People drinking tea and relaxing by the river in Chongqing's Ciqikou, May 1, 2012. [Photo by Liu Song/China Daily]

The scenes that are common in the eyes of Chongqing people are coveted in their eyes: tourists gather at the foot of the Liziba Light Rail Station only to watch the train pass through among the high-rise buildings. They feel the exhilaration that comes with a train roaring past. Some even venture to queue two hours or more just for an experience of a five-minute cableway tour across the Yangtze River.

There were few bridges in Chongqing in the past. The cableway across the river from Jiefangbei to Jiangbei on the opposite bank was the main transport for daily commuters in Chongqing. It only takes about four minutes to get to the opposite bank. In addition, you can also take a ferry. In my childhood, there was a big cluster of houses on stilts near Bridge No 1, and Chongqing at that time possessed a pristine look. With the development of the social economy, the Jiefangbei that I am most familiar with has continuously been rebuilt. Nowadays, Jiefangbei has changed into a neighborhood with the tallest buildings. Newsstands at the street corners disappeared as more people prefer reading on their mobiles.

Looking back at the changes in things around me over the past 10 years, as a Chongqing native, I am extremely proud.