Chongqing, a city surrounded by mountains and built along the hills, is situated at the confluence of two rivers, resulting in a network of interwoven bridges. This series of geographical features creates a unique skyline and is the charm of this city.
It is well-known that Chongqing’s three major calling cards are: delicious food, beautiful women, and stunning scenery.
Chongqing cuisine is spicy, fragrant, and incredibly tasty.
Chongqing girls have a fiery personality and are so cute that they’ll make your mouth water.
Chongqing’s scenery is breathtakingly beautiful, leaving you dazzled.
Without further ado, let’s dive into the most comprehensive Chongqing travel guide!
1.Where to Stay
Friends who love traveling should know that Chongqing’s homestays rank first in the country. When you come to Chongqing, you must experience a homestay.
Recommended areas to stay: Jiefangbei, Hongya Cave, Guanyinqiao
2.How to Get Around
The Chongqing Yangtze River Cableway is 1,166 meters long, connecting Chongqing’s Yuzhong District and Nan’an District, with a travel time of 4 minutes.
- 🕐 7:30-22:30
- 🎫 One-way ticket: 20 yuan, round-trip ticket: 30 yuan
- 📍 153 Xinhuan Road, Chang’an Temple, Yuzhong District; Longmen Road, Shangxin Street, Nan’an District
This locally characteristic transportation has a wide coverage, and many attractions can be reached by rail transit. (Ps: Each station has a single-trip ticket sales office. It is recommended to have plenty of change. If needed, you can also purchase a public transportation card.)
Chongqing Caiyuanba Railway Station is one of Chongqing’s unique transportation options.
- 📍 Take Metro Line 1 or 3 to Lianglukou and head towards Caiyuanba
- 🎫 Single trip: 2 yuan/person
- 🕐 07:00-22:00
- 🚇 Both Line 1 and Line 3 stop at Lianglukou, then take the Crown Escalator.
3.What to Do
Hongya Cave
🚇 Walk from Jiefangbei or take Line 2 to Linjiangmen Station and walk
Hongya Cave is a great place to stroll through the old streets of the mountain city, enjoy the scenery of the two rivers, and taste local delicacies.
The main structure is the traditional stilted buildings with the most characteristic Bayu architectural features. Built along the mountain, it is a dazzling sight at night and a scenic spot in the mountain city. There are 11 floors from the bottom to the top, each with different functions. The top floor is an exotic city balcony where you can enjoy a spectacular view of the river.
Jiefangbei
🚇 Take Line 1 and get off at Jiaochangkou or Xiaoshizi Station
When you come to Chongqing, the first thing to do is check in at the landmark building!
Jiefangbei is one of Chongqing’s landmarks and a historical witness to the victory of the War of Resistance and the liberation of Chongqing. The intersection radiating out from Jiefangbei in all directions is Chongqing’s most prosperous commercial district.
Ciqikou
🚇 Take Light Rail Line 1 to Ciqikou Station and walk
The intact ancient buildings and the unchanging strong and simple ancient style for thousands of years can be considered a microcosm and symbol of Chongqing.
Although Ciqikou is a thousand-year-old town, the commercial atmosphere is still very strong. However, when you come to Chongqing, you should still take a stroll around Ciqikou, eat some snacks, buy some specialties, and take a few professional tourist photos to prove that you’ve been to Ciqikou.
Nanshan Yikeshu (One Tree on Nanshan)
🚇 Take bus 346, 347, or 384 to Sizhong Station
This is Chongqing’s best observation deck, especially for enjoying the night view!
Come here to enjoy the scenery before the sun sets, and you can complete the sunset and night view in one go. When the weather is good, the entire Yuzhong District is a great angle for taking photos.
Liziba Light Rail Station
📍 On Metro Line 2, Liziba Station
The famous light rail that passes through a building on Line 2 is probably what many people come to Chongqing for! Every day, a large number of tourists from other places come here to stop and watch, and experience the feeling of the light rail passing through the building!
Go to Liziba, take a photo, and post it on your social media to prove that you’ve seen the light rail passing through the building with your own eyes!
Eling Second Factory
🚇 Take Light Rail Line 2 to Eling Station, then walk one kilometer
This location has become a popular spot for taking photos, thanks to the movie “I Belonged to You”.
While preserving the old factory buildings, designers added new elements, allowing the old and new to coexist and integrating industrialization with modernization. This is a place where people can relax. Walking around the Second Factory is quite enjoyable; not only can you find the locations from the movie, but you can also experience the charm of old Chongqing.
People’s Grand Hall
🚇 Take Line 2 and get off at Zengjiayan Station
A landmark building in Chongqing with a magnificent and splendid atmosphere.
The Chongqing People’s Grand Hall is located on Renmin Road. Built in the 1950s, it is a complex of ancient-style national buildings and one of Chongqing’s unique landmark structures. The Grand Hall adopts the architectural features of the Ming and Qing dynasties, with a traditional central axis symmetry, and its appearance imitates the Temple of Heaven in Beijing.
Qiansimen Bridge
🚇 Take Light Rail Line 6 to the Grand Theatre Station and walk to the bridge
Chongqing has many bridges, and this is an excellent location for viewing the night scenery.
The Qiansimen Jialing River Bridge runs south through Cangbai Road next to Hongya Cave in Yuzhong District, crosses the Jialing River, and connects with Jiangbei Avenue South Road in Jiangbei District. It is also the cross-river bridge for Metro Line 6. Of course, the best time to come to the bridge to enjoy the scenery is at night.
Liangjing Film City
🚇 Take a bus from Hongqihegou Bus Station to Longxing Town, about a 50-minute ride, fare: 16 yuan
A unique Republican-era street with the themes of “Republican history” and “Bashu characteristics”.
It’s the taste of old Chongqing, fully showcasing the historical changes of this city, and well worth a visit for tourists from all over! Everything is as if you’ve traveled back to life in the Republican era, making it very suitable for those with nostalgic feelings to stroll around.
Guotai Art Center
🚇 Take Light Rail Line 1, get off at Xiaoshizi Station, and walk up along Hongya Cave
Chongqing’s “Shanshui Kan Die Yan Chuan Dou” culture is cast in one furnace, reflecting the strong Bayu culture.
A uniquely shaped building with an explosive sense of art is the Guotai Art Center. Consisting of the Guotai Grand Theatre and the Chongqing Art Museum, the main building of the Art Center is red, resembling a burning “bonfire” or a sailing warship.
Xiahao Old Street
🚇 Take Metro Line 1 to Shangxinjie, walk to a block on a slope next to the Dongshui Gate Yangtze River Bridge
This is the street where you can best feel the atmosphere of old Chongqing.
This remnant of an old street in Chongqing may completely disappear in the near future. Old Chongqing is cooking over a fire, and the smoke seems like a different world. In the dappled tree shadows, voices can be vaguely heard from the stairwell, so interested friends must take a look at the old street before it’s demolished.
Shancheng Steps
🚇 Take buses 429, 440, 810, 898, etc., and get off at Zhongxing Road Station
The city walkway is the imprint of old Chongqing. Strolling along the stone-paved alleys is one of the best ways to experience the charm of the mountain city.
Walking along the mountain city steps, you can enjoy a moment of tranquility. Here, you can feel the most primitive charm of Chongqing and sense a different life atmosphere. Following the walkway, you can also appreciate the unique river view charm of Chongqing’s mountain city.
The walkway runs from Shancheng Alley to Tongyuan Gate, a total of 3 kilometers, taking 1-2 hours at a leisurely pace.
Luohan Temple
🚇 Take Line 1 or Metro Line 6, get off at Xiaoshizi Station, and walk to the temple
An ancient temple with a thriving incense in the surrounding high-rise buildings of the bustling city, also the filming location of “Crazy Stone”.
Upon entering, you can strongly feel the small seclusion in the mountains and the great seclusion in the city. Many Song Dynasty cliff stone carvings can be seen right at the entrance. The most interesting part is that the Luohan Hall houses 500 colorful Arhat sculptures, each with a different appearance, lifelike and magnificent.
Huguang Guild Hall
🚇 Take Metro Line 1 to Xiaoshizi Station, Exit 8, walk straight and turn right
The architectural space is wide and grand, with more structural features of Huizhou-style architecture.
Not only does the building have a unique style, but the history and culture here also have a long tradition.
However, the traffic flow is generally low, making it very suitable for leisurely visits and slowly listening to the narration of this history.
Sichuan Fine Arts Institute Graffiti Street
🚇 Take Light Rail Line 2, get off at Yangjiapin, transfer to bus 223, 233, 256, 277, or 823
On this short street, from buildings and walls to campus and store exteriors, everything is covered in graffiti, equivalent to a giant 3D graffiti artwork.
Although the graffiti is relatively old, there are few people here, and it’s quiet, so you can freely pose for photos. The resulting photos are all super good-looking, and this place has a particularly artistic atmosphere!
Huashengyuan Cake Dream Castle
🚇 Take Light Rail Line 2, get off at Xinshancun, transfer to bus 451
A dreamy castle that can fulfill the dreams of countless girls.
Chongqing Huashengyuan Golden Cake Dream Kingdom is a tourist attraction under Chongqing Huashengyuan Food Co., Ltd. Coming here, you can instantly travel through time and experience the dream kingdom.
Wulong Fairy Mountain
🚇 You can take a direct tourist bus, which departs daily at 7:40 sharp from the entrance of Crowne Plaza Hotel at Jiefangbei, directly to the scenic spot without any transfers.
Chongqing’s Wulong Fairy Mountain boasts a rare alpine grassland scenery in southern China, known as the “Oriental Switzerland”. Each season has its own characteristics: grass skating in spring, summer resort, horse riding in autumn, and skiing in winter. When visiting Wulong in winter, don’t miss the alpine mutton, which will warm you up from head to toe. In 2006, when Zhang Yimou was filming “Curse of the Golden Flower”, he said, “If you haven’t eaten Wulong’s mutton, it’s equivalent to not having been to Wulong at all.”
Wulong Tiansheng Bridge (filming location for Transformers and Curse of the Golden Flower), Wulong Fairy Mountain Scenic Area (filming location for Where Are We Going, Dad?)
Chongqing’s Best Shopping Districts
Jiefangbei
Chongqing’s most historic, crowded, and prosperous shopping district.
Jiefangbei Pedestrian Street is the largest pedestrian street in western China, hence known as the “No. 1 Street in Western China”. It is not only a landmark of Chongqing but also home to numerous luxury stores, making it a great place for shopping.
Guanyinqiao
Filled with beautiful women and the most popular area. It is the most concentrated business area in Jiangbei District, with food, entertainment, and shopping all gathered here.
In the evening, many people dance in the square, including young people. Due to the concentration of businesses, there is no shortage of beautiful women walking along this pedestrian street. Most of Chongqing’s street photography of beautiful women originates from here.
Sanxia Square Pedestrian Street
Sanxia Square Pedestrian Street is the core commercial street in Shapingba District, which locals simply call “Shapingba”. For tourists, it is a place for sightseeing, shopping, and dining all in one.
Nanping Pedestrian Street
One of the five major shopping centers in Chongqing’s main urban area, it is the most prosperous place in Nan’an District, integrating food, entertainment, and shopping, and is deeply loved by local residents.
Chongqing’s Unique Attractions
Wulong
Wulong Tiansheng Bridge is a typical karst landform, showcasing nature’s craftsmanship, which is spectacular and stunning.
In addition, Fairy Mountain National Forest Park is also located here, which can be visited together. It is a leisure and summer resort in Chongqing, known as the “Oriental Switzerland”, with unique features in each season.
- By train: Take a train from Chongqing North Station, the fare is around 25 yuan, it takes 2 hours to reach Wulong, then transfer to Fairy Town Visitor Center, which takes about 40 minutes.
- By bus: Take a direct bus to Fairy Mountain Town at Chongqing Longtou Temple, the ticket is 82 yuan. Or take a bus to Wulong at Chongqing Sigongli Bus Station, the earliest one departs at 7:30, taking 2.5-3 hours, the ticket is 60 yuan, and you also need to transfer to Fairy Mountain Town after arriving.
- 🎫 135 yuan/person in peak season, 95 yuan/person in off-season.
Wansheng Ordovician
Located between the two major scenic spots of Heishan Valley and Longlin Stone Sea, it has created China’s premier “high-altitude stimulating experience project” hub, which is deeply loved by the public.
- 🚇 Depart from the city and take a long-distance bus to Wansheng at Sigongli Transportation Hub, then take a bus to the south gate of Heishan Valley or Ordovician Scenic Area.
- 🎫 Scenic area entrance ticket is 80 yuan, and the ticket for 8 major high-altitude projects is 120 yuan.
Dazu Rock Carvings
The Dazu Rock Carvings are Buddhist-themed carvings, which are exquisite and magnificent.
🚇 Take a bus from Caiyuanba Bus Station or Longtou Temple Bus Station to Dazu County, which takes 1.5-2 hours. There is Bus 205 next to the passenger station, and the terminal is right at the entrance of Baodingshan Rock Carving Scenic Area. The bus fare is 3 yuan, and it takes about half an hour.
Jinfo Mountain
It is the true backyard of Chongqing locals, with different scenery in all four seasons. It is best to go in winter or summer. In summer, it is cool and suitable for avoiding the heat, and you can set up your own tent in the campsite; in winter, it snows on the mountain and is a famous ski resort in Chongqing.
- 🚇 Take a bus from Nanping Bus Station to Nanchuan, the ticket is 28 yuan, and it takes 1.5 hours to arrive. Then transfer to Tianxing Town, which is 20 kilometers away and takes 30 minutes, the fare is 5 yuan.
- 🎫 75 yuan in peak season, 50 yuan in off-season.
Youyang Peach Blossom Spring
This is the “Peach Blossom Spring” described by Tao Yuanming. The peach trees in the scenic area are lush and tranquil, but the only drawback is that it is too far from the urban area. Friends with ample time can visit.
🚇 It is 340 kilometers from Chongqing to Youyang, and you can take a train or a long-distance bus directly, which takes 3.5 to 4 hours.
What to Eat in Chongqing
Shihuishi Li Skewers
📍 108 Datong Road, Hongsheng Building (next to Chongqing School for the Deaf)
The origin of Li’s skewers, which have blossomed everywhere in recent years, is Shihuishi. Their spicy beef skewers are particularly delicious. It is said that a diner once ate 1,000 skewers alone, which is quite impressive!
Mafangwan No. 66 Jianghu Cuisine
📍 On the slope next to Exit 1B of Yanggongqiao Metro Station, Shapingba District
Converted from several old residential buildings, with a decorative style from the 1970s and 1980s, the environment is very suitable for taking photos and checking in. Spicy pork intestines, spicy chicken, pointed pepper chicken, and boiled fish are all classic dishes, with no bad options. It is said that the chicken, duck, fish, and frog are all freshly killed, so the ingredients are very fresh!
