Mandarin Immersion (Part 16)

This entry is part 16 of 40 in the series Mandarin Immersion

May 30, 2023

Mandarin Immersion (Part 16)

By Simon J. Lau

For my last day in Chongqing, I toured People’s Square, the Three Gorges Museum, and the Great Hall of the People. I was hoping for more from the Three Gorges Museum, but it focused less on the Three Gorges and more on general Chinese history. However, considering it from that perspective, it wasn’t bad.

It also didn’t hurt that the museum only accepted WeChat payments. (A first!) As a foreigner without a Chinese bank account, I couldn’t make WeChat payments. The staff was so exasperated, they just let me in. Look at that, I was more Chinese than the locals. I got in for free! 🙌

It was sweltering during the day (there’s a massive heat wave across China), so I napped and recharged before venturing out again. In the evening, I did a bit of street photography and people-watching. This city is so lively and offers so many great photo opportunities. I just love it here!

I missed out on having hotpot inside a former air raid shelter, but I made up for it with this bar find. During the Second Sino-Japanese War in the 1930s and 40s, many of these shelters were dug into the mountains to protect both military personnel and civilians from relentless Japanese bombings. After the war, they were abandoned, but many have since been repurposed as commercial spaces. One significant advantage of being dug into the mountain is that these spaces are much cooler than the outside. For sweltering days like today, it felt like a lifesaver to me.

Finally, I hung out with my friends at Mr. Tipsy. Coincidentally, my last day in Chongqing was also the bar’s final day of operations. Business had been weak, and the owner finally decided to throw in the towel. It was very sad to see and hear that Mr. Tipsy would be no more!

I met a lot of wonderful people here during my short time in Chongqing. The two bartenders, Shadow and Joy, had been working together for 5 years. Initially, Mr. Tipsy was located closer to the river. However, after a river flood, the owner had them operate his other bar in Hangzhou. They spent a year there before returning. Kid (his nickname), a patron, has been coming here for 7 years. I met him earlier in the week, and we hit it off. Although my time here was brief, I’ll always remember Mr. Tipsy as a place where I could meet and converse with locals, learning about their lives.

As a final farewell, Shadow played To Arrive as Planned. It was a cute and memorable way to bid us farewell. Goodbye, friends, I’ll miss you!