Chongqing, Summer 2016 — A Two-Week Family Visit

In July 2016, we travelled to Chongqing for a two-week family visit. This was a special trip because it was our son’s first visit to his mother’s hometown, where he would meet members of her extended family.

Unlike our usual holidays, this wasn’t about visiting as many tourist attractions as possible. We were there to spend time with family, enjoy the local food and experience everyday life in Chongqing.

Three fish and a meal

One of the experiences I still remember clearly was a day spent fishing at a pond not too far from where we were staying.

A long fishing rod reaching out over a green pond, with a railed walkway and coloured flags along the far bank and a farmhouse restaurant on the wooded hillside above. — Fishing at the pond.

I managed to catch three fish that day. After we finished, we paid the establishment to cook our catch, Chongqing style, with plenty of chillies and peppers.

A whole cooked fish on a white platter, covered in chopped spring onion and red and green chillies in a shiny sauce. — One of the fish I caught, cooked and served.

There was something satisfying about sitting down to eat fish that I had caught myself just a little earlier. It’s a simple experience, but one that has stayed with me.

Around University Town

My wife’s family lived around Chongqing University Town, an area with several universities and plenty of modern development.

I remember being struck by some of the architecture. Parts of the shopping district had buildings that looked almost European, with decorative facades, a clock tower and open squares. Looking back at the photographs, I now recognise the area as Xijie.

A wide paved square lined with ornate street lamps, with a fountain, yellow umbrellas and restaurant fronts below tiled-roof buildings in a European style. — Another corner of the square in Xijie.

We spent time walking around, shopping and enjoying the food.

And, of course, there was hotpot. We had it frequently during this visit, sometimes together with family and friends. Chongqing is certainly a place where my love of spicy food feels right at home.

A night at the hot springs

Another highlight was a visit to a hot-spring resort in the Beibei area.

We stopped for a meal with family and friends on the way and stayed overnight at the resort.

The wooden front of a hotpot restaurant with gold Chinese lettering, lattice windows and red lanterns, under a yellow rooftop sign. — A hotpot restaurant in Beibei.

A road through the resort at dusk, lined with bamboo and parked cars, with people walking towards a lit wooden building. — Arriving at the resort at dusk.

A resort lobby with lattice screens, lounge seating and a lit bridge over a dark indoor pool. — Arriving at the resort at dusk.

What I remember most was the collection of hot-spring pools surrounded by greenery. The water in the different pools was maintained at different temperatures, and I enjoyed moving from one pool to another, trying them out.

Small stone-edged hot-spring pools among bamboo and shrubs, with bathers and a float ring in the nearest pool, and resort buildings and hills behind. — Hot-spring pools among the bamboo.

It was a relaxing experience, especially with the family around.

More than a holiday

Our son was still very young during this visit. We also spent time at a children’s play area in a shopping centre, one of the ordinary little moments from our time there.

Looking down on a colourful children’s play area of cardboard castles, tunnels, slides and dinosaur models, with children and adults playing. — A children's play area in a shopping centre.

Looking back, I don’t remember every outing or everything we did during those two weeks. What remains are the experiences that stood out: catching those three fish, the spicy meals, wandering around University Town and relaxing in the hot springs.

But the main reason for the journey was family. It was our son’s first opportunity to visit his mother’s hometown and meet relatives there.

A round table with a turntable crowded with Chongqing dishes: a large bowl of fish in broth, stir-fries with green and red chillies, and a pan of dried red chillies. — Lunch together around the family table.

And that is what makes this particular trip worth remembering.