Chongqing, a picturesque mountain city that clings to steep cliffs located at the confluence of the Yangtze and Jialing Rivers, serves as either a port of destination or of departure for every Victoria Yangtze River cruise. In 1997 Chongqing was formally establishedby China's central government as the nation'sfourth directly-administered municipality. As a consequence of this reorganization Chongqing now administers a sprawling area of 82,365 sq kilometers that includes 27 counties and cities, 16 districts and a total population exceeding 33,000,000 people! In addition to Chongqing's newly elevated political status the city serves as an important economic centerand a vital hub of communication and ransportation
in southwest China. Chongqing is alsoa heavily industrialized city that produces steel, ships, automobiles, chemicals, electronics, and textiles.

　　"Chongqing" means "Double Celebration" . The name was first conferred on the city by Zhao Dun during
the Song Dynasty in commemoration of the fact that he was first made prince and later crowned emperor here. The history of the city far precedes its current name, however. The city's origins date back over
3,000 years and it is known to have served as the capital of the ancient Ba Kingdom before that kingdom fell to the expanding Qin state in 316 B.C. In more recent times Chongqing served as China's war-time
capital and headquarters of the Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalist government d u ring the war of resistance against Japan (World War lI). Indeed, during the war, the island over which the Yangtze River Bridge is
now built served as an airstrip for "The Flying Tigers" ! After the war, Chiang Kai-Shek and Mao Zedong, participated in the famous "Chongqing Talks" here, which sought unsuccessfully to negotiate a political reconciliation between the Nationalists and the Communists.

　　Chongqing is also well known for its weather. The winter is the foggy season here and the city is popularly known as a city of fog. In fact, Chongqing averages 68.3 foggy days each year. In the summer,
Chongqing is known as one of the "Three fu rnaces along the Yangtze." The name is well chosen as the temperatures can reach as high as 43 degrees centigrade (116 degrees Fahrenheit) while the humidity during the summer typically hovers between 90 and 95 percent.
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