A Weekend Trip Around Chongqing: Stroll Through Ancient Hechuan, Wander in the Native Land of Tongliang, Full of Delight

Chongqing, a city of mountains and rivers, is known for its scenic beauty. When it comes to tourism in Chongqing, the first thing that comes to mind is the city's main urban area's popular attractions like Jiefangbei, Hongyadong, and Baixiangju. However, having lived in Chongqing for a long time, I prefer to explore the surrounding districts, where the mountains are more beautiful, the waters more serene, and the scenery even more breathtaking with fewer people. Having traveled many times on the Chengdu-Chongqing intercity train, I often heard the announcement, 'Next stop, Hechuan Station.' This sparked my curiosity about Hechuan, wanting to see what makes this 'Oriental Mecca' so special. With the mild May breeze, I set off on a journey to explore Hechuan.

In the misty rain of Fishing City (Diaoyucheng), I followed the ancient and poignant stories to the 'God's Whip-Breaking Place.' Stepping on the uneven bluestone paths and looking at the winding trails deep in the dense forest, I suddenly saw four large characters carved on a stone deep in the woods: 'Diaoyu Zhongyuan' (Fishing Alone in the Central Plains). Over 700 years ago, this land witnessed a brutal bloody battle. After the smoke cleared, it left behind the resilience and unyielding spirit of the Chongqing people.

Fishing City is located on Fishing Mountain on the south bank of the Jialing River in Heyang Town, Hechuan. There is a huge rock on the mountain. Legend has it that during a famine, a giant god fished here to help nearby residents survive, hence the name. The thousand-fathom cliff of Fishing City, the impenetrable ancient city wall, and the three rivers surrounding it form a natural barrier, making it both a strategic military pass and a famous ancient relic in Bashu.

Time flows, and everything changes. Only the ancient relics of Fishing City remain unchanged. The ruins of the ancient battlefield at Fishing City are still well-preserved. The originally mottled old city wall, after reinforcement, appears even more magnificent. Standing on the ancient cannon platform, you can take in the awe-inspiring view of the three rivers converging.

A gentle breeze brushes past, rustling the leaves on both sides, as if bringing us back to the era of iron horses and golden spears. Although the smoke of war has dissipated, the traces left behind remain. From the city walls, cannon platforms, and naval docks, one can still faintly see the marks left after the war.

Strolling through Fishing City, you will find that almost all the scenic spots here are shrouded in a strong military atmosphere. If you are a military enthusiast, take your time to appreciate them. In the park, there are many newly built sculptures to vividly show people what happened here in the past. The lifelike statues bring these scenes to life, as if you are witnessing the past firsthand.

On the cliffs of the mountain, there are also cliff carvings from the Tang Dynasty, featuring three solemn Buddha statues. To the west of Huguo Temple, there is a rare suspended reclining Buddha in the country. At the foot of the reclining Buddha, there is a well, whose water is entirely supplied by the seepage from the crevices of the cliff carvings. Hearing that this well water was once the life-giving spring for ancient soldiers and civilians, I couldn't help but feel a sense of reverence.

An old saying goes, 'One man can hold the pass against ten thousand.' In Hechuan, there is an ancient town over 200 years old that occupies such a perilous location. This is Laitan Ancient Town, a town with cliffs on three sides. In the main urban area of Chongqing, the mountains are layered and undulating, extremely beautiful. In Hechuan, besides the handsome peaks, there are many such sights like Laitan Ancient Town, standing proudly on the cliffs.

Tired of the tenderness of Jiangnan water towns, seeing such a precipitous ancient town for the first time brought me indescribable joy. Due to its treacherous terrain, it is effective for defense, like 'shutting the door to beat the dog' or 'catching a turtle in a jar.' The most unique feature of this ancient town is that it is divided into an upper section and a lower section, like a pair of siblings—one high, one low; one gentle, one tough; one above, one below—complementing each other.

Walking along the ancient street, looking at the small blue-tiled houses built on the basis of temple architecture, my heart felt very peaceful. Both sides of the street are lined with a dazzling array of goods. Whether you buy fish or not, the warm-hearted Hechuan people will smile at you.

It is said that Laitan was once a famous water transport dock, bustling with merchants and thriving commerce. The Erfo Temple, built on the mountain, also had continuous incense, making it a prosperous geomantic treasure place.

Today, Erfo Temple is still a popular destination for pilgrims and tourists to worship and pray. Inside the temple, there are over 1,700 cliff carvings from the Shakyamuni preaching site, grand and magnificent, making it the largest and most complete Zen Buddhist stone carving group in China. A 12.5-meter-high statue of Shakyamuni preaching ranks second in size in Sichuan, hence the name 'Erjiang Temple' (Two Rivers Temple).

See the mountains, see the water, see the confluence of three rivers in Hechuan. This magical city of Chongqing is profound because of its mountains and dynamic because of its water. Hechuan, located in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, gathers the surging waters of the Fu, Qu, and Jialing Rivers, thus embracing infinite mountain and river scenery.

As the saying goes, 'You look at the scenery from the boat, while people on the bridge look at you.' Change your perspective to see the three rivers converge, and you will have unexpected gains. This time, the cruise ship we took in Hejiang was named 'Diaoyutai,' 50 meters long, 12 meters wide, three stories high, and can accommodate 300 people. The first floor of the ship is a reception hall and private rooms, the second floor is for business reception, and the third floor is open to everyone, offering a 360-degree panoramic view of the magnificent scenery of the Hechuan Three Rivers Tour.

Standing on the cruise ship, watching the houses gradually recede behind, the stern stirs up a silver dragon-like spray. With the gentle river breeze and the picturesque Hechuan river scenery, I enjoyed a leisurely and soothing slow time.

If time permits, you can choose to take the night cruise. As is well known, Chongqing's night scenery is famous nationwide, and Hechuan's night views are by no means inferior. Compared to the tranquility of the day, the night three-river tour in Hechuan has more charm.

Western Suburbs Flower Language Leisure Valley

In May, the sun is just right, the breeze is mild, perfect for taking beautiful photos. For girls, compared to many complex shooting environments, they prefer to go to the flower sea to take fresh photos. Enjoying the flowers while taking pictures, it's the best of both worlds.

In the outskirts of Tongliang, the Western Suburbs Flower Language Leisure Valley is an ecological park with flowers blooming all year round. It has a 60-kilometer-long popular greenway, satisfying the urban traveler's desire to relax and cleanse their lungs in the countryside.

The Western Suburbs Flower Language Leisure Valley integrates more than 30 well-known rural tourist attractions, including the Rose Date, Leaf Flower Blossom Research Base, Original Village Lotus Residence, the national 4A-level Xuantian Lake Scenic Area, Hehe Original Village, Qicai Dream Garden, and Rose Island, forming a distinctive 'farmland plus scenic area' rural leisure tourism complex.

This season, the most popular spots are Xuantian Lake and Qicai Dream Garden. The 3.5-kilometer water surface of Xuantian Lake lies like a giant dragon at the foot of Bayue Mountain. The lake is vast and beautiful, with a lakeside boardwalk and greenway for visitors to get close to the landscape. Entering this lake area feels like stepping into a pure world, with fresh air, gentle lake breezes, and fragrant wild grass, making one feel refreshed.

In Qicai Dream Garden, flowers bloom all year round. Now is the season for roses, verbena, and big daisies to bloom. The colorful hues add vitality to the entire park. Whether viewed from above or while walking through the flower sea, one stretch after another of flowers looks like colorful carpets, woven into a rainbow under the warm sunlight, drifting into the dreams of travelers.

Away from the hustle and bustle of the city, accompanied by green mountains and clear waters, escape from downtown Chongqing to Hechuan and Tongliang for a leisurely holiday!