Hilly Chongqing City

VISITORS to Chongqing should be ready both to climb its many hills, and be assailed by its flaming culinary piquancy. Before being designated a municipality directly under the central government in 1997, Chongqing came under the jurisdiction of Sichuan Province. Surrounded by mountains, the city undulates over hillsides, and is cloaked in mist throughout the year. From some spots multistory buildings are just a leap away from adjacent precipices. Circumambient mountain chains block air currents, and in summer temperatures in Chongqing rise to over 40 degrees Centigrade. It is, therefore, known as one of China's four "furnaces."     

Tale of an Ancient Town

THE clock had just struck 5pm when I arrived in Jin'an, the center of Songpan, an ancient county town under the jurisdiction of Sichuan's Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture. I quickly checked into a hotel before setting off on my quest to unlock Songpan's ancient mysteries.