Chongqing Attractions: Complete Visitor Guide
8 must-visit sites in Chongqing — tickets, hours, transport, and tips for foreign tourists.
Quick Jump:
1Must-Visit Attractions
Must VisitFree EntryHongya Cave
洪崖洞
An 11-story stilted structure built into a cliff face along the Jialing River, glowing with golden lanterns at night. Often compared to the spirit world in Spirited Away, it houses shops, restaurants, and bars across multiple terraced levels.
Must VisitDazu Rock Carvings
大足石刻
UNESCO World Heritage Site featuring over 50,000 Buddhist, Confucian, and Taoist rock carvings dating from the 7th to 13th centuries. The Baoding Mountain site contains the monumental 31-meter Reclining Buddha and exquisitely preserved polychrome sculptures.
Must VisitWulong Karst
武隆喀斯特
UNESCO World Heritage karst landscape featuring the Three Natural Bridges - massive limestone arches towering over 200 meters high - and the Longshuixia Fissure Gorge. A filming location for Transformers: Age of Extinction.
2Popular Attractions
PopularFree EntryCiqikou Old Town
磁器口古镇
A well-preserved Ming and Qing Dynasty porcelain trading town on the Jialing River. Narrow flagstone alleyways wind through traditional timber-frame buildings housing teahouses, artisan workshops, and Chongqing's best street food vendors.
PopularYangtze River Cableway
长江索道
China's only cross-river cableway still in operation, spanning 1,166 meters across the Yangtze River. Originally built in 1987 as public transit, it now offers a thrilling 4-minute aerial ride with dramatic skyline views of both Yuzhong and Nan'an districts.
PopularFree EntryThree Gorges Museum
三峡博物馆
Chongqing's premier museum covering the history and culture of the Three Gorges region, the city's wartime role as China's capital, and Ba-Yu civilization. Features a stunning 360-degree Three Gorges film experience and rescued cultural relics from the dam reservoir area.
3Hidden Gems & Local Favorites
Hidden GemFree EntryJiefangbei
解放碑
Chongqing's iconic Liberation Monument and surrounding pedestrian CBD. The 27-meter monument commemorates victory in WWII, now ringed by a vibrant commercial district with luxury malls, street performers, and some of the city's best Chongqing hotpot restaurants.
Hidden GemFree EntryEling Park
鹅岭公园
A hilltop park on the narrowest point of the Yuzhong Peninsula, offering the only vantage point where you can see both the Yangtze and Jialing rivers simultaneously. Once a private garden of a Qing Dynasty official, it now features pavilions, gardens, and the Eling Two Rivers viewing tower.