重庆市 · Chóngqìng
Where the Yangtze is born, caravans depart for Tibet
山城茶韵
Chongqing — a mountain metropolis at the confluence of the Yangtze and Jialing rivers, historically the gateway to the Tea-Horse Road. Sichuan brick tea from Ya'an was loaded here onto caravans heading for Tibet via Ganzi and Kangding. Chongqing's tea houses have a distinctive style: open terraces over the river, bamboo deck chairs, Sichuan gaiwan (盖碗). Route: historic Ciqikou with a 1000-year-old tea house → Yangtze cruise through the Three Gorges → Dazu Rock Carvings, a UNESCO site → Hongya Dong with hanging houses in the Bayu style.
Special tea ware of Sichuan and Chongqing: saucer + cup + lid. The lid holds back leaves while drinking, the saucer protects the hand from hot porcelain. In the tea houses of Chengdu and Chongqing, it is a symbol of the 'chat all day over a gaiwan' lifestyle.
Sichuan dark tea for Tibet. Produced in Ya'an, pressed in Chongqing, from there it departed on caravans to Tibet. One brick could be exchanged for a fine horse. Coarse, earthy, warming — ideal for high altitudes.
A regional category of Sichuan and Chongqing green teas. Chestnut aroma, sweet aftertaste. Comparatively little known outside Sichuan, but loved by locals as a daily tea.
Tea Houses 1000 Years Old
Ciqikou (磁器口古镇) — a 1000-year-old port village on the banks of the Jialing, once a stop on the tea-caravan route. Zhenzhui Tea House (镇丘茶馆) — an open terrace over the water, bamboo deck chairs, Sichuan gaiwan. Locals 'chat all day over a gaiwan' — a way of life. Tasting: comparing Sichuan gaiwan and Beijing zisha. Tea-Horse Road Caravan Museum.
Guesthouse in old port style — bamboo, balconies
Bayu Style · Tea with a View
Hongya Dong (洪崖洞) — a complex of hanging houses in the diaolou style of the Bayu era, 11 storeys, clinging to a cliff above the river. Tea house on the 7th floor — panoramic view of the Yangtze–Jialing confluence. Night illumination — like a scene from a Miyazaki anime. Tea session with Bashu mountain tea. Comparing Hongya Dong (stylization) versus authentic historic diaolou in Fujian.
Boutique hotel in a skyscraper — view of Hongya Dong
Cruise Through the Giants
Yangtze cruise through the Three Gorges (三峡): Qutang, Wuxia, Xiling. Hanging coffins of the ancient Ba people on the cliffs. Tea picnics on deck — mountain tea in a gaiwan with a gorge panorama. The Three Gorges Dam — the world's largest hydropower station. Tea history: before the dam was built (2003), the gorges were more dramatic. Literary associations with Li Bai and Du Fu.
Yangtze cruise liner
UNESCO · Buddhist Mountains
Dazu Rock Carvings (大足石刻) — UNESCO site, over 50,000 Buddhist statues on cliffs, 9th–13th centuries. The famous '1000-armed Guanyin' scene — 1007 gilded arms. Scenes of Buddhist hell, epics, daily life in the Song Dynasty. Tea house at Baoding Temple — meditative tea with monks. Comparing Dazu versus Leshan versus Yungang — the three great rock-carving sites of China.
Guesthouse near Dazu
Fiery Hotpot + Tea · Finale
Chongqing — the world capital of hotpot (火锅, fire pot). The spiciest chilli with everything simmering in it. Tea house after hotpot — an obligatory ritual: oily hotpot + cold jasmine tea = perfect balance. Chongqing Hotpot Museum. Final tasting: gaiwan, zangcha, Bashu tea. Purchasing brick tea and Sichuan gaiwans. Ascent on the cable car over the Yangtze — a symbol of Chongqing.