Editor's note: This report focuses on Chongqing as part of our special series, "Rising Star Cities," about Chinese cities whose annual GDP exceeds 1 trillion yuan ($155.4 billion, or more than the GDP of Qatar). At the end of 2020, there were 23 such cities. Click here for more stories on Chongqing. You can also explore our earlier coverage of Ningbo and Changsha. 

The success of "Better Days," a movie about school bullying starring Zhou Dongyu and Jackson Yi, has once again drawn people's attention to southwest China's Chongqing Municipality. A number of films have been shot in Chongqing. Why has Chongqing become the choice of so many film directors? What is the magic of it? CGTN spoke with Chen Jiaxin, a longtime Chongqing-based director.

The film that first made Chongqing famous was "Crazy Stone," a low-budget black comedy directed by Ning Hao and starring Huang Bo.

After that, there was "Chongqing Hot Pot" starring Chen Kun, "I Belonged to You" starring Deng Chao, and "Lost and Love" starring Andy Lau. These were all shot in the main urban area of Chongqing.

What is it about Chongqing that has inspired so many directors?

Chongqing is a mountainous city with a unique landscape. Undulating buildings, light rails, narrow and winding roads, stairs to climb everywhere, bridges and cableways across the river give it a unique three-dimensional feeling. Apart from the main city, there are also natural and cultural landscapes in Wulong Mountain, Yongchuan Bamboo Sea, the Three Gorges of Yangtze River, Dazu Stone Carvings and Fengdu Ghost City.

All of these provide natural conditions for different styles of film shooting.

Chen has shot many short films about Chongqing. In his eyes, Chongqing is a city worth exploring. "I prefer to discover the angles of the city," he said. On his camera, Chongqing has a Manhattan-like persona, but at the same time, it has a humble side.

Among the films about Chongqing, Chen's favorite is "Chongqing Hot Pot" because it really records the life of Chongqing residents. He said that if the film was separated from the city, it would completely lose its taste, which is also the magic of this film.

"I will continue to explore the city and I will continue to film stories about the city," Chen said. His first film, "A French Girl in Chongqing," started in Chongqing. The film also brought him fame, which helped him focus more on the filming side of his hometown. He said that in recent years, more and more film crews are willing to come to Chongqing to shoot and find suitable locations for their films, which shows that the city is attracting more and more places.

"And there was so much about the city that I hadn't discovered, so much beauty that I hadn't discovered," he added.