Tongluoshan Quarry Pools
Decommissioned limestone quarry turned free park with turquoise water, often called Chongqing's little Jiuzhaigou.
Written and signed by Marcus YangWhat it actually is
Decommissioned limestone quarry turned free public park about 40 km north of central Chongqing, where flooded mining pits hold turquoise water that visitors compare to Sichuan's Jiuzhaigou Valley.
Editor's take
Worth a half-day trip if you have a car or a DiDi booked for the return, especially on a clear autumn weekday. Skip if you only have a weekend morning, hate long drives, or expect a manicured park experience — this is rugged, post-industrial, and slow-paced.
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Emerald Water in Abandoned Pits
Tongluoshan (Tongluo Mountain, "copper gong mountain") was a working limestone quarry until the 2010s. Rainwater and snowmelt filled the cut pits with startlingly clear turquoise water, while the pit walls still show the original drill marks and machine-cut terraces from the mining era.
The "Chongqing Jiuzhaigou" Nickname
Regular visitors call this "Chongqing's little Jiuzhaigou" — Jiuzhaigou Valley is a UNESCO park in Sichuan famous for multi-tiered turquoise lakes. The water here genuinely rivals it in color, just in a smaller, more industrial package.
Quiet on Weekdays, Crowded on Weekends
Visitors consistently report that weekdays see almost no one, while weekend afternoons get busy with photo-taking crowds and drone pilots. Best window: arrive before 10 AM on a weekday for the cleanest water reflections and zero queues at the pit edge.