Chongqing

The Yangtze's upper reaches come alive at Chaotianmen harbour, Chongqing's most important port, where thousands of tonnes of cargo pass through daily and where tour boats plying the river to the Three Gorges disembark. In the evening, floating restaurants teem with diners and at Chaotianmen Square, the Chongqing Planning Exhibition Gallery portrays the development of Chongqing's cultural, geographical and ecological landscapes with brilliant high-tech exhibits.

More history can be found in Yuzhong District, where the 27.5-metre-high Liberation Monument marks some of the most significant events in modern China's development. Once the city's highest landmark, it is now overshadowed by skyscrapers and the Metropolitan Plaza, an award-winning building that is home to an array of shops selling brand-name fashion items, accessories, jewellery, cosmetics, electrical appliances, wedding gowns and the latest gadgetry. As a one-stop destination, it also houses a multiplex cinema, food court, ice-skating rink, bowling alleys and TV game centres.

One of the most popular hotpot restaurants in Chongqing, its flagship store is decorated in an opulent, traditional Chinese style. Of all the hotpot styles, the red-soup hotpot has the strongest local flavour. The soup base is made of about 40 spices and can come in three different levels of spiciness.

In Chongqing's Yuzhong District, the Huguang Assembly Hall sits majestically beside the Yangtze River. Established during the reign of the Emperor Qinglong (1736-1795) during the Qing Dynasty, this 10,000-square-metre compound by the Yangtze River houses three halls: Yuwang Palace, Qi'an Hall and Guangdong Hall. Today, the elegant buildings house collections of pictures and other cultural artefacts that vividly document the migration of Hubei, Hunan and Guangdong peoples to Sichuan during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. In the past, Huguang Assembly Hall was the venue for operas and religious festivals and offered refuge and safety to patriots and secret societies dedicated to protecting China from foreign invasion.

Modernity has made its mark – literally – on Huangjueping Street in the Jiulongpo District, where more than 800 artists, students, teachers and workers contributed to a 1.3-kilometre stretch completely decorated with graffiti. Sometimes referred to as "the world's biggest kindergarten", the state-sanctioned project was completed in 2007 and covers more than 40,000 square metres of wall space with colourful and lively street art.

The Hongyadong District dates back some 2,300 years when its buildings were on stilts, huddled against a mountainside. Today, the eponymous Hongyadong building houses hotels, chic restaurants and trendy shops, most with stunning views overlooking the Jialing River. It is believed the Ba people first lived in the Chongqing area and they are remembered today in Bayu Fengqing Street at Tiancheng Lane. Courtyards are filled with small shops and a replica of a Guanjin Temple, where tourists can sample local delicacies such as Sichuan-style beef jerky and handmade noodles, buy art and watch cultural performances.

At night, the centre of Chongqing comes alive, floating like a brilliantly lit palace. To take in the view at its best, visitors must go to Nanshan's poetically named Solitary Tree viewing platform, which provides a stunning panorama of the Yuzhong Peninsula.

Regarded as one of the best hot-spring sites in China, the water source of South Hot Spring was discovered in the Ming Dynasty while the hot-springs structures were built in the Qing Dynasty. Well-known figures from modern Chinese history such as Chiang Kai-shek, Soong Mei-lin and Deng Xiaoping holidayed here, taking to the mineral-rich waters that are low in acids and sulphur. South Hot Spring consists of 12 sections, including Nantong Hot Spring, a garden-like compound housing 110 baths, and Ancient Fairy Cave, a 30-metre-high limestone cave with stalactites.