CHONGQING, China, Nov. 17, 2020 /Xinhua-AsiaNet/--
 
Life is rosy in west China's Chongqing City, a scenic region where the 24th chrysanthemum art exhibition is held in its Banan District.
 
Held from Oct. 28 to Nov. 28, the exhibition is the largest open professional chrysanthemum feast with the most varieties exhibited in Chongqing. More than 2 million pots of chrysanthemum are exhibited, featuring almost all the most beautiful varieties from all over China.
 
Located in the southwest of Chinese inland and the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, Chongqing is the only municipality in the central and western regions of China. Banan District is located in the center of Chongqing's main metropolitan area and the upstream of the Three Gorges Reservoir area. It is a national pilot area for urban-rural integration, an excellent Chinese tourist area known for its hot springs.
 
Banan is a city of humanity. It is the birthplace and inheritance place of the Ba State (BC1122-BC316). The Ba culture has a long history of some 3,000 years, nourishing a variety of other sub-cultures like Bayu culture, ancient town culture and tea culture. Fengsheng Ancient Town, Mudong Old Street, Family Peng's Residential Buildings and other old blocks and buildings are places to trace Bayu culture. Sixty intangible cultural heritage items such as Mudong Folk Songs have gradually gained global spotlight to showcase Chinese culture.
 
Banan is a city of creativity. Five major industrial clusters, including trade and logistics, biomedicine, civil-military integration, digital intelligence and ecological innovation, have been growing steadily. Chongqing highway logistics base is the city's only national highway logistics hub, the main carrier of the new land-sea corridor in the west, the starting place of Chongqing cross-border highway buses, and the demonstration area of China-Singapore connectivity projects. Chongqing international biological city is the Chongqing's first project that has been included in the national strategic emerging industry cluster development program. Chongqing Banan economic park is one of the first provincial-level new-type industrial parks in Chongqing and the only flat panel display construction base in the municipality. Dajiang science and innovation city is one of the first military and civilian integration industry demonstration bases in Chongqing. The new city of Huimin intelligence headquarters will become a demonstration area of high-tech, headquarters economy, cultural and tourism integration and other industries.
 
Banan is a city of openness. Huaxi International Culture and Sports Center, Wanda Plaza, Ocean Park and other urban functional projects are impressive. Xiliutuo Town, Babin Road coastline and other leisure resorts are teeming with visitors. Banan is home to four Yangtze River bridges and eight expressways. The eastern ring line of the railway runs through the north and south of Banan, and three light rail lines connect the central urban area of Chongqing, thus building a convenient and three-dimensional urban transportation network.
 
Banan is a city of ecology. It is rich in natural resources, and rivers, springs, mountains, forests, lakes and islands could be found in the region. It has 60 kilometers of the Yangtze River coastline, 48 large rivers and 98 reservoirs, accounting for nearly half of Chongqing's hot springs.
 
According to the Publicity Department of Banan District, this year's chrysanthemum art exhibition also happened to coincide with the South Hot Spring Lantern Festival, another light feast in the city. The lantern festival is located in Banan South Hot Spring scenic spot, which stretches for about 2.5 kilometers along the mountain and the river. A total of 108 lights with 18 different themes are put up along the way, and will last until the end of February 2021.
 
In addition, as an important part of the chrysanthemum art exhibition, the "Haday Cup" 2020 Chinese Cuisine World Championship will be held in Banan from November 20 to 22, 2020.
 
Welcome to Chongqing Banan, which awaits global visitors with enchanting chrysanthemum, delicious food, hot springs, impressive lanterns and other local traditions.
 
For more information, please visit www.cqbn.gov.cn/.
 
Source: The Publicity Department of Banan District  

--BERNAMA