CHONGQING (CQNEWS) -- Many strangers feel terrified by the "heat" of summer in Chongqing, but for Chongqing residents, it is just a part of daily life that they face every year. Over the years, they have learned how to remove summer heat in an ordinary manner.

No matter how hot it is, life still goes on as usual. And with the improvement of living conditions, people can spend the summer in more different ways.

Mountain, the shade for the city

Mr. Zhou, a Chongqing resident who doesn't want to stay in an air-conditioned room all day, would rather sleep a little less and get out of the house before sunrise. And where to go? Climb the mountain!

In some mountains around Chongqing main urban districts, such as South Mountain, Gele Mountain, Jinyun Mountain and Yunzhuan Mountain, it is not as cool as in Fairy Mountain or Black Valley, but you will still feel cool when walking in the forest under the shade of large trees.

In recent years, with more and more trails built in the mountain city, many of the forest trails in the "four mountains" have become excellent places for people to relax in summer. Last year, Mr. Zhou found a trail in South Mountain that is perfect for summer tours – Qingshuixi Trail, where everything is greenery, and there are babbling streams and small waterfalls along the way. So, as soon as summer came this year, he took his children for a walk on the trail, where they caught a small crab in the water, which made them happy for several days. The temperature in Chongqing that day was 38 degrees Celsius, and Mr. Zhou and his family played on the Qingshuixi trail until the sun set. When they walked to the CRT Shangxinjie Station, the heat wave had slowly subsided.

The teahouse "Donglv Room", which became popular in Xiahao Old Street a few years ago, has also been moved near the entrance of Qingshuixi Trail, which was discovered by chance by Mr. Zhou on his way climbing the mountain. “Hiding” in the mountain, this Internet celebrity teahouse has been rebuilt from an old house in a simple way, with green plants in the yard, making it look like a land of idyllic beauty.

Water, the “Ice-cold code” in summer

The most direct way for Chongqing people to beat the summer heat is to soak in the water. For Chongqing residents growing up on the riverside, most of them "were left in a place untraversed by their fellows" or "tumbled" in the river when they were little children. In the days without air conditioners, what people looked forward to in summer was the evening, when the sun was no longer hot and people came to the riverside to spend the summer. Those who were good at swimming would dive into the river and have a good swim. It didn't matter if you couldn't swim, a tyre would be a life ring, which makes you dare to float down the river.

Today's young people may not have the same "wildness" as their elder generation, but they still enjoy thrills, and the place where they challenge themselves has shifted from the river to various water sports that need to be paid for, such as rafting, canyoning and the adventure projects in "Water World".

People who don't like to venture out can also play mahjong with their feet soaked in shallow water. Chongqing people have lived by water since ancient times, and rivers are indispensable to ancient streets and ancient towns that thrive on water. Heishuitan River in Beibei's Pianyan Ancient Town is shallow and flat on its bench-land, and the water in the deepest part barely reaches the knee. The river valley is shaded by large trees on both sides and the water is cold, so it's more comfortable to walk in the water. It is not clear since when people invented the unique game of "water mahjong" in Pianyan Ancient Town. Since then, the ancient town has been bustling in summer, with more and more mahjong tables put in the water, boating and water fights. The business of renting boats and selling water guns on the riverside has become the "new economy" in the town.

Air-raid shelters, the natural air-conditioner

During the Anti-Japanese War, air-raid shelters, large and small, saved countless lives in Chongqing. Since then, air-raid shelters have become a distinctive resource for the city and have been used extensively.

Being warm in winter and cool in summer makes air-raid shelters a natural air conditioner of the city. Several years ago, the Chongqing government opened a number of public cooling spots equipped with tables and chairs, television, books and newspapers and other facilities by making use of these air raid shelters. The scene of people relaxing and enjoying the cool in the air-raid shelters has become a unique summer landscape in Chongqing.

Before that, Chongqing people, who saw hot pot as a necessity, had already opened hot pot restaurants in air-raid shelters almost by instinct. These hotpot restaurants come in all shapes and sizes, but they all have a straightforward name: Dongzi Hotpot. The scene where people enjoy hot pot in the air-raid shelter was also the setting for the film Chongqing Hot Pot.

In addition to hot pot, bars have also opened in air-raid shelters. For example, a bar called Caver in Liziba was rebuilt from an air-raid shelter, and the original appearance of the air-raid shelter was maximally preserved, with the mottled walls contrasting strongly with the exquisite drinkware and food, making it a perfect place for young people to hang out in summer.

In addition to hot pot and wine, air-raid shelters can also hold books and tea. Located in Huangjueping, Chongqing, "Junge Book Store", the 45-meter-long air-raid shelter, houses more than 5,000 books, mostly on Chongqing's literature and history. In summer, you can hide in this book store and read stories about Chongqing's history, and your hot heart will slowly calm down.

At night, the life has just begun

In the days without air conditioning, it was in the summer that the neighborhoods were bonded most closely. As night fell, all families brought out their cool boards and lined them up along the road, which was the earliest and most primitive form of summer "camping" in Chongqing. Children loved this "collective life", chasing and playing in front of and behind their houses, and when they were tired, they came back and lay on their own cool boards, very pleasant.

Perhaps since then, the "collective life" in this city has been destined to be inseparable from summer nights.

Strangely enough, Chongqing people, who shout "It's too hot to bear" during the day, automatically turn off their "heat senses" in the evening. It's understandable to watch movies in the air conditioner room and chat when drinking beer, but what confuses many strangers is that the hotter it is, the more Chongqing people want to eat hot pot. Moreover, when they can turn on the air conditioner, they would rather sweat and instant-boil tripe and duck sausage in the open air. Perhaps this is the confidence and persistence of this hot city.

It's only after living in Chongqing for a long time that you can learn that the energy of this city is a perfect match for its summer. (Translated by Hu Chuanmin, Fathom Language Limited)