This must be a never unforgettable day in Chinese history - the eighth day of the eighth month of 2008, Olympic Games came, and the dream came true!

Friends have come afar, how happy we are! Beijing Olympic Games showed her pageantry to the world, and history showed already. Growing-up Chinese people, would surely take the Olympic spirit and concept, to show the world our miraculous pageantry. Because this was a time that would engrave in our heart, both our Five-starred Red Flag and Five-ringed Olympic Flag waving in the sky of Beijing, China!

On the night of Aug 6th, the Olympic women's football started firstly, one score and a secondary attack from Xu Yuan, the Chongqing girl, helped the Chinese team defeat the Sweden at 2:1. Chinese delegation got the first victory in this Olympic Games.

After watching the game rediffusion, Bo Xilai, the Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, Secretary of the Chongqing Municipal Party, telephoned Xu Yuan's mother Shen Qin to present congratulations! Bo Xilai said that Xu Yuan had a calm mind in the international game, her exquisite skill helped Chinese delegation get the first victory which inspired Chinese athletes' morale. She was the pride of your family, also the pride of whole Chongqing. She won the honor for our country!

On the night of Aug 15th, Chongqing girl Zhang Yawen and her partner Wei Yili won the badminton women's doubles bronze medal which was the first Olympic medal in Chongqing history. That day, Bo Xilai congratulated heartfully to Zhang Yawen and her family, and the Chongqing Municipal Government sent congratulation message to Chinese delegation and Zhang Yawen, they represented Chongqing citizens to show their enthusiastic congratulations and great devoir.

There were not only Chongqing athletes like Xu Yuan, Sun Li, Zhang Yawen etc. in Beijing Olympic Games, but also 13 beautiful guides, 28 "Li Yue" dancers and 360 Fou drummers all from Chongqing in the opening ceremony. As well as the Chongqing Lucky Cloud House which demonstrated 3000-year rich Ba-Yu Culture, the Tongliang Gold Dragon that took a good display in the pre-show entertainment...all of them showed Chongqing peculiar Characteristics which added a gorgeous brushstroke for Beijing Olympic Game.

A city can be memory,life or recalling,yearning and fragment.But it is familiar to people.Its map,signs and symbols will filter into people’s minds even bloods.For the foreign people in Chongqing,they know much about new Chongqing,like Jiefangbei,Chaotianmen,Nanbin Rd. and Three Gorges Square,but about the Chongqing histoty they may know little,It is seldom to know the first foreign merchants entered Chongqing,where the earliest foreign firm was and what the style was… Since this issue,"Chongqing Currents" will launch the series of "Searching for city" to let you know the history about Chongqing.

On March 31,1890,Chongqing was opened as commercial port

As early as 1861,a group of foreign adventurers sailed into Sichuan Province, and stopped in Fengjie.They collected a lot of information about shoals and navigation preparing for entering Sichuan again. On March 1898, the vessels belonged to Chuangjiang Shipping Company, founded by a British merchant---Archibald J.Little, firstly entered Yangtze River and opened the door of trade. On May 1899, the British gunboats firstly broke through Yangtze River in Chongqing.
On March 31,1890,the Qing government signed” Additional Clauses of Yantai Treaty”to open Chongqing as commercial port. On March 1,1891,Chongqing Customs was set up, indicating Chongqing opened officially. Subsequently, France, Japan, the United States,Germany had signed unequal treaties to set up foreign affair institutions in Chongqing.Because of advantageous geographical location of Nan’an,it became the first choice for the western to live.From Longmenhao to Qiaojiaotuo,there were more than 20 customs barracks and foreign firms.From 1890 to 1911,the foreigners had set up firm,company,drug store and hotle reaching to 51.Since then,on the Yangtze River the foreign merchant ships and warships were everywhere,so the foreign goods were flooded into Chongqing,As time went by,those old shops and firms quitted the stage of history,but some century-old shops are still used and continue their commercial history. On march 1, 1891,chongqing customs was set up,marking the official opening history of chongqing.the geographical scope of chongqing customs is:from tudimiao,huangjue freey,nan’an dist.to the western end of the city upstream,from steal factory,qiaojiaotuo,nan’an dist.to an'xi bridge to the north downstream,3 miles in total.

The British pioneer of Yangtze shipping
LITTLE & COMPANY
Addr:No.34 Xinmatou,Shangxin Street
Status:Vacancy

At the beginning of 1883,the Scotch Archibald J.Litle traveled upstream Yangtze River to appreciate the beauty.After more than one month,his ship arrived in Chongqing.Besides the beautiful scene,the things attracted the visitor were abundant products and the “economic lifeline”---Yangtze River.Driven by the interests and adventure,Little established Little & Co. in China.Their trade was directly pointed to Yangtze River shipping,a battle of the right of Yangtze River shipping has begun.We found an old photo of Little & Co.In the photo,the foreign firm was built on a high Baokan,a narrow black-stone path nearby.The wasteland was beside the path e