Editor's note: Many Chinese cities have rolled out 144-hour visa-free transit for international travelers. China Daily reporters provide useful tips and information for planning a trip to cities in China.

Multidimensional, futuristic, spicy hotpot, glittering nocturnal spectacle. Describing Chongqing runs the risk of running out of adjectives. This metropolis of more than 30 million people in Southwest China will never disappoint any visitor from home or abroad with its unique landscape, rich natural resources, long history and delicious food.

A gateway to a vast inland and a major manufacturing hub, it became the fourth municipality of China in 1997 after Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin. As large as Austria and five times larger than Beijing, the city has witnessed rapid development into a modern cosmopolitan area combined with advanced transportation systems, outstanding architecture and eye-catching features. The city looks futuristic with its skyscrapers, while at the same time, with some 3,000 years of history, it still preserves a distinct culture and lifestyle.