On Saturday we took a guided tour of 'our' city, Chongqing. Many Chinese nationals, when asked their name, will provide a western version to help those of us who are struggling with uttering the Chinese sounds. Allen, our tour guide, has lived in Chongqing for about 25 years and he shared some of the highlights of the city with our small group.
Our first stop was the Three Gorge Museum located at the Peoples Square, opposite the Great Hall of the People, and next to the People's Government building. The square attracts people of all ages and at all times of the day. Early in the morning, people come to the square to Tai Chi or dance. The formality of the dancing groups varies, although all are carefully choreographed, some have matching uniforms and might even have someone calling out the next moves. One group had uniforms that resembled US Army garb although with a notable red star on the insignia.
The Great Hall's sole purpose is to house conferences and meetings, and the only furnishings inside are stackable chairs. We did not pay the entrance fee to watch the open space and only glanced in from the outside.
The Three Gorge Museum is a popular attraction, and we shared the experience with nationals. We observed several school groups doing enrichment classes at the museum, and we enjoyed watching the young and not so young draw. The museum told the story of the Yangtze river and its history as well as the dreams that finally came through of creating the world's largest dam project.
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| Since there is no shortage of labor, someone is constantly cleaning the stone floor with water - yes it is a slippery as ice |
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| We are studying poetry, so this statue captured our attention, Poet Li |
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