CN · Chongqing · 29.56°N 106.55°E
chongqing
Cyberpunk mountain city: trains through buildings, Hongyadong lights, fiery hotpot.
- Best time
- March to May and September to November. Summer is one of the hottest in China, often near 40°C, and winters are grey and foggy.
- How long
- 2–3 days
- Getting there
- Direct flights from KL take about 4 hours. From Chengdu, the high-speed train takes about 1–1.5 hours, so it pairs easily with a Sichuan trip.
chongqing
Dear group chat,Cyberpunk mountain city: trains through buildings, Hongyadong lights, fiery hotpot.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingChongqingCN, Chongqing
Photo: HoweyYuan · CC BY-SA 4.0 Photo: Baycrest · CC BY-SA 2.5 Photo: Iswzo · CC BY-SA 4.0 Photo: 源義信 (Minamoto Yoshinobu) · CC BY 4.0 Photo: Board of Home Missions of the Methodist Episcopal Church · Public domain
Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.
A megacity built on steep hills where the Yangtze and Jialing rivers meet, so stacked that a monorail runs straight through an apartment block. It's the home of China's fiercest hotpot, and it looks its best at night, when the riverfronts light up.
Makan
- Chongqing hotpotBeef-tallow broth thick with chilli and numbing Sichuan pepper. Tripe and duck intestine are the classic dips.Map ↗
- XiaomianThe city's spicy breakfast noodles, served at tiny shops on every corner.Map ↗
- Suanla fenHot and sour sweet potato noodles, a favourite street snack.Map ↗
- LazijiFried chicken bites buried in a mountain of dried chillies.Map ↗
Things to do
- HongyadongStilt-style buildings stacked up a cliff above the river, lit up gold at night.Map ↗
- Liziba stationWatch the Line 2 monorail glide through a residential building. There's a viewing platform below.Map ↗
- Yangtze River CablewayA short cable car ride across the river with views of the skyline.Map ↗
- CiqikouAn old riverside town of stone lanes and snack stalls on the western side of the city.Map ↗
- Dazu Rock CarvingsUNESCO-listed Buddhist cliff carvings, about 2 hours' drive away.Map ↗
Good to know
- Expect stairs and steep slopes everywhere. Wear comfortable shoes, and don't trust a map app about which floor you're on.
- Google Maps works poorly in China. A local map app such as Amap is far more reliable.
- Most places expect Alipay or WeChat Pay. Link your card to one before you fly and keep some cash as a backup.
Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.