Plan your Chongqing tour? As a major city in southwestern mainland China, Chongqing is a port city with a large municipal area and big population in China. Nowadays, Chongqing is a modern city, China’s fourth municipality after Beijing, Shanghai, and Tianjin.
Chongqing is a city of hills, with many old lanes and buildings worth exploring, cruises up the Yangtze, and a walk around to the Port all worth a half day trip. Picturesque landscapes are so enchanting as to make tourists forget to return.
Here we’ve rounded up a list of the top 10 attractions in Chongqing.
No. 01: People Liberation Monument
Chongqing People’s Liberation Monument is regarded as the commercial center of the Yuzhong District in Chongqing.
Formerly a wooden structure, the monument was first built up on March 12th, 1940. This day is the anniversary of Dr. Sun Yatsen’s death, so the monument is called “Spirit Fort”.
The monument is located in the crossing of the Mingzhu, Mingquan and Zourong Road in the Yuzhong district. It’s 27.5 meters high. There is a revolving ladder, through which travelers can get to the top of the monument.Entrance Fee: free
Opening Hours: 24 hours a day
How to get there: There are many buses can take you to People Liberation Monument, including Buses No. 413, 418, 481, 301, 303, 215, 103, 104, 111, 112, 122, Tram No. 401, 402 or 405.
No. 02: Ciqikou Old Town
Located in the suburb of Chongqing City, covering an area of 1.18 square kilometers, Ciqikou Old Town is a historic Chinese old town with traditional style buildings and local flavor food.
The old town was built in 998 during the Song Dynasty. The town’s name, Ciqikou, means porcelain harbor, and the community prospered from the porcelain trade. Today it offers a glimpse of the peaceful laid-back life in the Sichuan countryside and is somewhere to take a break from the busy commercial world of Chongqing.
For more information, check out the link: Ciqikou Old Town.
Entrance Fee: Free
Opening Hours: 08:00-17:00
How to get there: take Bus No. 215 and get off at Tongjiaqiao Station
No. 03: Dazu Rock Carvings
Dazu Rock Carvings are a series of Chinese religious sculptures and carvings, dating back as far as the 7th century AD, depicting and influenced by Buddhist, Confucian and Taoist beliefs.
Listed as a World Heritage Site, the Dazu Rock Carvings are made up of 75 protected sites containing some 50,000 statues, with over 100,000 Chinese characters forming inscriptions and epigraphs, 160km west of Chongqing.
The sites are located in Chongqing Municipality within the steep hillsides throughout Dazu County (located about 60 kilometers west of the city of Chongqing, China). The highlights of the rock grotto are found on Mount Baoding and Mount Beishan.
Entrance Fee: CNY 130
Opening Hours: 09:00-16:00
How to get there: There are long-distance buses to the Dazu Rock Carvings both from Chongqing and Chengdu.
No. 04: Stilwell Museum (aka Flying Tigers Musuem)
Stilwell Museum lies on No.63 Jialing New Road, 15 kilometers to the urban area. It was founded in memory of Joseph W. Stilwell, an American general who contributed a great deal to the Chinese people.
Covering an area of 5,000 square meters, the structure is a two-storey building with a basement. The main building is the former residence of General Stilwell.
It includes an office, an adjutant room, two meeting rooms, bedrooms and a basement. Simple furniture is shown as it was during the time that he lived there, and more than one hundred articles such as household goods, manuscripts and the uniform which was used by the general are displayed.
A part of the former residence of General Joseph Warren Stilwell has turned into the Flying Tigers Museum in Chongqing. For more information, please check out the link: Flying Tiger Museum Chongqing.
Entrance Fee: CNY 5
Opening Hours: 09:00-17:00
How to get there: take the Light Rail and get off at Lizibei Station, Chongqing
No. 05: Wulong Karst Geological Park
The Wulong Karst, a UNESCO world heritage site, is located at Wujiang River downriver of Southeastern Chongqing. It covers three karst systems of Sanqiao Natural Bridges which are dotted in mid-north, southeast and northeast of Wulong County.
The park includes three natural bridges, the gorge valley, the Tianmen Cave Bridge, Furong caves, 45 degree Pingange Cableway, and Fairy Mt with the Mist Pavilion.
Wulong Karst Geological Park is located about 180km to the east of Chongqing city. You may take the long-distance bus or slow train to reach the park.
No. 06: Chongqing Zoo
Located at the western suburb of the main urban area, Chongqing zoo is surrounded by beautiful mountains.
The panda house, the highlight of the zoo, will offer you wonderful experience.
Chongqing Zoo was established in 1955.
Covering an area of more than 45 hectares., the zoo owns more than 230 species of animals, with a total amount of more than 6000 animals that ranks Chongqing Zoo as one of the biggest national urban Zoos. The nature scene is a great treasure.
Entrance Fee: CNY 20
Opening Hours: 08:00-18:00
How to get there: take Buses No. 412, 413,
No. 07: Three Gorges Museum
Three Gorges Museum is situated at the west part of the People’s Square of Chongqing. Occupying an area of 30,000 square meters, the museum was completed and opened to the public on Jun 18 , 2005.
China Three Gorges Museum has another name – Chongqing Museum. It’s not only a specified museum of Three Gorges but also a comprehensive museum of history and art, a collection of over 170,000 pieces of cultural relics. The museum also equips an International Academic Hall, an Audience Activities Center and 3 temporary Exhibition Halls.|
Entrance Fee: free
Opening Hours: 09:00-17:00
How to get there: take Bus No. 145 and get off at the Great Hall of the People Station
No. 08: Great Hall of the People
Chongqing People’s Great Hall is situated at Xuetian Wan, Renmin Road, Chongqing and covers an area of 66,000 square meters with a 4,000-seat auditorium. The Great Hall of the People is considered the emblem of Chongqing.
The whole building was designed based on traditional Chinese architecture that was in fashion in Ming and Qing Dynasty.
The round roof with its green glazed tiles makes the building looks like the Temple of Heaven in Beijing, the porch in front of the hall with its red columns and white marble rails reminds people of the Tian’an Men gate in Beijing.
Entrance Fee: CNY 5
Opening Hours: 08:00-18:00
How to get there: take Buses No. 103, 104, 105, 111, 112, 122, 215, 181 or 503 to get to the Great Hall of the People
No. 09: Fishing City
The old town was built in 1242, or the 2nd year of the Chunyou reign of the Southern Song (about 1100-1279). In 1258, the Mongols launched a total attack on the Song and the Fishing Town was besieged.
The Song army mounted a valiant counterattack that lasted 36 years. Some European historians to laud Fishing Town as the “Mecca of the East” and “Where God broke his whip”. The ruins of the ancient battlefield of Fishing Town are well kept there.
No. 10: Three Gorges at Yangtze River
The Yangtze River ( or called “Changjiang” in Chinese ) is over 6,300 kilometers long, the largest and longest river in China, also the third longest in the world, next just to the Nile in northeast Africa and the Amazon in South America.
The source of the Yangtze River is linked to the Tanggula Mountain chain in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, southwest of China.The Yangtze River flows from west to east through provinces of Qinghai, Tibet, Sichuan, Yunnan, Sichuan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Anhui and Jiangsu as well as the city of Chongqing, Wuhan and Shanghai, finally entering the East China Sea.
For more information, please check out: Cruise on Yangtze River.
With much rainfall all year round, the Yangtze River is regarded as the golden watercourse.The most impressive part of the river is the three Yangtze River gorges, namely Qutang Gorge, WuGorge and Xiling Gorge, known as Sanxia in Chinese, or the Three Gorges. Qutang Gorge, Wu Gorge are within the administrative area of Chongqing.
Tip: Hassle-free Chongqing Guided Tours
If you don’t want to go the do-it-yourself route and prefer the hassle-free escorted tours, here are some options for guided tours to Chongqing:
Chongqing Tour
Chongqing 3 Day Classic Tour
Chongqing Car Rental
Chongqing One Day Highlight Tour
Chongqing Dazu Grottoes Day Tour
Chongqing Yangtze River Yichang Classic 4 Day Tour
Further Readings
Top 10 Attractions in Chongqing
Best Time to Visit Chongqing
Ciqikou Old Town
Flying Tigers Museum
Yangtze River Cruise Daily Schedule – Victoria Cruises
Zhazidong prison, the site of Zhazidong Prison
Three Gorges Museum
Chongqing People’ Hall
Any questions, just drop a line.
please advice me some good romantic places in chongqing city, moreover, please advice me the names of good hot springs with the locations
Hello Shaan,
1) Churches in Chongqing
2) Simianshan (四面山) : The Simianshan Scenic Area
3) Cruising on the Three Gorges.
We need a pick-up fron chongqing airport at 10:00 am Sep 1, sightseeing (great hall of people, people liberation monument, ciqikou old town, and the zoo) and drop off at the Yangtz cruise terminal by 5:00 pm. This is for three people. Please advise a rate.