Chongqing

The hilltop city of Chongqing, surrounded by three sides of water, is a large industrial city and a crucial center in the transport infrastructure of southwestern China.  Today, Chongqing has a population of almost 30 million (including the surrounding counties and districts under its jurisdiction), making it the largest city in China.  When the Three Gorges Dam is built further downstream at San Dou Ping, much of the lower part of the city will be submerged by the reservoir.  It is calculated that over 14,000 people will have to be relocated by the year 2010.

Chongqing has always been an important port, bustling with junks from Sichuan’s hinterlands and neighboring provinces.  The port has acted as the collection point for the abundant produce of the region including hides and furs from Tibet, hemp, salt, silk, rhubarb, copper, and iron.  The Qifu Agreement of 1890, which opened Chongqing to foreign trade, marked the beginning of the exciting history of steamboat navigation from Yichang through the treacherous gorges to Chongqing — a development aimed at opening up the riches of Sichuan to trade with the outside world.

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Guilin

Many people consider Guilin the number one scenic spot in China.  The scenery conveys a sense of mystery; a languid brooding silence prevails.  The city, situated in the northeast corner of the Guangxi Zhuangzu Autonomous Region, has been a favorite subject of painters and poets for centuries.  Guilin was founded under Qin Shi Huang Di in 214 bc as a small settlement on the Li Jiang.  The town grew following the construction of a canal linking the river with another further north, giving connection to the Yangtze.  The emperor could thus send food and provisions by water from the Yangtze plains to the imperial armies in the far south.

The town became the provincial capital under the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and remained so until 1914 when the capital was moved to Nanjing.  Guilin became the capital again in 1936.  During the Sino-Japanese War it became a center of resistance to the invasion, but was badly damaged during the fighting.  Five years after the Communists gained power, the capital was once again moved to Nanjing.

Trip descriptions furnished by Vantage Deluxe World Travel.  Visit them at VantageTravel.com.