Chongqing is a mountain city at the meeting of the Yangtze and Jialing rivers in southwest China. Chinese Wikipedia calls it the largest of China’s four direct-administered municipalities by area, with 82,400 square kilometers and a registered resident population of about 31.9 million in 2024, a figure that covers the whole municipality, including rural districts, not only the urban core. Visitors come for the night views, the old riverside lanes and the hotpot, and many board a Yangtze cruise here.
| Municipality | 82,400 km²; about 31.9 million residents (2024); became a direct-administered municipality on 14 March 1997 |
|---|---|
| Name | from 1189, when a prince crowned emperor made the city “Chongqing”, double celebration |
| Treaty port | opened in 1891, China’s first inland treaty port |
| Hongyadong | opened 29 September 2006; 11 floors, 53,000 m² of space, built in stilt-house style |
| Changjiang Cableway | opened 24 October 1987; 1,166 m long; about three minutes |
| Ciqikou | old river port in Shapingba, nicknamed “Little Chongqing” |
What to see in Chongqing
Hongyadong at night
Hongyadong is a riverside complex built into the cliff in the style of traditional stilt houses, eleven floors high, and lit in gold after dark. It opened on 29 September 2006. It became a social-media favorite after 2016, when online viewers compared its lit outline to the bathhouse in the animated film Spirited Away. Chinese Wikipedia reports that on the May Day holiday of 2018 its visitor numbers passed 80,000, and in 2019 they passed 140,000. Expect crowds in the evening, and go earlier or on a weekday for space.
Changjiang Cableway
The cable car crosses the Yangtze from Xinhua Road in Yuzhong to the Longmenhao area in Nan’an. It opened on 24 October 1987, is 1,166 meters long and takes about three minutes. It is a short way to see the river and the city’s hills, and it appears in the city’s list of protected heritage sites.
Ciqikou old town
Ciqikou lies beside the Jialing River in Shapingba and was a trading port from the Ming and Qing dynasties on. Its name comes from the porcelain industry of the Qing period; the shift from “porcelain” to “magnetic” in the name was a homophone error that stuck. The old town has 12 stone-paved lanes with Ming and Qing style buildings, and snacks such as Chen’s fried dough twists and mao xue wang. It is crowded at weekends.
Chongqing and the Yangtze cruise
Many Yangtze River cruises start or end in Chongqing. The Three Gorges project downstream is the reason the city was made a direct-administered municipality in 1997. Plan one or two nights in the city before boarding or after you disembark. See our China tours for cruise options.
How many days and when to go
One and a half to two days is enough for the main sights: Hongyadong and the cableway in one day, and Ciqikou with a hotpot meal the next. Spring and autumn are the most comfortable seasons. Summers are hot and humid in the river valley, and the city is known for fog in the cooler months, which is part of why it is nicknamed “the fog capital”.
Planning Chongqing with Absolute Asia Tours
Absolute Asia Tours has planned private trips in Asia since 1989. For Chongqing that means a guide who knows the order of the districts, restaurant bookings for hotpot, and the transfer to your cruise ship. We’re rated 4.8 out of 5 across about 900 traveler reviews. See our China tours or tell us your dates.
Sources (read in Chinese, Chinese Wikipedia): 重庆市, 洪崖洞, 磁器口古镇, 长江索道. Last checked November 2026.
Chongqing: FAQ
How many days do you need in Chongqing?
One and a half to two days for the main sights.
What is Hongyadong?
An eleven-floor stilt-house-style complex on the river cliff that opened in 2006 and is famous for its golden night lighting.
How long is the Changjiang Cableway?
1,166 meters, with a crossing of about three minutes. It opened in 1987.
Why is it called Chongqing?
In 1189 a prince was named emperor, which the city treated as a second celebration, and it was renamed Chongqing, meaning double celebration.
Is Chongqing the start of Yangtze cruises?
Many cruises through the Three Gorges start or end here.
Photo: GeoffLeng, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Hongyadong at night.
