Fiery Beauties and Spicy Food (Part 1)
This spur-of-the-moment trip started in Kunming. With a forecast of heavy rain, my Kunming journey had to be cut short, so I changed course toward a place I'd long yearned for. The sky still hung with dawn's first light, with a gentle breeze, with tranquility. Everything after daybreak followed its own path and turned a new page.
The weather forecast was spot-on. As I boarded the plane, the rain grew heavier, the sky turned gray, and even the lights lost their brilliance. On the rain-swept boarding stairs, amid the crowd waiting to enter the cabin, as raindrops whispered their sorrowful goodbyes to umbrellas, I was lost.
The plane took off, and the sky was breathtaking. Gazing at the clouds and rosy hues, I occasionally saw broken arcs gliding by, like whirlpools spinning in place. They would whirl up a beautiful myth long buried in my mind, swirling through memories. They spun out people and events, skimming past worldly disputes, disturbing melancholy from a thousand miles away, until time finally wrote them into afterglow.
After dropping off my luggage, I took the metro to ride the Yangtze River Cableway. After exiting the metro, I used navigation, but it stopped working just as I got close—though the general direction was right. When going somewhere in Chongqing, don't be afraid to ask for directions, or you might not find some places even when you're nearby.
The Yangtze River Cableway in Chongqing was packed. I took a one-way ride from Longmen Road, Shangxin Street, Nan'an District. If you buy a round-trip ticket, after reaching the other side you'll have to queue for ages to ride back. I'd recommend just one way. The cabin was very crowded. If you're at the front of the queue and can grab a spot at the front of the car, that's the best view. At night, from the cable car, you can see the lights on both banks and on the boats, but the evening lines are extremely long. The cable car is one of those things you'll always wonder about if you don't ride it—and regret a bit once you do.
The way you enter shopping malls in Chongqing is fascinating. If you go in through a certain entrance, you'll find yourself on the fourth floor. Take the elevator down to the ground floor, thinking it's underground, and you'll discover another door—stepping outside leads to yet another street. If you try to walk back from the outside road, you'll face a steep, endless climb.
Chongqing's food is very affordable, all served on generous platters. But to find the spicy diced chicken, you have to hunt through a mountain of chilies. I'd recommend Ciji Waipoqiao Twenty Years restaurant—their ice jelly, brown sugar wheat cakes, and glutinous rice cakes (ciba) are truly delicious.
Hongya Cave must be seen from the outside at night—the streets are packed with people taking photos. I suggest shooting from the road opposite the first floor of Hongya Cave. The Qiansimen Bridge and the Grand Theatre are brilliantly lit, ever-changing. Here you can see beauties from all over the country. I have to say, Chongqing is a feast for the eyes. From the moment you arrive, you'll spot pretty girls everywhere.
As night fell, the hazy sky lit up with a city's worth of lights. I savored the night's tenderness, embracing the urban evening, mingling with piercing softness. Is this past lives, the afterlife, a chance encounter, or a reunion in the prime of youth? It's an intoxicating feeling. The wind carried you past the most beautiful Chihiro, flowing emotions drifting toward the sky, not knowing if they'd miss each other. By the Qiansi Bridge, whose lovesick tears are flowing, so carefree, so moving.
The night view of Qiansimen Bridge made the river water colorful, a dazzling scene that harmonized with the perfectly played wind music, merging with the city veiled beneath the night sky. The years floating in the dark night rubbed against the twinkling starlight, weaving dreamscape after dreamscape in extraordinary, wondrous beauty.
Chongqing's most beautiful mountain scenery lies in Wulong, on a mountain that resembles a dancing fairy—Fairy Mountain. So, listening to legends, listening to songs, I headed toward the diverse and spectacular karst landscapes.
