September 7, 2011 | By Stephanie Borcard and Nicolas Metraux
Chongqing is intersected by the Jialing River and the upper reaches of the Yangtze.
The city serves as the economic centre of the Upstream Yangtze area. It is the major manufacturing centre and a transportation hub for Southwest China.
Chongqing is known to be one of the four furnaces in China. But the furnace is not only about the weather: it is about massive economic developpement.
The signboard of the planning exhibition hall of Chongqing states proudly:
“Welcome to planning exhibition hall of Chongqing, in which the growth rings of this city can be found, showing the course of progress of Chongqing.
Chongqing, composed of an area of more than 82000sq. km, is displayed in front of the world and its 32 million people, with their enthusiasm, diligence and intelligence add colors and glory to this urban picture scroll.
The overall urban planning, like an artist, wields the pen among mountains, waters and cities, the history of old towns records the footprints of their ups-and-downs; the modern design blueprints depict a beautiful future. [...]
Time seems to get back to the remote past from today going into the future looking forward to a glamourous Chongqing. And the sustainable development of both its people and the city itself.
This is our common homeland — the youngest municipality directely under the central Government of China; an economic center in the upper reaches of the Yangze River.
This is Chongqing.”
“Sketches of Chongqing” is a small series of images confronting the human scale with an invasive urban environment.
