Chongqing｜Check in the Magical Mountain City’s Human Touch and Vibrant Life

When it comes to Chongqing, the public’s first impression is always “magical.” But strolling through this city, you’ll find— “Magical” is just its most common label, while the “vibrant life” is the city’s most worth-exploring gene. 🚶【Itinerary】 D1: Daijia Alley Cliffside Trail — Hongya Cave Ferry — Tanzishi Old Street — Yangtze River Bridge — Chongqing Grand Theatre — Qiansimen Bridge D2: Guanyin Bridge — Taping Community — Beicang Cultural and Creative District — Jiu Street D3: E’ling Park — Mountain City Trail — Shibati — Baixiangju — Dongshuimen Bridge — Kuixing Tower — Longtousi Park D4: Ma’anshan Community — Opening Site Park — Longmenhao Old Street 📍【Travel Tips】 1️⃣ Daijia Alley Cliffside Trail This cliffside trail hanging between Jialing River Riverside Road and Daijia Alley is about 750 meters long with a nearly 60-meter drop, making it a unique mountain city landscape in Chongqing. Along the trail, you’ll see stilted buildings, banyan trees, and ancient city walls everywhere. Walking here offers a special “Old Chongqing” charm. You can also enjoy the river breeze while overlooking the bustling Jialing River and Jiangbeizui across the river. There are also photo spots for Hongya Cave and Qiansimen Bridge, allowing you to capture the mountain city’s charm from different angles. 🚉 Transportation: Linjiangmen Station Exit 2 2️⃣ Taping Community A hidden gem community in the heart of Chongqing, transformed from residential areas of the 80s and 90s, now a trendy spot favored by hipsters and known as “Chongqing’s Little Seoul.” The community is full of atmospheric coffee shops, dessert stores, and vintage shops. Wandering into any alley might reveal surprises tucked in corners. Meanwhile, the community retains the vibrant life of daily living, blending with the fashionable artistic vibe, creating a unique charm. 🚉 Transportation: Guanyin Bridge Station Exit 4 3️⃣ Beicang Cultural and Creative District A niche artistic area next to Guanyin Bridge, renovated from old factories. It preserves the historical traces of old Chongqing while injecting modern design. Walls covered with graffiti, retro cafes, and handmade shops fill the area with artistic vibes, letting you temporarily escape the city’s hustle and enjoy a leisurely little happiness. There’s also the 24-hour Beicang Library, which hosts various exhibitions and lectures irregularly, and offers a quiet space to immerse yourself in your own little universe of reading. 🚉 Transportation: Guanyin Bridge Station Exit 4 4️⃣ E’ling Park Known as the “green lung” hidden in the Yuzhong Peninsula, originally a private garden built by a wealthy merchant in the late Qing Dynasty, now a popular walking spot for locals. Here you can climb the Kansheng Tower to enjoy the cityscape of Jiangbei District, feeling the beauty of prosperity and tranquility intertwined; stroll through the Japanese-style garden to admire exquisite landscaping; and visit historical buildings like the former Danish Consulate to appreciate the passage of time. 🚉 Transportation: E’ling Station Exit 3 5️⃣ Mountain City Trail Visiting the mountain city, how can you miss the thrill of ups and downs? We recommend the third trail, which is easy on the legs and full of cultural atmosphere. Starting from Consulate Alley, it passes Ren’ai Wilderness Theater, ancient city wall ruins, Ren’ai Hall, the old site of Jinma Temple Primary School, cliffside plank road, and the Mountain City Alley Memory Museum. Walk along and feel the traces of time and the romance of the mountain city. 🚉 Transportation: Qixinggang Station Exit 1 6️⃣ Baixiangju This old residential building built in 1992 is not only a filming location for many TV dramas and a popular check-in spot but also attracts with its everyday life scenes. Standing in the corridor on the 10th floor, above you is the roaring Yangtze River Cableway, below are residents’ balconies drying chili strings; the worn stair railings record the daily “climbing uphill” of three generations, and the sound of cooking from the kitchen stirs nostalgic taste buds. Every moment here is worth engraving in memory. 🚉 Transportation: Xiaoshizi Station Exit 7 7️⃣ Ma’anshan Community Another vivid representation of mountain city life, this area preserves the most original look of old Chongqing, with winding stone steps, nostalgic old houses beside bluestone stairs, moss-covered old trees, and a sacred and solemn church. At the same time, it features imaginative graffiti walls and cute Totoro dolls, instantly transporting you to a fairy tale from fifty years ago. 🚉 Transportation: Shangxinjie Station Exit 2 8️⃣ Longmenhao Old Street The best-preserved and largest historic cultural old street in Chongqing’s main urban area, containing 18 historic buildings. The culture of the opening era, the War of Resistance, Bayu culture, and religious culture all shine here. As Chongqing’s “hidden gem,” it features winding stone steps, weathered old walls, coffee shops and bookstores tucked deep in alleys, and the city’s best viewing platform, where you can fully take in Chaotianmen Wharf, Jiefangbei, and Yangtze River cruises. 🚉 Transportation: Shangxinjie Station Exit 2