Chongqing

Introduction
Landscape
- City site
- Climate
- City layout
  - Central districts
  - Suburban and outlying districts
  - Housing
People
Economy
- Manufacturing
- Trade
- Transportation
Administration and society
- Government
- Public utilities
- Health
- Education
Cultural life
History
- The early period
- The modern period

References & Edit History Related Topics

Images

Tall skyscrapers and modern buildings in Chongqing, China are illuminated with bright lights at night, with light trails from traffic visible on the street below.

Skyline of Chongqing, China, with high-rise buildings at the junction of the Jialing and Yangtze Rivers, and several boats on the brown water.

Ornate red and blue traditional Chinese gate with gold sign, framing the domed People's Hotel in the background, Chongqing, China.

The Chaotianmen Bridge under construction in Chongqing, China.

Mixture of old and new buildings in central Chongqing, China.

Elevated highway under construction between tall buildings in Chongqing, China, with scaffolding and wooden framework visible and city skyline in the background.

The Great Hall of the People at night, Chongqing, China.

At a Glance

Skyline of the Chongtianmen area, at the confluence of the Yangtze (left) and Jialing (right) rivers, Chongqing, China.

Chongqing summary

Quizzes

Tower Bridge over the Thames River in London, England. Opened in 1894. Remains an Important Traffic Route with 40,000 Crossings Every Day.

Guess the City by Its River Quiz

Related Questions

How are Chongqing’s districts, counties, and autonomous counties organized?
How did Chongqing’s population change after it became China’s wartime capital?
How did Chongqing’s transportation change after 1949?
How did Japanese bombing affect Chongqing between 1938 and 1942?
How did factories moved to Chongqing during the Sino-Japanese War shape the city’s industry?
How did supporters of Sun Yat-sen in Chongqing contribute to the overthrow of the Manchus?
How did the Ba state connect with the kingdom of Chu?
How did the Chengdu-Chongqing railway change transportation in the region?
How did the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution affect Chongqing’s development?
How did the Three Gorges Dam improve shipping access to Chongqing?
How did the Treaty of Shimonoseki affect Japanese access to Chongqing?
How far is Chongqing from the sea by the Yangtze River?
How is Chongqing hotpot prepared and served?
How many gates did Chongqing’s restored city wall have in the 1600s?
What activities are available at Datianwan Stadium?
What functions do neighbourhood street committees perform in Chongqing?
What is Chongqing’s climate like during summer?
What is displayed at the China Three Gorges Museum in Chongqing?
What kinds of light industrial goods and handicrafts is Chongqing known for?
What kinds of ships can travel to Chongqing after the completion of the Three Gorges Dam?
What role did Chongqing play in the Chinese Revolution of 1911?
When did Chongqing become a provincial-level municipality directly under China’s central government?
When did Chongqing’s first rail transit line open?
When did the Nationalist government return from Chongqing to Nanjing?
When was Chongqing first surrounded by a substantial city wall?
When was Chongqing given its present name?
When was Chongqing opened to British trade?
Where are Nanwenquan Park and Beiwenquan Park located?
Where are the Dazu Rock Carvings located?
Where is Chongqing located in China?
Where was the Japanese concession in Chongqing located?
Which ancient state controlled the region around Chongqing during the Western Zhou dynasty?
Which industries make Chongqing a major manufacturing centre?
Which ingredients make Chongqing cuisine especially spicy?
Which minority groups live in the eastern and southeastern parts of Chongqing municipality?
Which people and institutions moved to Chongqing during the Sino-Japanese War?
Which provinces border Chongqing municipality?
Which two UNESCO World Heritage sites are in Chongqing municipality?
Which two rivers meet at Chongqing?
Which wartime leaders and visitors had residences preserved in Chongqing?
Why are many streets in the old parts of Chongqing steep and winding?
Why did Chongqing become an important river port in southwestern China?
Why did Chongqing become the capital of Nationalist China in 1938?
Why did Japan abandon its concession at Wangjiatuo in 1937?
Why do visitors go to Chongqing’s hot-spring parks?
Why does Chongqing have mild winters despite its inland location?
Why is Chongqing an important coal-mining and natural-gas-producing area?
Why is Chongqing an important trade centre for southwestern China?
Why is Chongqing built on a peninsula between the Yangtze and Jialing rivers?
Why is the Wulong area recognized as a World Heritage site?
Why were some gates in Chongqing’s city wall kept closed?
What is the climate in Guangzhou?
What UNESCO World Heritage site is found at the heart of Beijing?
What are the major ethnic groups in China?

Geography & Travel Cities & Towns Cities & Towns C-G

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External Websites

University of Calgary - Faculty of Environmental Design - Chongqing: Profile of a City in Transition
China Internet Information Center - Chongqing, China

Britannica Websites

Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

Chongqing - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)

Chongqing

China

Also known as: Ch’ung-ch’ing, Chungking

Written by

Ping-chia Kuo

Emeritus Professor of History, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. Senior Fellow, National Endowment for the Humanities, 1973–74. Author of China; China: New Age and New Outlook.

Ping-chia KuoAll

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Oct. 16, 2026 •History

Chongqing, city (shi) and provincial-level municipality (zhixiashi), southwest-central China. The leading river port, transportation hub, and commercial and industrial centre of the upper Yangtze River (Chang Jiang) basin, the city is located some 1,400 miles (2,250 km) from the sea, at the confluence of the Yangtze and Jialing rivers. During the Sino-Japanese War (1937–45) it was the capital of Nationalist China. The city was named Chongqing (“Double-Blessed”) in 1189 under the Nan (Southern) Song dynasty...

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