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| Chongqing is located in the southeast of the Sichuan Basin, were the Yangtze and Jialing rivers meet. With an area of 82,300 square kilometers, and a population of 31.14 million, Chongqing became one of the four municipalities directly under the central government in 1997. |
 Known as a city in the mountains, Chongqing is surrounded by waters on three sides, and by the mountains on four sides. It has a moist climate, with many cloudy days, and less frost and snow. In spring and autumn, the city is often enveloped by heavy fog, hence the name "the Capital of Fog". |
Chongqing boasts beautiful landscapes, fascinating night scenes, well-known cultural sites of the Three Kingdoms Period, beautiful dazu Rock Carvings, the precipitous Three Gorges on the Yantze River and many other places of scenic and historic nterest, which attract numberous domestic and foreign tourists all the year round. |
| Shibaozhai |
| Shibaozhai stands by the north bank of the Yangtze River in Zhongxian County, Chongqing, 45 kilometers to the county center. Shibaozhai gets its name from a huge rock pointing to the sky by the river. Legend has it that the five-colored rock was left on the earth after Nu Wa had repaired the sky; so the rock was named Shaibao, meaning a precious rock. The tower of Shibaozhai was built along the body of Shibao Mountain, presenting a unique appearance. The main structure of Shibaozhai contains the entrance gate, the main body and the attic, totaling 12 storeys or 50 meters in the height. The whole structure was fashioned from wood. First built in the Wanli reign period (1573-1620) of Ming Dynasty, Shibaozhai was continually perfected during the Kangxi (1662-1722) and Qianlong (1736-1795) reign periods of Qing Dynasty. The Ancient temples on the mountain top first constructed in the Kangxi reign period of Qing Dynasty, Tianzi Hall, is a perfect sight to view the mighty Yangtze River. |
The Three Gorges on the Yangtze River |
 The Three Gorges on the Yangtze River are the Qutang, The Wuxia and the Xiling Gorges. Known as the natural barriers on the Yangtze River, the Three Gorges start from Baidicheng in Fengjie, Chongqing in the west, and end at Nanjin Pass in Yichang, Hubei province, totaling 193 kilometers long. The Qutang Gorge in fengjie, 33 kilometers long, is the shortest but grandest of the three. Sherr precipices on either side are less than a hundred meters apart and form a colossal, nearly perfect gate over the gate. |
| Baoding Mountain Stone |
| Carvings Cliff-side stone carvings in Baoding Mountain, 15 kilometers northeast of the seat of Dazu County, were first constructed in the sixth year of Chunxi reign period of the Southern Song Dynasty (1179). With Dafowan as the center, there are stone statues in the surrounding areas. Those in Dafowan are the largest and best preversed, with the highest artistic value. | < |
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