•Chongqing, bustling and dynamic metropolis of colors, textures, scenes too complex to describe. A vast municipality approaching 32 million people, Chongqing sits at the confluence of the mighty Yangtse and Jialing Rivers. Chongqing shares borders with the provinces of Hubei, Hunan, Guizhou, Sichuan, and Shaanxi and has been influenced by these local cultures for over 3000 years.
•Hot, humid, hilly, and hazy are apt terms to describe this huge port which serves Western China and is also part of 3 Gorges river cruises. Chongqing is one of 4 municipalities which include Shanghai, Tianjin, and Beijing.
•These images only touch the tip of what a wonderful place this is. We also had a local body massage and a visit to the historic World War 2 museum at General Joseph Warren Stilwell's old residence.
My father also served the 14th Air Force here and was also stationed in Kunming. Chongqing served as the provisional capital during WW2 under Chinag Kai-Shek and was heavily bombed during this period. Once part of Sichuan Province, Chongqing has been a provincial level municipality since 1997.

•Local "Bang Bang's" or fee-for-service porters abound in hilly Chongqing where bikes won't work and they carry a bamboo pole over their shoulder and will haul your wares or packages up to your destination. Sichuan opera is noted for the quick "Face Changing" masks and the show we saw was a fantastic showcase of exotic local talent: the Hand Shadow Show, Teapot pouring acrobatics-dance, comedy skit of the husband wearing an oil-lamp on his head, and much more.
•This is where the Hotpot started; once eaten by the local boatmen, it is now very popular mirroring the hot humid weather. The steam from the boiling soup base (choose hot or plain); the fire beneath the pot, and the the raw ingredients to be cooked are delightful to the senses. You'll be drenched in sweat and will have a hard time deciding what to cook in the hotpot next!
Ci Qi Kou (Porcelain Village) is an ancient section from the last 2 dynasties (Ming and Qing) and has many teahourses, snack stalls, and shops; once was famous for porcelain production.
Hello to Chongqing Joe!