Chongqing city is built at the confluence of the Yangtze (长江) and Jialing (嘉陵) rivers. My visit to Chongqing in November 2008 was my first time to see the Yangtze river. 
The Yangtze is a long river with a long history. "Ping" was one of my favorite childhood books and was set on the Yangtze river; it sparked my imagination of this foreign river. More recent readings have introduced me to the cultural, environmental, and economic aspects of the river. When I finally saw it and touched it I felt a great respect for this powerful masculine river.
I was surprised at how fast the Yangtze flows in Chongqing. It had been raining but was near the end of the rainy season so the water was pretty high and had a healthy flow.
The confluence of the two rivers is at the tip of the peninsula on which downtown Chongqing is built. The difference in the water color of each river was obvious and exciting. The Yangtze's lighter silty green swallows the darker water of the Jialing river.
I thought about the hundreds of millions of people who rely on this river for transportation, food, water, agriculture, shipping, and scenic beauty. The Yangtze feels very strong and reliable, its constant flow comforts those who rely on it. It is patient and powerful.
1 comment:
I love all the pictures and great information. It's wonderful to see real life in a place I'll never see for real. Thanks for sharing.
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