Climate & Weather Report

Introduction

Surrounded by water on 3 sides, Chongqing is situated at the confluence of Yangtze River and Jialing River. With beautiful hills and mountains the "Mountain City" has long been reputed for its wonderful scenery. To its east, there is the famous Three Gorges on the Yangtze River; to its west, there are the 50, 000 stone figures sculpted on the cliffs during the Tang and Song Dynasties as the acme of perfection; in its south, the stone forests in Wansheng District seem superlatively made, yet they were created by nature; and in its north you cannot help meditating on the dinosaur fossils of 180 million years ago. The Fishing Fortress in Hechuan has long been widely known. The waterfalls, stones, forests, springs, and outdoor games in Simianshan Mountain in Jiangjing are fascinating. In the city proper. there are attractive Eling Hill, Loquat Hill, Night Scene of the Mountain City, Flowers in the Nanshan Park decorating the mountain city. The East, South, West, North, and Tongjing Hot Springs are like five pearls scattered in the suburbs. The Anti-Japanese Remains present the combat achievements in Chongqing by the Anti-fascist Allies during the Second World War. and the Red Crag Village and Geleshan Martyrs' Cemetery bear the glorious loyalty of the revolutionary seniors. For the city itself, it came into being three thousand years ago and got its name 800 years ago. On December 8, 1986, it was appointed one of the Historical and Cultural Cities of China by the State Council.

As one of the four municipalities under the Central Government (MDUCG), there are two things in particular immediately distinguish Chongqing from the other MDUCGs (Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin).  The first, it is unusually large in area, covering 82,400 sq km, 2.4 times the total area occupied by Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin municipalities. The 43 urban districts and counties under its jurisdiction represent three quarters the total number governed by the three other municipalities. Secondly, it is unusually large in population. At the end of 1997, 30.429 million people lived in Chongqing, equivalent to 83 percent of the total population of Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin. In Chongqing, however, more than 80 percent of the population is rural, a figure far higher than in the other municipalities.

Thus, of all the municipalities, Chongqing has the largest area and population and the highest proportion of peasants.

HISTORY Chongqing's history extends back at least 3,000 years, endowing it with much historical and cultural significance. Traces of man's presence have been found from as far back as the end of the Old Stone Age 20,000 to 30,000 years ago. From the beginning of the Shang Dynasty (c. 16th century B.C.) to the close of the Warring States Period (221 B.C.), it was the capital of the state of Ba. From the Qin Dynasty through the Eastern Han Dynasty (221 B.C.-220 A.D.), it was a prefecture also known as Ba. During the Sui and Tang dynasties, (581-907 A.D.), it was known as the sub-prefecture of Yuzhou, hence its standard byname "Yu.'' Subsequently, during the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127 A.D.), it was renamed Gongzhou. In 1189, during the Southern Song Dynasty, Zhao Dun, later the Guangzong Emperor, was given the title Prince of Gong. Regarding this as an exceedingly joyous event, he upgraded its status to that of a prefecture and renamed it as "Chongqing'' or "redoubled celebration,'' the name it carries to this day. 

The Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911) saw goods spin in and out of the city as merchants from the four corners gathered. In 1891 Chongqing became an open port and  a customs house was established there. Shipping and trade and the financial and processing industries grew steadily more prosperous as the city came to link southwestern China and the upper reaches of the Yangtze River with the rest of the world. In 1929 Chongqing was formally declared a city. Following the outbreak of the War of Resistance Against Japan in 1937, the Kuomintang (KMT) moved the government from Nanjing to Chongqing. In 1939 the city was elevated to a municipality under the Executive Yuan. Beginning in 1940 it served as the wartime ``provisional capital'' for the KMT government, becoming China's political, economic, financial, commercial, transportation, cultural and diplomatic center. After the KMT government returned to the formerly occupied capital Nanjing in 1946, Chongqing returned to its status as a municipality under the Executive Yuan.

After the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, the Southwestern Sub-bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Southwestern Military and Political Commission were set up in Chongqing. The city was made a municipality directly under the central government and continued as the political, economic and cultural center of southwestern China. After the system whereby the nation was organized into large administrative zones was rescinded in 1954, Chongqing's status was changed to that of a city under the jurisdiction of Sichuan Province. In 1983 the central government decided to include Chongqing in the first group of cities where pilot reforms of the economic system could be tried out, its economic planning being directly supervised by the State Council. The state also gave the city provincial-level administrative powers over its economy and formally made it a foreign trade port. Since entering the 1990s China has been effecting its strategy of opening and developing the Yangtze River. Chongqing was listed as an open city. In September 1996, with the approval of the State Council, Sichuan passed administration over the cities of Wanxian and Fuling and Qianjiang Prefecture to Chongqing to govern on the province's behalf. In March 1997, the Fifth Session of the Eighth NPC discussed and approved a resolution rescinding Chongqing's then current status of city, declaring Chongqing a MDUCG.        

Topography  Chongqing may be found on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River covering the area 105x17'-110x11' E longitude and 28x10'-32x13' N latitude. The municipality, measuring 470 km from west to east and 450 km from north to south, borders Shaanxi Province to the north, Hubei and Hunan to the east, Guizhou to the south and its former province Sichuan to the west. Generally speaking, the land is higher in the north and south, sloping lower into the Yangtze River Valley in the center. For the most part, the terrain is characterized by low hills, mostly less than 500 meters above sea level. The municipality is home to the Daning River and is fed by the waters of the Jialing, Wujiang, Fujiang and Qijiang rivers, in addition to the Yangtze.

Chongqing has a humid subtropical monsoon climate, with little frost or snow, frequent clouds and mist, warm winters, hot summers, early springs and short autumns. The average temperature in January is 7.5 C and in July, 28.5 C, the mean annual temperature being 18 C. There is abundant rainfall, with annual precipitation averaging 1,000 to 1,400 mm. Rain is particularly plentiful in the nighttime during the weeks when spring passes into summer, giving rise to the common reference "night rain in the hills of Ba, (eastern Sichuan).''

Natural Resources More than 40 mineral products have been found in Chongqing; 25 varieties, most importantly coal, natural gas, strontium, pyrite, halite, bauxite, mercury, manganese, barium, marble, limestone and barite, have proven reserves. With reserves of 320 billion cubic meters, it is one of China's principal sources of natural gas. Reserves of bauxite (74 million tons), halite (300 billion tons), and strontium (1.85 million tons) lead the nation. Reserves of manganese and barium rank second and third respectively.

The areas abounds with biological variety, including more than 2,000 species of vascular plants. Some 380 animal species can be found locally, including the zibet (Asiatic civet cat), otter, clouded leopard, macaque, red-breasted golden pheasants, crown deer and other unusual wild animals.  Rongchang is the nation's famous producing base for stud hogs, and Shizhu is a famous base to raise, process and export long hair rabbits. Chongqing has over 120 river fishes. Fish farming is popular in every district and county. Changshouhu Lake and Dahonghu Lake are fish raising bases of Chongqing. 

Natural Scenes Chongqing proper is surrounded by the Yangtze and Jialing Rivers, so landscape is very beautiful. It is known as a "Mountain city" and also a "River city" because its buildings are constructed on hills by the rivers. Night scene of the mountain city is a wonderful sight. The South Hot Spring Park, North Hot Spring park, Jingyunshan summer resort and Nanshan park are situated in the near suburbs and Jiangjin Simianshan forest, Wansheng Yunan Stone Forest, Wulong Furongdong Cave, Xiannushan Grasslands, Nanchuan Jingfushan Forest Park are situated in distant suburbs. Along the Yantse River there are a large number of scenic spots of mountains, rivers, forests, springs, cataracts, gorges and caves such as the mighty Three Gorges, Daninghe and Xiaoninghe River valleys, Yunyang Longgang, Fenjie Heaven Pit and Earth Crevice, Wuxi Hongcheba Grasslands and Wushan Zhiyanhe River Three-Colored Cataract. Construction of the Three Gorges dam will form a 600 kilometers long and more than 1,000 square kilometers big lake on high gorges, an excellent tourist resort will thus be set up.                    

Historical Sites Historical sites can be sought after in Chongqing Museum, Hongyan Memorial Hall of Revolution, Geleshan Revolutionary Martyrs Tomb, Jiang Keshek's Residence, Zhang Zizhong's Apartment, Lingyuan, Kongyuan and some other Wartime Capital remains. Dazu Rock Carvings is the gem of stone sculptures of the later period. Hechuan Diaoyucheng city, that is called "the place where Whip of God was broken," is one of China's three ancient battlefields. Fengdu's Ghost City and Ghost King Stone Carvings, Fuling's Baiheliang (the forest of steles under water), Shizhu's Xituoyunti, Zhongxian's Shibaozhan, Yunyang's Zhang Fei Temple, Liangping's Shuangguitang Temple, Fengjie's Baidicheng City, Wushan's Lu You Cave and Ba people's hanging coffins and the natural scenes of the Three Gorges add radiance and beauty to each other.                                                                  

Tourism   The center of the old city of Chongqing is almost completely encircled by the two arms of the Yangtze and Jialing rivers. Row upon row of buildings climb the hills beside the rivers, giving rise to its nickname the "city of hills" and the phrase "night views of the hilly city" known well both at home and abroad. When night falls, the lights of a myriad families shine like stars, climbing to the sky, where they join the star-studded dome above, the flowing water and open sky each playing off the other's radiant beauty. Close by in the suburbs are many scenes of natural beauty, including the Southern and Northern Hot Springs and summer retreats such as Jinyun Mountain and the Southern Mountain. Further out can be found the primeval forests on Simian (Four-faced) Mountain in Jiangjin City, the Yunan Stone Forest in Wansheng, Furong (Hibiscus) Cave in Wulong County, the Gaoshan (High Hill) Grasslands on the Xiannu (Fairy Maiden) Mountain, and the Jinfoshan (Golden Buddha Mountain) Forest Park in Nanchuan City. Marvelous spectacles along the Yangtze River include the magnificent natural landscapes of the Three Gorges, the Large and Small Ninghe River Gorges in the Wushan Mountains, the Dragon's Vat in Yunyang, the fissures and hollows carved out of the living rock with divine skill as if by a demon's axe in Fengjie, the Hongchiba Gaoshan Grasslands and Xiabing Cave in Wuxi, and the Three-Color Waterfalls on the Ziyang River in Wushan. When the Yangtze Three Gorges Reservoir is completed, the 600-km long, 1000-sq-km manmade ``lake'' will delight tourists with the sheer walls of the towering gorges contrasting with the even waters below.             

In addition to such natural splendors, Chongqing has many fascinating reminders of man's accomplishments, such as the Red Crag Village Revolutionary Memorial Hall (the Chongqing Office of the Eighth Route Army), the Geleshan Revolutionary Martyrs Cemetery (Zhazi Cave and Lord Bai's Residence and Chiang Kai-Shek's mansion, and other remnants of the wartime capital. The Dazu Grottos on Baoding Mountain have some of China's finest stone carvings. Visitors should also be sure to see the "City of Ghosts" and Guiwang (Ghost King) stone carvings in Fengdu, the "Underwater Forest of Steles'' in Fuling, the Zhang Fei Temple in Yunyang, the Paired Cassias Hall in Liangping - of significance to Buddhists, and the coffins stored high up on the cliff faces by the ancient people of Ba.                   

Dazu Rock Caving                                                                      

Dazu Rock Carvings is the general name of over 50,000 carved figures of religion in 74 different places within Dazu county. The collection of statures located at the foot of Baoding Hill and North Hill is the largest in scale and highest in artistic value. The statues sculptured in the Song Dynasty are the best preserved and most well-known for their characteristics, tastes and interesting plots. Started in 1179 AD, the carving of statues lasted over 70 years till 1249 AD. In 1999, the Dazu Stone Sculptures was declared World Cultural And Natural Heritage? by the UNESCO Heritage Committee.

The masterpiece of China's exquisite grotto art, Dazu Rock Carvings is a shining star in the stereological art treasure. It enjoys equal popularity with Dunhuang frescos and forms the trilogy with Yungang and Longmen Grottos. Having epitomized the art of grotto carvings in China, Dazu Rock Carvings has not only elevated grotto art of a certain time but also become an everlasting art monument in the rock carving field of our country.

The work of Dazu Rock Carvings began during the Yongzhen period of early Tang dynasty (around 655 A.D.), and had continued until Ming and Qing dynasties. Through the Five Dynasties the work entered its prime time and distinguished itself during Northern and Southern Song dynasties. Among the carvings at Dazu are two big grottos under state protection--Beishan and Baodingshan--in which most figures are concentrated and, which contain statues and figures of the highest artistic value and most exquisite technique. Besides, four other attractions: Nanshan, Shimenshan, Shizhuanshan and Beita are also cultural and historical relics under provincial protection, while sixty-eight smaller units, including Miaogaoshan, Shuchengyan, and Jianzishan, are preserved by the county.

Chiefly statues of the "Buddhist World", Dazu Rock Carvings is unique in that Taoist and Confucianism statuary figures are also included. Beishan's Grotto No. 136 is known to artists as the elite and the very representative of carvings in Song dynasty. Not merely are the figures in it, Which remain intact, very nicely constructed, the carvings exquisite, the grotto is also reputed as "Collection of Oriental Beauties" for the various personified gods and goddesses.     

Dazu County, located in the southeast of the basin-like Sichuan province, l67 kilometers away from Chongqing to her east, and 27l kilometers away from Chengdu to her west, has the population of over 880,000 and the area of about 1,400 square kilometers. Founded in the first year of Ganyuan in Tang dynasty (758 A.D.), Dazu county whose name suggests that of "harvest and abundance (Dafeng, Dazu)" has thus far enjoyed her history of more than 1,230 years.        

Established in 1930, the museum is located on the Loquat Hill in central Yuzhong District. It collects over 80, 000 valuable natural specimens of, for example, animals, plants, ancient living beings, and ancient human being, especially the fossils of dinosaur skeleton, footprint, and eggs. It is well-known in China and even the world for the large numbers and great varieties of specimens there.

The North Hot Spring Park is situated at the foot of the Jinyun Mountain on the Southern bank of the Jialing River. It is an important part of the Jiajing Mountain Scenic Area, one of the first group of nation-level scenic spots established in 1982 by the State Council. The park was named after he spring which runs incessantly all the year round. The flow volume is about 6000 tons per day and the temperature is between 35 and 37. Now there are in the park 75 bathrooms a swimming pool(50m long and 16m wide), one indoor triangle swimming pool, and a pool for children to play water in. The park is crowded with tourists in all four seasons and laughter can be heard all the time. Isn't it a good holiday resort!