Largely built on mountains and surrounded by the Yangtze and Jialing rivers, it is often called the "city of mountains" or "city of rivers". But there is another sobriquet; after building more than 4,500 bridges in recent years, the largest number in China, it is also referred to as the "city of bridges".

The city's subterranean world is also astonishing. There are over 1,600 air-raid shelters built during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45), covering 1.1 million square meters. Many of the shelters have been transformed into hotpot restaurants, bookstores, art spaces and other facilities. 

Boasting the largest number of hotpot restaurants in the country, numbering more than 50,000 across the city, Chongqing was named "China's hotpot city" by the China Cuisine Association in 2007. 

The best seasons to visit Chongqing are spring and fall. The city has long been one of the hottest in China due to its geographic features, with summer temperatures passing 40 C.