Chongqing
重庆
Skip Hongyadong, rent a car, find the real mountain city
Chongqing is two cities: the Hongyadong Instagram trap that everyone sees, and the fascinating mountain metropolis that few explore. With a car and willingness to venture beyond Jiefangbei, you'll find China's most dramatic urban landscape, authentic hot pot culture, and surrounding areas that rival any natural scenery in China.
- •Hongyadong is a crowded LED-lit tourist trap selling overpriced souvenirs
- •Jiefangbei is just another Chinese CBD with luxury malls
- •The cable car and river cruises are tourist-priced disappointments
- •City center is overwhelming with crowds and commercialization
- •Most visitors never leave the tourist bubble
Solution:
Rent a car and explore the districts beyond the center
→ From tourist trap to one of China's most interesting cities
Booking tip: Stay in Nanbin Road for views, not Jiefangbei
With Car
Without Car
Ciqikou Ancient Town (early morning)
Visit before 9am when locals still outnumber tourists
Wulong Karst landscapes
Stunning natural scenery 3 hours away, needs a car
Local hot pot in residential areas
The real deal, not the tourist versions
Mountain trails and old steps
The vertical city reveals itself when you walk the old paths
Dazu Rock Carvings
UNESCO site 2 hours away, criminally undervisited
- →Hongyadong looks better from across the river than up close
- →Real hot pot has a layer of oil that would horrify health inspectors
- →The metro is extensive but a car unlocks the real treasures
- →Summer is unbearably hot and humid, avoid June-August
- →Learn to use Gaode Maps, Google Maps is useless here