Once a part of Sichuan, in 1997, Chongqing became China's fourth municipality. Being the only municipality in Western China, it has 40 administrative divisions of districts and counties. Chongqing's size rivals that of many countries. Having nearly the same landmass as Austria (or South Carolina, US), Chongqing encompasses an area of 82,000 square kilometers(31,660.377 square miles). It has a population of 31 million--just below that of Saudi Arabia which has 32 million.
Chongqing is also a city of heroes, as it was a provisional capital of China during the Japanese invasion of World War II. Numerous revolutionary heroes sacrificed here to hold the cultural bastion for the preservation of the nation. Today, the sediments of history bred revolutionary ideas and heroical bravery that drive generation to generation Chongqing people to thrive.
Among all the famous Chinese cuisines, Chongqing's authentic spicy cuisine, Jianghucai, shines on the crown with its unique numbing-spicy flavor called "ma-la." Along with the renowned Chongqing hotpot, these two together not only make a good symbol for Chongqing but also they represent Chongqing people's hospitality.
The name 'Capital of Fog' is originated from Chongqing's typical weather, its sky is often enveloped by heavy fog due to its tropical mois. Clouds cover the air for most of the year, less frost and snow, long hot summer squeezes the climate to shift quickly in spring and fall. Still, in winter, the wetness and moisture can sometimes make you feel the winter is no milder than that in northern China.
The third nickname of Chongqing is the "mountain" city, Chongqing covers a large area crisscrossed by rivers and mountains. Furthermore, located at the "dragon tail" of the Yangtze economic belt and the inland of the Three Gorges Dam area, Chongqing stands as the financial center of Southwest China and upper reaches of the Yangtze River. Also being at the cross of Yangtze River, Chongqing embeds natural advantages for itself to develop water transport, and now as the gate of Southwest China on water route and a transport pivot of that region, Chongqing is also becoming an important inland port city.
Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport is the largest one of this kind in Western China. More than 70 domestic and international lines link up Chongqing with over 50 cities in China and other parts of the world, including direct international flights to Hong Kong and Macao regions of China, Tokyo, and Nagoya, Bangkok, Seoul, Kuala Lumpur, Dusseldorf.
Chongqing has a relatively high level of scientific and technological development, thanks to its comprehensive competitive strength in science and technology. And Chongqing government is now focusing more on innovative industry and cutting-edge technologies, which overall marks a gradual shift in its economic structure from a traditional industrial and manufacturing city to new development drives. In general, Chongqing is a great and decisive power that influences the Western region. An S&T information center of upper reaches of the Yangtze River, and a modem base of high technology on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River.
Chongqing is committed to shaping itself to a megacity with diverse economic focus and a good "hard" and "soft" investment environment, which enables the city to attract more foreign investors. At present, more than 140 countries and regions have established economic and trade relations with Chongqing, and it has set up over 70 agencies of enterprise and business in nearly 30 countries and regions. 33 of the world's top 500 enterprises have their share in the development of Chongqing. Canada, United Kingdom, Japan, Hungary have set up their consulates in Chongqing successively. Moreover, Chongqing also established goodwill-city relations with 10 cities in the U.S.A., France, U.K., Japan, Russia, Canada, Ukraine, and South Africa. In Chongqing, a new pattern of growth is taking shape across a wide range of sectors on multiple dimensions and at different levels.
Overall, Chongqing, as the youngest municipality directly under the central government, is opening its gate to the world with a new and attractive image to welcome friends from all over the world to gather together and discovering mutual business opportunities and development.
