Holiday in Chongqing

About Chongqing

Chongqing is the city that defies gravity — a mega-metropolis that towers over steep hills and gorges at the confluence of the Yangtze and Jialing rivers, where monorails travel through residential buildings, elevators serve as public transport, and streets can simultaneously be ground level and the 20th floor. No other city in China looks like Chongqing, and none has a comparable night panorama: The illuminated skyline stretching over the hills on both riverbanks is among the most spectacular in the world. Chongqing is the unofficial hotpot capital of China — and competes with Chengdu for this title with a passion reminiscent of football rivalries. The Chongqing hotpot differs from the Chengdu style through its more aggressive spiciness: The bubbling, oily-red broth made from beef tallow, Sichuan pepper, and dried chilies is uncompromisingly fiery. Entire streets steam in the evening from hotpot restaurants, and the scent of chili and tallow is Chongqing's olfactory signature. The historical side is showcased in Ciqikou, a 1,000-year-old porcelain town on the Jialing River: Restored wooden houses, teahouses, street kitchens, and craft shops form an alley that, despite all the touristification, has preserved the atmosphere of old Chongqing. The Dazu Rock Carvings Complex (UNESCO), 2 hours outside the city, houses over 50,000 Buddhist, Taoist, and Confucian rock sculptures from the 9th to 13th centuries — one of the largest rock sculpture ensembles in the world. And then there's the transport experience: The monorail line 2, which travels through the 19th floor of a residential building (Liziba Station), the Yangtze cable car, which is the only urban cable car in China that crosses the river, and the endless stairs that connect neighborhoods at different elevation levels — Chongqing is a city that must be walked, experienced, and admired.