Chongqing Mountain City Walk
A 3-day Chongqing city walk linking Jiefangbei, Liziba, Longmenhao and the South Bank riverside, with a must-see detour to Hong Ya Dong's neon stilted houses.
Written and signed by Alex ChuWhat it actually is
A 3-day Chongqing city walk that strings together Hong Ya Dong riverside stilted houses, the Liziba light rail through a tower, the Longmenhao Old Street and Xiahaoli old quarter, and the Nanbin Road two-river confluence. Expect steep stairs, sudden skyline reveals, late-night mala hotpot, and a Chongqing pace that turns an ordinary Friday night into a movie set.
Editor's take
Worth it if you want to actually feel Chongqing's stacked-on-a-cliff geography on foot rather than just snap the light-rail-through-a-building shot — go on a clear day, screenshot the route first, and start early to beat the heat. Skip it if your knees can't handle steps or you need a path you won't get lost on.
Essentials
Good to know
Chongqing 3-Day Mountain City Walk
Begin at the Jiefangbei monument and Daijia Lane hotpot before mid-morning, catch the Liziba train-through-tower shot in late morning, drop down to Longmenhao Old Street and Xiahaoli for coffee in the afternoon, finish at the Nanbin Road promenade for the Yangtze (China's longest river, roughly 6300 km) and Jialing confluence at sunset. Recommended start: 09:30
- 1
Jiefangbei Pedestrian Street· 1-2 hrs
Stroll the Jiefangbei (Liberation Monument, built 1947 to mark WWII victory) pedestrian loop, then drop into Daijia Lane (Dai Jia Xiang, a stair-step alley) for hotpot
Take Line 6 to Xiaoshizi Station, Exit 9 (~5 min walk)
- 2
Liziba Light Rail Through Building· 30-45 min
Watch a Line 2 train emerge from the residential tower at Liziba Station — viewing platform beside Jialing New Road Park (best at 9-11 AM in Apr-Oct)
Line 2 to Liziba Station, Exit 1 (~3 min walk)
- 3
Longmenhao Old Street & Xiahaoli· 2-3 hrs
Walk the Longmenhao (Dragon-Gate Port) stone lanes to the city-frame arch over the Yangtze (China's longest river, roughly 6300 km), then descend into Xiahaoli (a re-stitched 19th-century foreign-trading quarter) for coffee shops
Line 6 to Shangxin Street Station, Exit 2 (~10 min walk downhill)
- 4
Nanbin Road Two-River Confluence· 1.5-2 hrs
End at the Nanbin Road (South Bank Riverside) promenade where the Yangtze (China's longest river, roughly 6300 km) and Jialing rivers meet — Saturday 21:00 light show frames Chaotianmen Bridge (lively after 18:30)
Walk 800 m east along the riverside from Longmenhao (~12 min)
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Hong Ya Dong Riverside Stilted Houses
Hong Ya Dong (Hong Ya Dong, literally flood-cave nest) is an 11-storey stilted house block carved into the Jialing River cliff — neon-lit from 18:30 in winter. Best vantage is across the road at the 11th-floor viewing deck for the framed tower-and-river shot (best at 18:30-20:00 in Oct-Mar when fog lifts).
Liziba Light Rail Through a Tower
Liziba Station on Line 2 (one of China's deepest metro lines, 6-storey underground) sends a train straight through a residential tower between floors 6 and 8. The viewing platform beside Jialing New Road Park (Jialing Xin Lu Gong Yuan, opened 2012 for this purpose) gives the iconic angle (best at 9-11 AM in Apr-Oct when sunlight hits the building face).
Longmenhao Old Street & Two-River Confluence
Walk Longmenhao (Long Men Hao, dragon-gate port, 19th-century foreign-trading quarter) Old Street to the city-frame stone arch over the Yangtze (China's longest river, roughly 6300 km), then descend to Nanbin Road (South Bank Riverside) for the Yangtze and Jialing rivers confluence light show every Saturday 21:00 (lively after 18:30).