Between the chaotic layout and spicy, mouth-numbing cuisine, Chongqing, China provides the best kind of sensory overload
Chongqing , one ofChina ’s lesser have it off megacities , is easily one of the insane places you ’ll ever visit . Known as the “ 8D City ” for its cyberpunk architecture spread across a complex and multilevel layout , it blends topsy-turvydom and subcultures with China ’s decades of breakneck economic growth , spread out over a physical size equivalent toAustria . With trains speeding through residential buildings ( Chongqing is home to the world ’s longestmonorail ) , weave highways make into the sky , and temples in the middle of crisscross adjunction , it can often feel like you ’re in a vortex of stimuli overload . Here , it ’s not rare to think you ’ve strain the ground floor level , only to find out you ’re actually on the twenty-second story of another tall building . A city of skyscrapers built into mountains , it ’s the epicentre to endless stories of ingenuity as its 32 million residents hustle against a backdrop of a now stagnating national economy .
Alongside the architecture , Chongqing ’s culinary art itself is enough to travel for ; in the heart of the Sichuan region , especially famous for its signature spicy noodle and hot pot , the metropolis ’s bright lights are reverberate in the fluorescent redness of its noodle roll and hotpot caldron . you may enjoy a bowl of Chongqing xiaomian ( piquant attic ) at any time of the day — there are always improvised tables and vats of stewing water quick to serve — or hear your filling of the countless mala hotpot restaurants that run along the streets . The metropolis ’s energy is one that conquer the essence of forward-looking China : diligence and entrepreneurship built into a baseless terrain that still supervise to comprise the country ’s heritage — which has been largely erased in other cities , like Beijing . This guide is a curated choice of how to make the most of everything Chongqing has to declare oneself .
If you don’t do anything else: Eat at the largest hotpot restaurant in the world
Chongqing is wide know as the spiritual home of mala : the numbingly spicy hot pot broth that grow in Mongolia , but has now been take in in Sichuan as a regional looker . Here , hot pot is considered a way of life , a celebratory rite in which friends and family can bond over lavishly spiced stock that includes chilli peppers , spiciness , and Sichuan peppercorns . It ’s therefore unsurprising that Chongqing is home to the large hot pot restaurant in the existence : Pipa Yuan Shiweixian , which can sit 5,800 diners at once . It ’s a largely out-of-door restaurant with al fresco seating perched on a hillside , giving the field its colloquial name , Hot Pot Mountain .
Traditional Chongqing hot pot uses gross beef lard as the soup floor and is normally separate into nine power grid for unlike case of natural ingredients — and for the dependable experience , you ’ll be eating nose to tail . bitch tripe , pork trachea , pig ’s rip , duck’s egg intestines , and more are all on the menu — with an umami dipping sauce of mashed garlic , sesame crude , and acetum to complement the pungent soup base . For some , it ’s a sensational overload , but it also ca n’t be missed while you ’re in the hotpot capital of the world .
Where to go all out in Chongqing
Check out Chongqing’s Sci-Fi-reminiscent subway system
At the Liziba metro station , crowds gather daily to watch train literally zoom through a building , a unique example of Chongqing ’s hacker esthetic and how its architecture adapts to the urban center ’s craggy terrain . To create this surrealistic setup , the 7th and eighth floor of the construction were hollowed out to make way for the train , and soundproofing was tote up for its resident .
Explore the Hongya Cave complex by night
Hongya Cave is an 11 - story building building complex made up of restaurants , traditional medicine shops , hotel , and market place stalls — all built on long-legs into the versant , face out onto the Jialing River . At dark , it ’s an especially breathless raft that has been liken to the imaginary town in the Studio Ghibli filmSpirited Away , with businesses all lit up and stacked on top of invisible structures that blend into the hillside shadows .
Soak away an afternoon at the hot springs
After all the city ’s topsy-turvyness , it ’s worth paying a visit to Chongqing ’s relaxing blistering leap : a favourite isChongqing Bailian Hot Springswhich is about an hour taxi ride away from the main metropolis ( hack are very affordable in Chongqing ) . It has 18 different pool , some of which are hundreds of years honest-to-goodness , including one in a natural clandestine cave — and it also offer delicious , unlimited pep tea refill .
Enjoy mountainside views and explore the Old Town
Head to Soloist Coffee in Yuzhong , a cliffside bench cafe with a skyline view across the city , nestled in a quirky court that used to be an old French infirmary . Once you ’ve had your coffee , you could wander down into the streets of Xiao Hao Li , a rebuilt Old Town country with many interesting cafes , script shop , eatery , and street stalls to explore .
Get into nature at Hong’ensi Forest Park
Spend some time in nature at this sprawling dark-green haven , the secondly large park in the city . Spread over a thousand acre of mountainous terrain , it ’s home to the arresting Hong’en Pavilion viewing political program , which is over 1,300 feet high and offers the most scenic views of the city .
Enjoy Yangtze River by cable car during the day, or by river cruise at night
On a well-defined day , the Yangtze River transmission line gondola is a wholesome way to delight aerial views of Chongqing ’s unique landscape of city , sea , and mountainside in just a five - minute of arc ride . Otherwise if you ’ve bewilder a detached evening , the nighttime sail along the same river is a relaxing mode to witness the city ’s illuminated horizon .
Ride the mechanical swing at the Raffles viewing platform
The viewing pointedness at the top of Raffles City mall has a mechanically skillful swing ride that propels you to the very side of the building , give you another salient view of the metropolis . If that go too vertigo - inducing , though , you may take the air around the glass regard platform and peer at the city beneath your foot .
Where to eat and drink in Chongqing
Breakfast : For breakfast , there are countless streetside cubicle selling saucily steamed pork buns and fried biscuit - type snacks . These are everywhere , so keep an eye out on the streets for the metallic element steamer baskets stacked on top of each other outside local eateries .
Lunch : You ca n’t come to Chongqing without try its noted xiaomiannoodles . These are always mouth - benumb and deeply aromatic , served with toppings like braise beef or pork mince , chilli oil , and Vigna unguiculata ( the milder cousin of chickpeas ) . They can be serve with or without soup , most unremarkably with straw bean — although my deary is the thick , flat sweet potato noodles . Go grab a bowl atTiKanMianorBan Deng Mian , both dear noodle houses with multiple branches across the metropolis .
dinner party : You will never be more than 100 meters away from a hotpot restaurant in Chongqing , and chance are good that any spot you choose will be delicious — but a well - observe mental institution is theZhao’er Chongqing Hotpotrestaurant , where the proprietor famously make the red soup base himself . For adventurous feeder , the restaurant ’s hot pot specialties let in kine stomach and duck gut .
DuKai photographer/Moment/Getty Images
I ’d also advocate seize a homestyle Sichuanese repast atJin Zhao Zui Xiao Jiu Guan , which offer regional classic like the bracing squid ink noodle in acetum and chilli , ironical fried green attic with minced pork , and a deep ruddy mapo tofu served hot and bubbling .
For another local culinary experience in the nozzle - to - tail way , visitTi Kan Er Xiao Jiu Guan . The casual eatery in a residential country of Chongqing serves up traditional delicacies , including sauteed frogs , stir - fry applesauce , fatty pork knuckles , and pig brainiac attic in tofu soup .
Dessert : Chongqing ’s favored local sweet is a bulbous rice pudding coated in a sweet , caramely glaze and known for its refreshfully simple gustatory perception . Grab a bowlful at the no - frillsYanjing Liangxia Lianggao , which serves a mixed bag of rice - based desserts with various topping .
Hongya Cave|Photo by Elaine Zhao
Bars : For a cocktail - fueled evening , Suzie ’s Sky Barhas arresting persuasion over the urban center from the 74th trading floor , with regular live music performances . It ’s emphatically best to come at night so you may truly appreciate the lit - up skyline .
Otherwise , for a more low - key beer , Unknown 82.5is a vibey poove bar for locals in the know . There ’s always DJ decks pillory music out onto the street , inviting client in to essay beers from local breweries and to sit amongst the eclectic rave posters plaster on the rampart .
Where to stay
Banyan Tree Chongqing Beibei($$$$)Banyan Tree is a great alternative if you require to bask nature ’s serenity near Chongqing , rather than situate yourself in the hustle and hustle of the city . With a background of Jinyun Mountain , every room looks out onto sensational hillside scene and has a private hot spring bathing tub .
Intercontinental Chongqing Raffles City($$$)Located in the high-pitched terminal mall Raffles City , which has the epic catch political platform mentioned above , the Intercontinental is a commodious and luxurious option to opt as your base . Its sleek , modern rooms come with cityscape scene .
Glenview ITC Plaza Chongqing($$)This spacious hotel with innovative intent is centrally located , surrounded by restaurants in the heart of the central business district . The indoor pool is a peaceable way to relax after a twenty-four hour period in the busy city .
Hongya Cave|Photo by Elaine Zhao
Wuyu Hotel($)For a super low-priced option , Wuyu Hotel is on the fringe of the metropolis but unbeatable in economic value ; it has the trifecta of comfort , price compass point , and exceptional reviews . And while it ’s not in the most central location , it ’s still only about a 15 - minute cab drive into the metropolis center .
What to know before you go
The currency
China ’s prescribed up-to-dateness is the Chinese Yuan ( ¥ ) . check that to download the app Alipay to colligate your international coin bank card to , or set up Wechat Pay through the app . Mobile payments are the most coarse form of requital , as very few places take international bank cards directly .
International adapters you’ll need
Formosan plug socketsare type A , C and I , with the most common being A.
When to plan your visit
For the dependable weather , visit in the outflow ( March to May ) or hang ( September to October ) when temperatures are a comfortable mid range , as summer can be unbearably humid during monsoon time of year and winters can get highly chilly . However , try not to schedule your visit during national holidays , when the city can become overwhelmed with domestic tourism . For example , manoeuver clear of China ’s Golden Week , normally the first week of October , when the entire res publica is on break .
Do’s and don’ts when visiting Chongqing
Dobe brave with what you eat ! Be prepared to try out everything ; if the spice level are scare away , have it off that many hotpot restaurants extend milder broth pick .
Don’twear blank ; you will necessarily spill chilli oil colour on yourself , whether from hotpot or noodles .
Doget a local Chinese number — you’ll need to download China - specific apps like Gao De ( for map ) , Didi ( for cab ) , and Dazhong Dianping ( for restaurant recommendations ) , all of which normally require a local number to make an account .
Photos by Elaine Zhao
Don’tget too stressed if you get lost . The city is extremely dizzying , as there are so many levels , so just sleep with it ’s part of the experience ( and wear comfy walking place in preparation ) .
Dolearn some Mandarin phrases or have a translation app William Christopher Handy , because English is n’t widely used in the metropolis .
Don’tforget to carry around a small packet of tissues , as public commode usually wo n’t provide can paper .
Soloist Coffee in Yuzhong.|Photos by Elaine Zhao
Your Chongqing dinner party fact
Because of Chongqing ’s complicated urban provision and geography ( after all , it ’s lie with as the “ Mountain City ” and “ 8D City ” ) , it ’s one of the few place where you ’ll see a edifice with multiple ground floor . For example , a 20 - story skyscraper might have an entrance on level 1 and another on level 15 , because of the city ’s mountainous , vertical layout .
Old Town|Photos by Elaine Zhao
The Raffles viewing platform.|Photos by Elaine Zhao
Jin Zhao Zui Xiao Jiu Guan (left) and xiaomian noodles (right).|Photos by Elaine Zhao
Getty Images / zhouyousifang
