Chongqing Travel Guide: The City That Went Viral

Liziba is the single most shareable moment in Chongqing — and possibly all of China. Chongqing Rail Transit Line 2 passes directly through the 6th to 8th floors of a 19-storey residential building in Yuzhong District. The station and building were constructed simultaneously in 2004; the rubber-tyred trains run quietly enough that residents above and below are barely disturbed.

The best way to experience it: ride Line 2 through the building for the inside view, then watch from the street-level plaza below for the money shot. Trains run every few minutes. Allow 30–60 minutes — you will want to watch it multiple times and photograph it from every angle. It never stops being surreal.

Hongyadong is the hero image of Chongqing: an 11-storey stilted complex (diaojiaolou style) built directly into the cliff face above the Jialing River. At night, it is lit with thousands of red and golden lanterns, creating a glowing, layered spectacle that rises from the riverbank like a scene from a Miyazaki film.

Visit after dark. The full lighting effect is only visible once the sun goes down, and the contrast between the illuminated complex and the dark river below is the most photographed angle in the city. Cross to the Qiansimen Bridge for the full panoramic view. The complex itself contains restaurants, bars, and tea houses across interconnected stairways — explore freely, entrance is free.

The Dazu Rock Carvings are one of the great surprises of Chinese travel: a UNESCO World Heritage Site (inscribed 1999) that most Western visitors have never heard of. Located 100km from Chongqing city, the site contains approximately 50,000 stone statues and over 100,000 characters of inscriptions carved between the 9th and 13th centuries.

The carvings are extraordinary in scope and quality. The Baodingshan site features large-scale narrative Buddhist scenes including a 31-metre reclining Nirvana Buddha. Beishan contains earlier, more densely packed sculptures of outstanding aesthetic quality. Uniquely, the carvings synthesise Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism in a single artistic programme — a reflection of Song Dynasty religious culture that has no parallel elsewhere in China.

Plan a full morning: the drive from Chongqing takes approximately 1.5 hours each way. A guided visit adds considerable context to what you are seeing.

The Huguang Guild Hall (built 1759, Qing Dynasty) is one of China's best-preserved guild hall complexes, built by merchants from Hubei and Hunan who came to Chongqing during the great population migration to Sichuan. The complex climbs a terraced hillside above the Yangtze River across 8,500 square metres of courtyards, opera theatres, and carved pavilions.

Ciqikou Ancient Town, dating from the Song Dynasty, preserves the city's original street layout: narrow flagstone lanes, wooden teahouses, and street food stalls selling Sichuan snacks. It sits at the confluence of the Jialing River and a small tributary, and offers a vivid sensory contrast to the futuristic cityscape visible just beyond its rooftops.

Chongqing is the birthplace and undisputed capital of Chinese hot pot — significantly different from the versions served elsewhere. The traditional Chongqing version uses beef tallow, dried chillies, and Sichuan peppercorn (which numbs more than burns). The communal dining format is as much a cultural ritual as a meal.

Order a split pot (鸳鸯锅) if your group has varying spice tolerance — half original broth, half mild. The classic items to order: thinly sliced beef, tripe, duck intestine, tofu skin, lotus root, and Mao blood curd (maoxuewang). A hot pot dinner here is one of the most memorable meals in China.

A Chongqing city tour typically covers three zones: the Yuzhong Peninsula (city centre, Hongyadong, Jiefangbei), the eastern riverbanks (Liziba Station, Yangtze cableway), and the outlying day trip to Dazu Rock Carvings. Most visitors stay 3–4 nights, which is enough to cover all highlights without rushing.

Getting around is easy — Rail Transit Line 2 connects Liziba, the city centre, and main tourist zones. For Dazu, a guided coach transfer (about 2 hours each way) is the most convenient option. CTS Tours handles all logistics on the Fire & Fuzz 10-day tour, which combines Chongqing with Chengdu via high-speed train.

Best time for a Chongqing city tour: Spring (March–May) and autumn (September–November) offer mild temperatures. Summer is very hot and humid. The famous fog — which makes Hongyadong look even more surreal — is thickest from November through February.