Chongqing
Of unknown to the tourist. Chongqing, future between mountains, is receiving tourists like never before social networks.
Lights and more neon lights at night and high tracks between skyscrapers appear in the mountains of a majority population. Chongqing It is one of the largest cities in China and the largest city in the world In terms of population, with about 32 million inhabitants and with an administrative area of the size of Austria.
The dizzying architecture of the municipality, coupled with a futuristic atmosphere this week at The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) as something out of a sci-fi movie like Blade Runner, has been gaining more and more visitors.
But the height was never an option for the municipality. Pressured by rapid growth and without coastal, only one way forward: up. The city was until a few years ago only a geographical curiosity, or known as the temporary capital of Chinese nationalists during World War II. But social networks brought her back from the past, not to the present, but to the future.
Em 2024, 120 million tourists stayed overnight in Chongqing, a 17% increase In the face of 2023. In the first six months of this year, the border stations registered a record number of foreigners, but it was only about 330,000: their futuristic scenario is a remaining escape from non-chinese looks. Most tourists come from Southeast Asia, Japan and South Korea, although the number of visitors in Europe, Australia and especially USA is also increasing.
The city seems to come from the future, but surprisingly more than 70% of its population works in agriculture and lives in rural areas.
The contrast is remarkable by the city outside. Of the bright new skyscrapers, a turn from the head transport us to the 80’s, with old apartments without elevator.
“Chongqing is the unknown but fabulous city that has to visit,” an American retired to the city told WSJ.
