When Canadian travel creator Joshua Guvi arrived in Chongqing last November, he was worried the city couldn't possibly live up to social media. Stacked highways. Neon skyscrapers dissolving into fog. A train literally driving through the middle of a residential building. It had to be camera tricks, right? "It actually shot a lot over my expectations," he said afterward. "Chongqing feels like peering into the future. The neon — soaked and alive with motion. This city has its own pulse."
He's not alone. Foreign tourism to Chongqing surged 184% in 2024. In early 2025, the number of foreign nationals entering the city increased another 60%. Local travel agencies report a 20-30% rise in international visitors, now making up 10% of their 20,000+ annual travelers. And all of it — every percentage point — was driven by the same thing: someone somewhere saw a video of a train emerging from the eighth floor of an apartment block, and couldn't believe it was real.
It's real. And it's the most mind-bending place you'll ever visit.
The Landmarks That Broke the Internet
Liziba Station 李子坝站
A monorail that glides through the eighth floor of a 19-story residential building. The soundproofing is so good that residents barely notice the trains. For tourists, it's the single most photographed thing in Chongqing. Millions of views on every platform.
Hongyadong 洪崖洞
An 11-story stilted wooden complex that glows with neon lights at night. Everyone says it looks like it's from Spirited Away, and they're right. Shops, restaurants, bars across every level. The most Instagrammed spot in Chongqing.
Bai Xiang Ju 白象居
A 24-story residential complex with no elevator. Built along the mountainside with entrances on the 1st, 10th, and 15th floors via elevated walkways. When a vlogger asked how to reach the ground floor, a shop owner smiled: "There are more than ten 'first floors' here — which one are you looking for?"
Yangtze River Cableway 长江索道
The only sightseeing cableway over the Yangtze River. Suspended between cliffs, crossing above container ships, with the entire cyberpunk skyline unfolding below you. Operational since 1987. Still mind-blowing.
Eling Trestle 鹅岭栈道
A 460-meter steel walkway built along natural cliffs, connecting nearly 30 cultural landmarks. It's an "aerial corridor" — a suspension bridge that's also a sidewalk, a tourist attraction, and somehow a practical commute. Peak Chongqing.
Chaotianmen Square 朝天门广场
Where the Yangtze and Jialing rivers meet. Behind you: the Raffles City complex ("The City Shield"), with multiple skyscrapers connected by futuristic sky bridges. At sunset, this is the single most dramatic viewpoint in any Chinese city.
Three Rules for Surviving Chongqing
Every travel guide says this, but nobody believes it until they arrive:
Rule 1: Throw away your map
In Chongqing, "street level" is a relative term. You can enter a building on the 1st floor and exit on the 10th floor — onto another street. Your hotel entrance might be up an outdoor escalator on what appears to be a rooftop. Google Maps will say you've arrived, and you'll be staring at a cliff face. This is not a bug. This is Chongqing.
Rule 2: Wear comfortable shoes
The city was built on mountains split by rivers. There is no flat ground. You will climb stairs. You will take outdoor escalators. You will enter an elevator in a taxi (yes, drivers literally drive into elevators that descend into underground roads). Your step count will hit 25,000 before lunch.
Rule 3: Go at night
Chongqing during the day is impressive. Chongqing at night is another planet. The neon turns on, the bridges light up, the river reflects a million colors, and the entire city transforms into the cyberpunk movie set it was born to be. Book a river cruise. Get rooftop cocktails at the Intercontinental Hotel (cheaper than the observation deck, same view). Walk Hongyadong at 10PM.
"Chongqing's architecture style is unique. The concrete and mountain terrain, with lots of industrial design, make it seem like a futuristic movie set — but at night, it lights up and elevates the city into a true cyberpunk dream." — Matthew Blair, American expat who moved to Chongqing in 2009, to CNN
The Food: Sichuan Spice on a Mountain
Chongqing shares Sichuan's famous spice obsession, but turns it up to 11. The city's signature is hotpot — a boiling pot of chili-oil broth where you dip raw meat, vegetables, and tofu until they're cooked and your face is numb from Sichuan peppercorn. It's an experience, not just a meal.
- Chongqing hotpot: The real thing. Spicier and oilier than the Chengdu version. Non-negotiable experience.
- Chongqing small noodles (小面): The city's favorite breakfast. Spicy, cheap, everywhere. Usually under $1.
- Ciba (糍粑): Glutinous rice cakes tossed in toasted soybean powder and sugar. Sweet, chewy, portable street food.
- Grilled fish (烤鱼): Whole fish grilled over charcoal, then served in a bath of chili oil and vegetables. Insanely good.
- WWII air-raid shelter restaurants: During WWII (Chongqing was China's wartime capital), thousands of shelters were carved into the hillsides. Today, many have been converted into hotpot restaurants and bars. Eating inside one is surreal.
How to Get There
- By air: Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport (CKG) has direct flights from Bangkok, Singapore, Tokyo, Seoul, and major Chinese cities. From the US, connect through Beijing or Shanghai.
- By high-speed rail: Chengdu → Chongqing is 2 hours. Xi'an → Chongqing is 5 hours. Guilin → Chongqing is about 5 hours. Book on Trip.com or the 12306 app.
- From the airport: 30-40 min by taxi (~$12-$17) or 50 min by Metro Line 10 (~$0.80).
- Visa: 240-hour visa-free transit for citizens of 54 countries. Or apply for a standard tourist visa.
- Stay 2-3 nights minimum. One night for landmarks + river cruise. One day for food + neighborhoods. One day for day trips (Dazu Rock Carvings, Wulong Karst).
We Build Chongqing Into Every China Itinerary
Because no trip to China is complete without standing on a bridge at midnight watching a monorail disappear into an apartment building while eating a $0.50 rice cake. We handle flights, hotels, guides, VPN, and the restaurant reservations inside WWII bomb shelters.
Plan My China TripWhy This Matters Beyond Tourism
Chongqing isn't just a pretty video. It's a statement about what's possible when a city of 32 million people builds upward, integrates infrastructure with daily life, and treats public space as something worth illuminating at night. The monorail through the apartment building wasn't a gimmick — it was a practical solution to terrain that made conventional rail impossible. The neon isn't decoration — it's government policy to create a nighttime economy.
For Americans used to crumbling infrastructure and cities designed around cars, Chongqing is a visceral shock. Not because it's alien, but because it's ambitious in ways that feel familiar-but-better. Functional public transit. Walkable (well, climbable) neighborhoods. Street food on every corner. Parks on every cliff. And all of it — every escalator, every bridge, every neon panel — maintained, clean, and running.
The cyberpunk label is catchy, but what Chongqing really is, is a city that decided to build the future on top of the past, vertically, loudly, and with extremely good hotpot.