Things to do in Chóngqìng
-
A
Luóhàn Sì Arhat Temple
Just a 10-minute walk from Liberation Monument, the 1000-year-old Buddhist Luóhàn Sì Arhat temple stands in stark contrast to the concrete jungle outside its gates. Luóhàn is the Chinese expression of the Sanskrit arhat, which is a Buddhist term for those enlightened disciples who have overcome the bondages of greed, hate and ignorance.
The temple's most striking feature is a long corridor of Song dynasty rock carvings. Among these carvings are a large bronze Buddha and an Indian-style jataka mural of Prince Siddhartha cutting his hair to renounce the world. There are also over 500 terracotta arhats, which could not withstand fires, bombs and pollution, and so have b…
reviewed
-
B
Pirates Pub
Serves up the ingenious combination of pirates and disco. Local bands start playing most nights at 21:00 but the mutiny doesn't happen until 23:00. Look for three ship's sails.
reviewed
-
Gele Mountain Martyrs' Memorial
The sites of the Gele Mountain Martyrs' Memorial relate to how in 1943 the USA and Chiang Kaishek signed a secret agreement to set up the Sino-American Cooperation Organisation (SACO), under which the USA helped to train and dispatch secret agents for the Kuomintang. The chief of SACO was Dai Li, the ruthless head of the Kuomintang military secret service, and US Navy Commodore Milton Miles served as deputy chief.
Though the Kuomintang had recognised the Communist Red Army as allies in the struggle against the Japanese invaders, it never recognised the Communist Party as a legal political entity. The Kuomintang held adherents of repressive laws and imprisoned high-ranking…
reviewed
-
Hú Guǎng Huì Guǎn guild
The Hú Guǎng Huì Guǎn guild served as the seat of immigrant life 300 years ago in the Qin dynasty. Eager to increase the paltry population in Sìchuān, the government encouraged widespread immigration beginning in AD 316. By the time of the guild, the population was 800,000 and rapidly growing as settlers arrived mostly from the Hú (Húnán and Húběi) and Guǎng (Guǎngdōng and Guǎngxī) provinces, as well as ten others.
People came to the guild for legal processing and to worship and celebrate with other new arrivals. English guides are available, though you could easily spend a day wandering on your own through the beautifully restored guild houses and their c…
reviewed
-
C
Stilwell Museum
The Stilwell Museum by Eling Park is something of a novelty in China as it focuses on the American involvement in WWII. It is the former VIP guesthouse of the Kuomintang and residence of General Joseph Stilwell, commander of the US forces in the China-Burma-India Theatre and chief-of-staff to Chiang Kaishek in 1942.
Stilwell realised early on that a successful resistance required the cooperation of the Kuomintang and communist forces, and it was at his urging that Chiang relented for a time. Repeated efforts to bring the two sides together in a truly unified front against the Japanese largely failed, Stilwell said later, because of Chiang's obsession with wiping out the c…
reviewed
-
Cíqìkǒu Ancient Town
The opportunity to glimpse slices of old Chóngqìng makes it worth riding out to this part of town, on the Jiālíng River west of the centre. Most of the buildings, many dating to the late Ming dynasty, have been restored for tourists, and the main drag can feel like a carnival, but away from the central street, a living, working village remains. You can easily lose yourself in its narrow lanes, peeking into homes and tiny storefronts. And there's plenty to eat here, both in the alleys and overlooking the river.
It's also worth poking your head inside Bǎolún Sì, one of Cíqìkǒu's only remaining temples. Its main building is more than 1000 years old.
Take bus 503 (40 …
reviewed
-
D
Bomb Shelter
You could easily miss the entrance to this Bomb Shelter save for graphic carvings on its exterior of men, women and children engulfed in flames. Japanese bombers usually flew in by night, following the silver reflection of the moonlight on the Yangzi to pinpoint the city. A small display of photographs documents the effects of 104 separate air strikes between 1938 and 1943, particularly 5 June 1941 when bombs fell for five hours and killed 2500 people.
It is estimated that thousands more suffocated in shelters throughout the city behind caved-in entrances. This is very short walk from Liberation Monument.
reviewed
-
E
Three Gorges Museum
This sleek museum showcases the history of settlement in the Chóngqìng region. A 1st-floor exhibition about the Three Gorges includes a model of the dam, and upstairs you can learn more about southwest China's minority cultures through their clothing and artwork. Some exhibits have better English captions than others, but the artefacts are well presented throughout.
Although admission is free, you need a ticket from the booth outside on the square.
From the Dàxīgōu light rail station, the museum is about a 15-minute walk west along Renmin Lu.
reviewed
-
Trackers' Cultural museum
Across from the Bǎolún Sì temple and down the stairway is the small Trackers' Cultural museum , dedicated to the Yangzi's boat trackers. Working in gangs of up to 30, these muscle men employed moves like 'phoenixes nodding their heads', where each dug into the ground with one hand and steadied the rope with the other to haul boats upriver. The curator, Cheng Wei Bing, was himself a tracker for 30 years and many items including the braided bamboo rope and rainhat are his own gear.
There are few English captions here, but there are neat wooden-boat models.
reviewed
-
F
Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea
This small enclave of offices and residences served as the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea during WWII. In response to brutal colonial rule by the Japanese, the Korean heads of state fled to China in 1909 and formed an alliance. They set up camp in Shànghǎi and eventually moved to Chóngqìng in 1940. The provisional government's plea to President Roosevelt, written in imperfect but plaintive English, hangs in a gallery accompanied by haunting footage of the air raids.
This is within 10 minutes' walking distance of Liberation Monument.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
G
Chongqing Changjiang Sightseeing
Buy tickets for a river cruise at most hotels or the travel agencies around Cháotiānmén including Chongqing Changjiang Sightseeing. Cruises board at 18:30, serve dinner at 19:00, and cruise from 20:00 to 22:00. Just don't expect too much out of the food. They depart nightly, March through January, from Cháotiānmén Dock.
Most cruises sail around the peninsula and pass under both the Jialing and Yangzi bridges, giving you a good look at Chóngqìng by night when the grey is dressed up with a flash of neon.
reviewed
-
H
Liberation Monument
If you have just a couple of days to spend in the city, Liberation Monument is the best place to start. First built to commemorate Sun Yatsen's death, the wooden tower's dedication was twice revised to mark the victory over the Japanese in 1947 and the first anniversary of the People's Republic of China in 1950. It's also the site of a spectacle every morning at 06:00, when hundreds congregate at its base for tai chi practice.
Keep an eye out for blue Chinese and English markers pointing the way to major sites and shopping around this area.
reviewed
-
Red Cliff Village Museum
The Red Cliff Village Museum is one of China's better revolutionary-history museums. It includes a large collection of wartime photos and furnishings. A short walk from the museum stands the old headquarters of the South Bureau of the Communist Party's Central Committee and the office of the Eighth Route Army, which fought on the frontlines under a strict code of ethics that are still referred to by Chinese parents and schoolteachers today.
reviewed
-
I
Little Swan Hot Pot
Recommended for those who don't subscribe to the sweating-buckets-perched-on-a-plastic-stool hotpot experience. There's air-con, tablecloths, and five kinds of broth. Ask to 'zìzhù huǒguǒ' (自助火鍋), which allows you to choose from 30 different meats, vegetables and noodles wheeled to your table. Take bus 112 from Linjiang Lu just northwest of Liberation Monument.
reviewed
-
Bǎolún Sì
A network of alleyways and walking streets comprises Ciqikou Ancient Town. Check the map at the two main gates for all the attractions. A few sights not to be missed include Bǎolún Sì, one the last remaining of Ciqikou's five temples (another now serves as a primary school). The magnificent main building dates back 1000 years to the Northern Song dynasty.
reviewed
-
J
Guānyīn Qiáo
Ages ago on this spot, Guanyin, goddess of mercy, saved residents from a flood with a lotus bridge. Today, the only magic around here is how your money disappears. Pick up Italian boots in the Las Vegas Underground Sleepless Town and then skip over to the Hong Kong Center for American designer jeans. For brand names, check out Mào Yè Department Store.
reviewed
-
K
Chongqing Planning Exhibition Gallery
The newly renovated Chongqing Planning Exhibition Gallery sets recent local history to flashing lights. As told by models, lasers and interactive consoles, the story of the Three Gorges Dam is a rosy one. Downstairs, a separate room is devoted to each of the 43 townships and counties comprising the municipality. The exhibits have many expert English captions.
reviewed
-
L
Dee Dee's Bar
Tucked down steps next to the Holiday Inn (Yangzi), this bar remains the hub of the city's expat community thanks in part to its Thursday dart tourneys. Aside from the decent beer and grub, this is the place to gather local knowledge about things like where to get a good milkshake. The word is AE&E Restaurant.
reviewed
-
Hǒngyádòng
Built into the cliffs overlooking the Jialing, this massive complex is a Disney version of the tumbledown houses that once stood in its place. If you have just a day to try local food and pick up souvenirs, it's a fun place to wander around. The handicraft stalls are on the 3rd floor, and food is on the 4th.
reviewed
-
M
Lǎo Sìchuān Dájiǔlǒu
Locals bring visitors here to ease them into the region's spicy cuisine. The reason? 'It's not so spicy', one patron divulged gesturing to his pansy-mouthed Běijīng friend. The food is otherwise pretty authentic, though if you order from the English menu, more likely to be tourist-oriented.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
Nanshan Park
Across the Yangzi lies the least-developed corner of the city and the Nanshan Scenic Area. It contains a number of parks including Nanshan Park (Nánshān Gōngyuán), which has spectacular rose and orchid gardens as well as cherry blossoms in bloom from mid-March to early May.
reviewed
-
Tǒngjǐng Springs
Tǒngjǐng Springs is the most manicured and modern of the hot springs retreats. You can stay for up to a month in an apartment. Single and double rooms go for around Y390 and around Y470. Take bus 612 from Cháotiānmén between 08:00 and 23:00 for the hour-long trip.
reviewed
-
Yangtze River Cruise
4 days (Chongqing)
Cruise the Yangtze River through the changing landscape of the Three Gorges.
Not LP reviewed
from USD$860 -
N
True Love
This eccentric hangout is a lonely hearts club set to upbeat background music. Theme nights include find-a-date (have your mini-bio ready to read on stage along with your cell-phone number) and Arabian night when belly dancers shimmy around the uncomfortable date you just found.
reviewed
-
Bái Gōngguǎn
Prisoners on Gele Mountain were also kept in Bái Gōngguǎn, a residence turned makeshift internment camp about 20 minutes from Zhāzǐ Dòng (just follow the signs). On display are gory pictures and films about the massacre of communist prisoners.
reviewed
