Chongqing

• Overview
  Country: China

  Population: 10.12 million

  Time zone: China standard time (UTC+8)

  Languages: Mandarin Chinese

  Currency: Renminbi (yuan; ¥) (CNY)

  Drives on the: Right

  Calling code: +86

  Best for:

  Outdoors/Nature

  Big city

  Tourism

  Culture

  Food

  

  Known as the mountain city, Chongqing boasts an iconic landscape that is largely formed of hilly terrain. Despite rapid urbanization over the last 15 years, the city has somehow managed to seamlessly merge itself with the local landscape. Chongqing's development has accentuated the surrounding horizontal topography, giving the metropolis an aesthetically unique character. Along with the city's mountains, locals also characterize their city by water, as Chongqing is located at the confluence of the Yangtze and Jialing Rivers and is home to an active industrial port. The combination of mountain and water is an essential part of the city's culture and way of life, affecting everything from local cuisine to modes of transport. Relying on its rich natural hot spring resources, Chongqing is also recognized as "a city of Hot Springs".

  Different from flourishing Shanghai and traditional Beijing, Chongqing has its own character. Life here is slower and more leisurely. Every day, many people can be seen drinking tea with friends along the riverbank, or playing Mahjong. Strangely, many people who live in this city have hot tempers, and a straight forward, open character. While they often speak loudly, they are very warm-hearted and are always happy to help others. The character of the locals probably has something to do with the spicy Chongqing food. From hotpot to snacks, it can be said that Chongqing people cannot eat a meal without chili.

  Chongqing has a continuous GDP growth that maintains more than 10% growth rate. It is the fastest growing city in the first ten consecutive quarters in China. Rapid economic growth has given rise to a thriving business district, populated with a multitude of exciting companies, not only drawing an ever-increasing number of career-minded young Chinese, but also those from abroad. The city attracted nearly 300 "Fortune 500" companies to establish bases and under larger world economic pressures, presented positive economic development trends. This in combination with such an impressive preservation of nature makes Chongqing an ideal place for adventure-seeking young professionals to gain professional experience.

   

• Student Life

  

  Even though life here is much slower than the bustling east coast cities of Shanghai and Beijing, It's considered one of the fastest growing tier 2 cities in the country. As such, Chongqing is fast becoming a major tourist destination and an international business hub in China.

  Between being hard at work and learning Chinese, you’ll have plenty of opportunity to discover this picturesque city. Here are just a few of the incredible things you can choose from:

  Foreign Street: Foreign Street is a Chinese “Western style” Amusement Park where many interesting and bizarre attractions have been built. It attracts visitors from home and aboard with its unique imagination defying architecture.

  Ciqikou Ancient Town: Located beside the Jialing River, Ciqikou was crowded a busy port with merchants and peddlers, so it was called “Little Chongqing”. These days, Ciqikou is the only ancient town in Chongqing and it attracts crowds of visitors daily, making the town as busy as it used to be.

  Hongyadong: This major tourist attraction with its "mock old streets", delicious food, restaurants, and Bayu traditional culture performances is a must visit. Hongyadong is built in the traditional "Diaojiaolou" architectural style, which features hillside houses on stilts.

  Next to the beautiful attractions, Chongqing is a "city that never sleeps", which brings to mind the fantastic and wonderful nightlife. For locals and expats alike, the ultimate nightlife entertainment can be found in the bars, pubs, nighlclubs, KTV's, and discos. No matter how hard you party, Chongqing is safe at night. Drink up, be safe, and have fun!

• Practical Information

  
  

  Mere mention of the name Chongqing conjures a place filled with stunning landscapes. Cultivated by over three thousand years of history, Chongqing has boasted the name of : "City of Mountains and Rivers", "Ancient Bayu City", "City in the Sky", and "City That Doesn't Sleep". With so many tourism and scenic spots scattered around the urban and suburban areas, Chongqing is one of the top ten tourist destinations in China

  While Chongqing is one of China’s most congested cities in terms of traffic, it shouldn’t stop you from going there. The city has a well-developed transport system which will get you to various places across the city, fast and conveniently.

  Chongqing has a sub-tropical humid climate, with mild winters, hot and sticky summers and occasional heavy rainfall. Make sure to pack the right clothes for the season(s) you'll spend in Chongqing, particularly if you're travelling during the height of the summer. That being said, our best advice is to pack light. Chongqing is a rapidly developing metropolis with many great shopping centers and markets where you can buy almost anything you can think of. You may want to consider bringing only the essentials and then buying anything else you need once you get here.

  The costs of living in Chongqing are quite low. However, your overall cost of living in China also depends on the lifestyle you choose. As one of the fastest growing tier 2 cities in the country, it’s easy to enjoy both a local lifestyle and in On average, you can expect to spend around 3,000 – 5,000 RMB per month to cover the basics whilst making the most of your time – which is plenty considering the generous allowance of most internships in Chongqing!