Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality recently announced a list of 10 "name cards," or symbols of the city -- figures, places and words embodying the city's spirit.

The top 10 "names cards" have attracted wide public interest around the nation after Chongqing's beautiful women were listed as the prime symbol of the city.

Other "names cards" are: hotpot, the most popular cuisine; Jiefangbei, a renowned commercial street; Hongyan, a prison in which revolutionaries were detained before 1949; Xiongqi, a local phrase used to cheer the city's team at soccer matches, which loosely translates to "be a man" or "cheer up;" Three Gorges, the city's most famous power project; Bridge Capital, the name given to the city for its 13 bridges across the Yangtze, Zou Rong, a famous revolutionary born in the city in 1885; Fishing Town, a place famous for its resistance to Mongolian army in the 13th century, and Hot Spring Capital, referring to more than 40 sites of hot springs in the city.

The "names cards" depict the different aspects of the city's character, the Chongqing Morning Post reported Tuesday.

Many Chongqing residents called the Chongqing TV Station, the event's organizer, to offer suggestions for the "name cards." The TV station then put together an expert panel to choose the top 10 from 100-odd entries.

The city's climate and migrant background have made it a place famous for beautiful women, the paper said. High humidity and cloudy skies are good for their skin, while the bumpy roads and spicy food help to shape their slim figures, it said.

(Shenzhen Daily November 16, 2005)