foreigners struggling to find a place with great ambiance, great drinks and awesome food.

Constance Green, 41, living in Chongqing for two years. She decided to move here with her husband and is a freelance writer for different wine and food magazines.

Address: MinSheng Lu 318, Living complex BaYuShiJia
重庆市民生路318号巴渝世家
David’s phone number if you need assistance: 18680816317

There are many cultural things to do in Chongqing. One of the things that is worth checking out are the several theaters located around Chongqing city.

Maxxelli blog Chongqing has made a Google map which shows the different locations, as well as a short description of the plays available.

We wish you good luck!
View

in a larger map

Chongqing Grand Theater
The big futuristic building viewable from Hong Ya Dong, has many different artists and plays.
Check out this earlier Maxxelli blogfor more information.

Sichuan Opera Theater
This theater shows performances of the famous Sichuan Opera. A mix of comedy, solos, refined acting and many more.
Classical repertoire:
Legend of Liuyin, Legend of Jingcai, Legend of Fenxiang, Legend of Jinzi

Beijing Opera Theater
Classical repertoire:
Legend of Shisanmei, three Jinshi, Yutangchun.

Bayu Theater
Classical  repertoire:
The romantic story took place in Chongqing.

Chongqing Acrobatics Arts Troupe
Classical repertoire:
Kicking umbrella and Dance Meteor.