Mountain City Chongqing

Chongqing is surrounded by mountains on all sides, built along the mountains, and has the confluence of the Yangtze River and Jialing River here, also known as Jiangcheng. It is foggy all year round, hence it is also known as the "Mountain City" and "Fog Capital". Food, night scenery, and beautiful women are the three major business cards of Chongqing. Chongqing is a famous food destination and a paradise for foodies, especially the world-famous hotpot, which is spicy and delicious, attracting countless diners to compete. The night view of the mountain city is the most famous scenery in Chongqing. Whether standing on the south mountain or taking the Yangtze River cableway from the sky, you can enjoy the brilliant night view and take in the scenery of the two rivers. Chongqing is also rich in beautiful women. Popular business districts such as Monument to the people's Liberation and Guanyin Bridge are good places to visit beautiful women.

01 About Transportation

1. Airplane
Chongqing has three civil airports, namely Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport, Chongqing Wanzhou Wuqiao Airport, and Chongqing Qianjiang Zhoubai Airport. Travelers often use Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport.
Airport transportation
Subway: It is most convenient to take the subway from the airport to the city center or train station, and the operating time is approximately 6:30-22:30. Airport shuttle bus: If there are flights, there will be shuttle bus operations, with a ticket price of 15 yuan/person, and the bus will depart when fully booked. The driving route from the airport to the urban area: airport → Hongqihegou hub station → Damiao → Niujiaotuo → Xinlongda (taxi station) → auditorium → Monument to the people's Liberation tourism distribution center. Taxi: Just queue up in the taxi pick-up area. Chongqing taxis start at 10 yuan during the day and 11 yuan at night. It's best to ask for the invoice when getting on the bus, otherwise the driver may stick to the same price or go around in circles, especially when taking a taxi from the airport or train station. Chongqing taxis are very small, usually only able to accommodate two people with large suitcases. Attention should be paid to those who carry a lot of luggage.

2. Train
There are currently four railway stations in Chongqing: Chongqing Railway Station, Shapingba Station, Chongqing North Railway Station, and Chongqing West Railway Station. Travelers mainly use Chongqing North Railway Station and Chongqing Railway Station. The former is located in Yubei District and was newly built later. The environment is good, but it is far away from the main urban area; The latter is an old railway station, with the most frequent bus station in Chongqing nearby - Caiyuanba Bus Station, but the environment is relatively chaotic.

3. Chongqing Tourist Scenic Area Direct Train
Chongqing is one of the cities where the direct train to the Qilin Scenic Area has been opened (currently, many cities across the country are using it, which is super convenient)
The through bus stops in Chongqing are mainly concentrated in Monument to the people's Liberation, with one stop direct access to various scenic spots. The scenic spots basically cover the well-known scenic spots in Chongqing, including Ciqikou, Hongya Cave, Wulong, Dazu Rock Carvings, Heishan Valley, etc. After arriving at the destination, you can travel freely throughout the whole journey without shopping malls or hidden consumption. Set a designated time for the return trip, equipped with a driving assistant on board to provide you with high-quality explanation services. The price is relatively cheap, for example, the cost of a one-day round trip to Wulong is around 110 yuan!

4. Internal transportation
Chongqing has mountains and waters, and was once famous for climbing hills and hills. There are very few traces of bicycles in the urban area. In Chongqing, in addition to common cars, there are also many special modes of transportation such as subways, ferries, escalators, and cable cars that meet the convenience of daily life for citizens and showcase the three-dimensional level of the mountainous city of Chongqing. There are both water and land transportation, as well as air shuttle. Such a 3D version of transportation can only be seen in Chongqing. However, due to Chongqing's geographical environment, the overall roads are not spacious, and traffic jams are common. Therefore, it is recommended to use rail transit as the main mode of transportation, which covers almost all popular attractions and is convenient and smooth.

Chongqing is also one of the few cities in China that does not have bicycles, because the roads in the main urban area are all mountain roads, with a lot of ups and downs. If you ride a bicycle, you can imagine the sourness.

5. Rail Transit
Chongqing Rail Transit has currently opened lines 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 10, and circular lines, covering almost all scenic spots and stations, which is very convenient. One person, one ticket for light rail, ticket price 2-10 yuan, operating hours from 6:30-22:30 (subject to local regulations).
Chongqing rail transit has many distinctive stations. There is a section of Line 2 that runs along the mountains and rivers. Among them, Liziba Station is the only station within a building on the entire line, and the subway passes through the middle of a residential building, which is particularly magical! The CCTV documentary "Feidu Mountain City" introduces the Liziba light rail

6. Bus
Chongqing buses are divided into regular buses and intermediate buses (air-conditioned), with regular buses costing 1-2 yuan and intermediate buses (air-conditioned) costing 2-3 yuan. The operating hours are mostly between 06:30-22:00, and there are also some minibuses, air-conditioned buses, sightseeing buses for changing routes, peak hour buses, and late night snack buses. Many places in Chongqing are one-way streets, and getting off at one station may result in taking a bus to another station far away on the return journey, so pay attention to the signs at the stations.

7. River crossing cableway
There are two most unique river crossing cableways in Chongqing: Jialing River Cableway (now discontinued) and Yangtze River Cableway. The Yangtze River Cableway, which is still in use, is famous for the movie "Crazy Stone". Many tourists who come to Chongqing will experience the feeling of a river crossing cableway.

8. Elevator

Having tasted the wonders of the cable car, this unique Chongqing public transportation - the elevator - will also make you feel fresh. There are two elevators in the main city of Chongqing, one is the Crown Escalator and the other is the Kaixuan Road Elevator.

9. Ferry
Chongqing once had as many as 19 ferry routes, and ferries were the preferred mode of transportation for Chongqing citizens crossing the river. Nowadays, ferry, an ancient mode of transportation, is gradually fading out of people's lives, and Chongqing Chaotianmen Port has become the last and oldest ferry crossing. However, there are still many citizens who come here for a visit or two in search of memories.

02. Regarding accommodation

Most people who come to Chongqing for the first time choose to live in the Monument to the people's Liberation area, where the traffic is convenient, the scenic spots are concentrated, and it is the most convenient to eat, drink, and play; In addition, Nan'an District, Shapingba District and Jiangbei District are also popular areas for accommodation. Because there are many scenic spots, and the business circle is prosperous, the transportation is also very convenient. Although it is far from Monument to the people's Liberation, the relatively cheap house price and excellent environment are also favored by many tourists.

There are various types of accommodation in Chongqing, ranging from high-end international brand hotels to budget chain hotels, family inns, and even popular youth hostels for backpackers. Multiple rooms in youth hostels can be booked for 40-60 yuan per person, while standard rooms in budget hotels are priced at 150-300 yuan per day, and star rated hotels are priced at 300-1000 yuan per day. Compared to Chengdu, it is relatively affordable and not overcrowded during peak seasons. However, during the golden holiday season, room prices may increase, so it is best to book in advance.

03 About Scenic Spots

1. Monument to the people's Liberation
Monument to the people's Liberation is a famous landmark in Monument to the people's Liberation, which is also the center of the main urban area. This bustling area has a perfect catering, entertainment and shopping environment. Most newcomers will choose to live here. You can walk to Chongqing Department Store, Times Square and other shopping malls. Hongya Cave, Arhat Temple and Chaotianmen Square are also strolling away, especially the Bayi Road Delicious Street, which can not be ignored by foodies, is nearby. Even if you want to go to more distant places such as Ciqikou and Nanshan Scenic Area, there are multiple buses and light rail transit stations available for taking when you go out.

2. Hongya Cave

Hongya Cave can be said to be the top check-in spot for Chongqing's internet famous attractions, as it has become the first must visit attraction in Chongqing due to its unique architectural appearance and spectacular night scenery.
Hongyadong, formerly known as Hongyamen, is one of the city gates of ancient Chongqing. The city gate is the most distinctive place of ancient Chongqing,
All cities with ancient city walls and gates can be proud of this, because it embodies the spirit of the ancestors who built the city, and also condenses the historical and cultural accumulation of this city. Chongqing City is no exception, as the entire history of Chongqing City has been protected by long city walls built along the mountains. Hongya Cave is located outside the door and is a huge grotto. The people of Chongqing call it Hongyan Cave (Hongya Cave), also known as Shenxian Cave. Around the 1920s, Hongyamen was demolished. But because the cliff was too steep, there was still no way in and out of the city. Around the 1940s, a small path opened up on that cliff, connecting the inside and outside of the city. Hongyadong is adjacent to Zhenjiang Temple and Zhiyanhe Street, both of which are docks and quite lively. So, rows of stilt houses were built under the cliffs on both sides of Hongya Cave. Looking up from the river, the suspended floors are stacked and staggered, as if shaking and swaying, forming a unique scenery of Chongqing city. After liberation, with the development of transportation industry, the appearance of both sides of the Yangtze River was completely changed. The Little Swan Group bought this land and built a food and leisure street with Chongqing characteristics. Those antique style stilted houses, built along the mountain and arranged in rows, make anyone's eyes light up when they see them. Diaojiaolou is a traditional residential area inhabited by ethnic minorities in Qiannan, Chongqing, named after its suspended railing structure along the mountain. Today's Hongya Cave is actually a reproduction of this ethnic architectural art.

3. Magnetic port

Ciqikou Ancient Town, formerly known as Longyin Town, is a national AAAA level scenic spot, a famous historical and cultural street in China, a key protected traditional street in Chongqing, the "New Ba Yu Twelve Scenic Spots" in Chongqing, and the Ba Yu Folk Culture Tourism Circle.
Ciqikou Ancient Town is located on the banks of the Jialing River in Shapingba District, Chongqing. It was founded in the Song Dynasty and has a unique landscape of "one river, two streams, three mountains, and four streets", forming a natural harbor. It is an important water and land dock on the banks of the Jialing River. Once upon a time, the phrase 'thousands of people bowing their hands during the day, and ten thousand bright lights shining at night' flourished.

4. Yangtze River Cableway

The Yangtze River Cableway is the second cross river cableway in Chongqing (the first being the Jialing River Cableway (which has been dismantled), which has been in operation for 30 years and is known as the "first aerial corridor of the Yangtze River" and the "mountain city aerial bus".
The Yangtze River Cableway is a large-scale cross river passenger cableway designed and manufactured by China, with a total length of 1166 meters, connecting Yuzhong District and Nan'an District of Chongqing. It travels back and forth between Xinhua Road (Xiaoshizi Station of the rail transit) in Yuzhong District and Shangxin Street in Nan'an District, with a speed of 6 meters per second, a running time of 4 minutes, and a daily passenger volume of 10500. On December 15, 2010, the Yangtze River Cableway was designated as a municipal level cultural relic protection unit by the Chongqing Municipal Government. On February 6, 2018, it met the requirements of the national 4A level tourist attraction standard and was approved as a national 4A level tourist attraction.

5. A tree in Nanshan

A tree in Nanshan is one of the best shooting locations for Chongqing's night scenery. This radar shaped observation deck can accommodate thousands of people for viewing.
The observation deck in the night also shines brightly and is easy to see. If the day is long and the night is short, you can first have a meal at Quanshui Chicken Street in Nanshan. After being full, you can walk up the mountain in the evening and play in the scenic garden for a while. When it's almost dark, you can go to the observation deck and have a panoramic view of Chongqing's night scenery. If you can also encounter a lighting project that is fully turned on, it means your luck is overwhelming.

6. Chaotian Gate

Chaotianmen used to be one of the seventeen ancient city gates in Chongqing. Since the confluence of the two rivers is also the oldest dock in Chongqing, Chaotianmen Square was built on the dock. A square shaped like the bow deck of a sailing ship was built on the dock. When you come here in the daytime, at the front of the square, seeing the confluence of the Jialing River and the Yangtze River is the most important link. The river water mixed with yellow and dark green, which has clear boundaries in sunny days, is also a unique and ingenious scene. It is said that the eating method of "Double-flavor hot pot" is also from this. If interested, you can also take a night boat tour of Liangjiang.

7. Bai Mansion

Bai Gongguan is a famous red scenic spot in Chongqing, where the story of "Little Radish Head" takes place. Starting from the martyr's tomb, you can only reach the Bai Mansion after climbing a mountain road, which is usually connected to the Zhazi Cave for sightseeing.
The Bai Mansion was originally a suburban villa owned by Sichuan warlord Ma Ju, and since 1938, it has been used as a secret prison by the Nationalist secret service. There are 20 cells in the prison, and at most, more than 200 "political prisoners" were detained in the Bai Mansion, such as anti Japanese patriotic general Huang Xiansheng and Tongji University President Zhou Junshi. The prison also displays various types of torture equipment from the past, and plays black and white old films in a repetitive manner, which makes people feel heavy hearted.

8. Zhazi Cave

Zhazidong is named after the abundance of slag and the scarcity of coal. Since 1938, this place has been transformed into a secret prison by the Nationalist secret service, specifically used to detain and persecute revolutionaries. Many heroic and tragic deeds have taken place here.
The Zhazidong Prison is not large. Although it has been renovated and rebuilt, the layout remains unchanged. Being inside it gives people a feeling of time travel. Given that the surroundings are surrounded by walls, barbed wire, and surveillance stations. Among them is the torture equipment room, which is filled with various types of torture equipment.