Travel Tips #1: Chongqing and Beijing

This is the first of a series of postings showcasing interesting places that our buddies in the Class of 76 have either travelled to, or where they are currently based. The objective to trigger ideas of places we can visit on our future vacations or class trips. I hope many of you guys will contribute photos and narratives.

Let me start the ball rolling ...

I had an interesting 4-day business trip to China last week. Cisco had a Public Services conference in Chongqing, and I was invited to moderate some sessions.

It was my first trip to the city of Chongqing, in the Sichuan province. Chongqing is a port city situated in the south-east of the Sichuan Basin between the Yangtze and Jialing River.The municipality, one of four directly administered by the central government, has some 33 million inhabitants. The place is known for its hot & spicy food (especially the famous Chongqing Hot Pot) and for being the place where those intending to take a cruise down the Yangtze River and see the Three Gorges Dam, usually begin their journey.

Chongqing skyline

Note the muddy brown Yangtze River (from left) and the dark green Jialing River (right)

Historically, Chongqing was the wartime capital of China during the Second Sino-Japanese war (1937-1945). Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek made it his base, and the city was heavily bombed by the Japanese planes. Fortunately, due to its mountainous environment, many people were saved from the bombing. One can still see some old air-raid shelters in the hillside. In late November 1949, the Nationalist KMT government led by Chiang Kai-shek, under attack by the Communist forces, fled the city and went over to Taiwan.

Recent statistics reveal that Chongqing is one of the fastest growing cities in China, and indeed everywhere in the city, one can see huge construction projects being carried out. The China central government is also trying to develop Chongqing as a major financial centre.

Standing in front of the Great Hall of the People, Chongqing

The China Three Gorges Dam Museum, Chongqing

(gives a lot of background about this monumental engineering feat. The Three Gorges hydro-electric dam is the world's largest electricity generating plant, and when fully operational by 2011, it will have a total electricity generating capacity of 22,500 MW)

Road Warrior meets Ancient Chinese Warrior

(In the background, you can glimpse the Chongqing Opera House)

I had a chance to walk through Jiafangbei, the main shopping district of Chongqing ...

The place was thronging with people - shopping, strolling, having family outings, taking in the festive mood (they had all manner of  X'mas decorations out too!) ...

I even sat down for a roadside snack with a "local resident" ...

(* This is added later, in response to John's comment *) That evening, we ventured to the restaurant district at Nan Bin Lu for dinner. This is just by the river bank. There were boat restaurants, al fresco dining, Chongqing hotpot joints, and all manner of brightly-lit eateries, bars and pubs.

On my way back to Singapore, I had a short stopover in Beijing, so I took the opportunity to take in some of the new sights of post-Olympics Beijing.

Outside the Olympic Birdsnest stadium, Beijing

China is an absolutely amazing place. Each time I visit, I find myself astounded by so many things - the culture & history, the people, the cuisine, the architecture, the development  ... and the relentless drive to succeed.