Chongqing A Gems of Yangtze River Route

OVERVIEW : In 1997, Chongqing became a special municipality under the direct control of central Government in Beijing, affectively marking its birth as a city.  Bringing together three former counties of Sichuan Province, Chongqing has an estimated total population of around 30 million, making it the largest city in China, and one of the world’s most populous urban centres.
Situated on steep slopes over-looking the convergence of the Jialingjiang River and the majestic Yangtse, Chongqing was opened as a treaty port as long ago as 1890, though still has been relatively untouched by foreign influence.  During World War II it became the Kuomintang Capital following their retreat from Nanjing and swelled in size as refugees flooded in.  Throughout the following years, Chongqing’s continued growth was fuelled by its key location on a number of trading routes.