Chongqing is a city in constant flux. But the Chaotianmen area, situated at the confluence of the Yangtze and Jialing rivers, remains as a testimonial of the cityโs centuries-old maritime heritage thanks to architecture that pays tribute to bygone days. Such is the case of the new InterContinental Chongqing Raffles City hotel, where the cityโs nautical past is manifest from the inside out.
Chaotianmen, which refers to โthe city gate facing the emperorโ, harks back to the early Ming dynasty when the emperor constructed 17 city gates for local officials to receive the imperial decrees. The gate was the largest one facing towards the primary Ming capital, which is now Nanjing, hence the name Chaotianmen. In 1998, the 800,000-square-meter Chaotianmen Square resembling the bow of a ship was launched to honour the areaโs nautical heritage. Scroll through the gallery below (Photography:ย Feng Shao) to find out more:
