The bike is the worst choice for people who understand the layout and structure of "the mountain city". Added the fact that it is incredibly dangerous to bike on city streets it is just not a good idea. First timers to Chongqing should be warned it is very easy to get lost due to the many hills and valleys added the two major rivers. The bus system and monorail are advised as the best forms of transportation and are very cheap and efficient.

By Monorail

The first part of Chongqing's new monorail system opened in June 2005. The current system (see map) is only somewhat useful for getting around in the city center, but major expansions are under construction, including a link to the major railway station. Announcements are made both in Mandarin and English.

By Bus

The buses are frequent and cheap, but unless you can read Chinese you have to know where they are going and choose the right number bus going in the right direction. If you are going to one of the city centres, simply ask each bus if they go there. There are five city centres, so be sure you know the name of the place you want to go to.

By Taxi

Taxis are relatively cheap (start by ￥5 and ￥1.2/km) and can be easily found 24 hours a day. Few drivers speak anything but Chinese, so you must know where you are going. Either have your destination written for you in Chinese, learn how to say it, or be able to direct the driver. A good way to use taxis is to gather cards from hotels, then simply show the driver the one you want to go to or is nearest to your destination.

Food:

• Preserved Dried Beef (Niu Rou Gan)
• Spicy Fine Beef Threads (Deng Ying Niu Rou ) (highly recommended)
• Curiously Flavoured Horsebean (Guai Wei Hu Dou)

Souvenirs:

The local "Tan Mu Jiang" (Carpenter Tan) carpentry shop is worth a visit for its fine wood artwares. (http://www.crpttan.cn/doce/index.html)

Chongqing is a harbor city and with this comes what is called "matou wenhua" or "dockside culture". This culture is blamed for a lot of things from cursing to...Hot Pot.

Hot Pot, called huoguo, or "firepot" in Chinese is one of Chongqing's claims to fame. In cities across China, one can find hot pot restaurants, but only Chongqing people can really stand a real hot pot, so if you want authenticity, get it while you can in Chongqing.

When ordering Hot Pot you have a a choice between three kinds. First, the spicy version called "hong tang" or "red soup". Then there is one without any spices. This is basically a bone soup, and it is tasty. To get this, simply ask for "yuan wei" or tell them "wo bu yao la" which means "I don't want the spicy stuff!" Finally there is a compromise with Yuan Yang Huo Guo (Yuan Yang Hot Pot), which is basically a pot split down the middle with the spicy stuff on one side and the mild on the other.

For those who like spicy but don't like it too spicy, it is possible to order "wei la hong tang" which is "red soup without the jolt". It's a nice mild experience.

For those who can not speak Chinese, it would be best to grab a Chinese friend to take you, though be warned, you'll have to put up with a lot of drinking, you'll be forced to smoke more than you normally would, and some of the things they go slipping into the pot might not be your cup of tea.

Aside from Hot Pot there are hundreds of dishes worth trying out while you're in the city. Suggested dishes:

At nicer restaurants:

• hui guo rou (Twiced cooked spicy pork slices) (highly recommended)
• suan cai yu (Fish slices in sour and spicy pickled vegetable soup)(recommended)
• tang cu liji (Fried pork fillet slices in sweet and sour sauce)
• shao bai (Steamed fatty pork with preserved vegetables)
• yu xiang qie zi ("Fish Flavoured" aubergine) (highly recommended)
• lao hu cai (Onions and parsleys in spicy mustard)
• doufu yu (Fish with tofu)
• yuxiang rou si ("Fish flavoured" pork shreads) (recommended)
• hong shao rou (Chinese bouilli)
• gong pao jiding (Gongpao Chicken)(recommended)
• mu er rou pian (Black Agaric and pork slice stir-fries)
• shui zhu rou pian (Pork/beef slices in hot and spicy soup) ( very spicy but recommended)
• mapo tofu (Numbing and spicy tofu) (spicy but highly recommended)

"Friendship Restaurant" next to the Maison Mode Plaza is highly recommended. You can also find loads of street restaurants around that area.

At noodle shops:

• xiao mian (Noodle with no tops)￥3.0
• niu rou mian (Beef noodle)￥5.0
• liang mian (Cold noodle)￥2.5
• liang fen'r (fer) (Rice/soybean pudding slices)￥2.5
• hun dun (T'sao sou) ( Szechuan dumplings)￥4

All of the above served in the noodle shops can be either spicy flavoured or plain flavoured, though spicy flavour is preferably recommended for a trial.)

Overall it is also a good experiance to try some "gou rou" or"dog meat" in winter.

There are many "Western Restaurants", but it is very difficult to find any real western food in them. Many smallish restaurants will have a reasonable stab at spaghetti bolognaise, and some will have menus in "Chinglish" and even pictures of dishes. However as an exception, you can find quite nice fusion dishes (ranging from Japanese Sushi and Tempura to American Sirloin Steak in the "Ali&Ade" on the second floor of the Pacific Dept. Store inside the Metropolitan Plaza (Daduhui) right next to the Harbour View Hotel in the downtown area of Jiefangbei. Another recommneded "Western restaurant" in the downtown area is "Casablanca" in Dekang Dept. Store. For less than ¥50, you can enjoy a decent meal served with a cup of nice drink, salad and dessert. Shapingba also offers some great western choices; 'Why Not' a Belgian style restaurant owned by a Belgian couple. Authentic fries and an ecclectic menu at below the high Jiefagbei prices.

There are many bars in Chongqing, but most are underpopulated. Several branches of the Newcastle Arms offer the closest thing to proper beer, but be sure they get your beer from the pump and not the slop tray. A pint of McEwan's will cost you ¥25, but during happy hour you can get two for one. The best Bar in Chongqing is Dee Dee's bar located in Nanping south of the Yangtze river near to the Holiday Inn. You will usually find some non-Chinese there most nights. The local bottled beer is ¥10, and the variety includes several local beers and even Guinness on occasions. If you go to one of the small restaurants to eat, you can buy bottles of local beer at ¥3 upwards.