A night view of Chongqing's Hongya Cave, which is one of the most popular cultural tourism sites in China. [Photo by Peng Yong/China Daily]

Chongqing has long been under-estimated as a tourist destination in China.

As a traditional industrial hub in southwest China as large as Austria, the mountain city used to be famous for its auto and manufacturing industries.

In the past, tourists from home and abroad came to Chongqing mainly for boarding the cruise ships to see the Three Gorges on the Yangtze River.

After becoming the fourth municipality of China after Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin in 1997, the city has witnessed fast development and turned into a modern cosmopolitan area combined with advanced transportation systems, outstanding architecture and strong local features.

From time to time, Chongqing has made news for creating a series of firsts in the country, or even in the world.

Besides offering ordinary travel tips, this article takes you through the city's most extraordinary features.