Ancient river town Ciqikou reopens after flood

The ancient town Ciqikou in Chongqing reopened to the public on Thursday after catastrophic flooding last week.

Tourists must book online in advance via the town's WeChat account to enter the scenic spot. Part of the town remains closed.

Situated along the Jialing River, a branch of the Yangtze River, Ciqikou boasts more than 1,700 years of history. Its name means "porcelain port" in Chinese. The town gained prominence during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) as a commercial port and market town, where goods were shipped and received by land and water.

Because of recent heavy rains in the Sichuan Basin in the upper reaches of the Yangtze, Chongqing was hit by one of the largest floods in its history. The fifth flood of the Yangtze this year began passing through the city on Thursday last week.

More than 260,000 people in Chongqing have been affected, and more than 20,000 shops have been submerged so far. Many popular travel destinations near the water were hit hard, including Nanbin Road and Ciqikou.