Our first stop today was to visit one of the central squares of Chongqing.  On the way, our tour guide filled in some details about the city.  Sprawling along the Yangtze River and its tributaries, Chongqing claims a population of 32 million (including many outlying areas), making it the largest city in China.  One of its major industries is automobiles.  Ford, Suzuki, and what our tour guide called the “local brand” all have plants in the area.  In the last decade or so the city became politically independent from its province, and this has allowed it to develop much more rapidly than it had been previously.  The square we visited has an important structure on opposite sides.  On one end is a modern hotel built in the ancient Chinese style housing a Starbucks that is very popular among young people of the area.  A museum of Chonqing, the Three Gorges region, and the Three Gorges Dam stands across the square.  Inside we learned a great deal about the geography and cultural heritage of the area.  We also watched a documentary in a 360-degree theatre, in which screens around the entire circumference of the circular room displayed continuous videos of the River. 

The Museum

A model of the Three Gorges Dam

The essential debate around the Three Gorges Dam is that although it prevents the rapid flooding that has taken thousands of lives, its construction has caused the water level upriver to rise and required the relocation of millions of people.  Whole cities had to be demolished and rebuilt on higher ground.  Ancient structures and carvings were buried beneath the waters, and the ancient ways of life practiced by ethnic minority groups along the Yangtze were altered. 

Our last activity in Chongqing was another hotpot dinner (the same as our first meal in China).  The city is credited with the first hotpots and known to have the best and spiciest in China.  The meal met our highest expectations, and we left the restaurant stuffed with rice, lamb, seafood, rice wine, and the thin sweet bread that was my favorite dish. 

         Finally it came time to board our cruise down the Yangtze River.  A funicular saved us the walk down the dozens of steps between street and river level.  The ship holds about 100 people on two decks of rooms.  The third deck has a bar, tables for lounging, a dance stage, and a cafeteria.  The fourth deck is open to the air and offers a great view of the River’s foggy green mountains and murky green waters. 

Tomorrow will bring our first shore excursion and hopefully some down time with which to catch up on my blogging.  For tonight, I’ll fall asleep to the rocking of our ship as we begin our journey down the Yangtze.

Location: Chongqing, China