Mid-Autumn & National Day Complete Travel Guide to Chongqing Liangjiang Film City
Bringing together the cultures of the Anti-Japanese War, the provisional capital, and Bayu, Liangjiang International Film City tells the story of historical and cultural changes in the heroic city of Chongqing through its past and present appearance. Its urban look and unique charm must not be forgotten and should not be forgotten.
Built in 2012 to support renowned director Feng Xiaogang’s epic historical film *Back to 1942* and officially opened to the public, Liangjiang Film City is located in Longxing Town, Yubei District, Chongqing. It is a large-scale comprehensive tourist destination integrating film and television shooting, cultural tourism, holiday leisure, and historical landscape sightseeing.
Since 2012, the scenic area has successively restored and built over 200 iconic buildings and historical streets that reflect the period from Chongqing’s opening as a port, especially the provisional capital era. These include the Victory Monument, Qunlin Market, Hengdali Clock & Watch Store, Jincheng Bank, Jianguo Bank, Guanshengyuan Food Company, Cathay Theater, National Government Building, Jiangquantai Mansion, Qiansimen, and Chaotianmen Dock. Because of this, visitors affectionately call it “Minguo Street” (Republican-Era Street).
After a two-year closed-door expansion from 2015, Liangjiang International Film City reopened on New Year’s Day 2017. Since then, visitor numbers have exceeded 5 million. Its profound cultural heritage and unique historical settings are deeply loved by study tour groups, making it a nationally renowned “Modern Historical and Cultural Tourist Destination.”
Now, with just a 40-yuan admission ticket, you can step into Chongqing Liangjiang Film City to savor the everyday life of 1942 Chongqing. The area has also added many interactive visitor activities; it not only recreates the Republican-era charm of old Chongqing but also invites you to be part of it, making it a fantastic weekend getaway for people from Chongqing, Sichuan, and surrounding regions. Now, come along with me and take a look~!
After checking your ticket at the gate, don’t rush in. First, find the “Houze Chengyi Ju” costume-changing point next to the visitor center for a free outfit change. Three important things to remember: The very first thing before entering is to change your clothes! Change! Change!
The costume room is stocked with a large collection of Republican-era attire – qipao dresses, long gowns, mandarin jackets, Nationalist uniforms, military caps, and more. Pick one you like, put it on, and take a look in the mirror. Don’t you notice a little transformation?
I recommend changing into a military uniform, paired with a military cap – it’s especially dashing!
Student uniforms are also very popular; for ladies’ qipao, go for a checkered pattern for a real period feel.
The first thing we see is the Victory Monument. Its shape is exactly the same as the Liberation Monument in Yuzhong District. It carries our memory and respect for the martyrs, symbolizes the indomitable spirit and iron-blooded courage of the Chinese nation, and is also the core landmark of the Minguo Street area.
Under the aircraft in the square, a live band performs, attracting many visitors to stop and watch.
Put on a military uniform and sit in a rickshaw – experience what it’s like to be a movie star :)
In the area, I saw many families bringing their elderly relatives. I believe such “family” activities let more seniors relive their younger days, making families more harmonious and life even better~!
Walking deeper into the film city, what kind of 1942 awaits us?
“Guests upstairs, guests downstairs, listen to my boss negotiate...”
“Extra! Extra!” – The shouts instantly transport us to a bygone era. The buildings seem familiar from movies, and looking at the visitors strolling by in costume, you suddenly feel as if you’ve traveled through time –
The scenic area also has these vintage “ding-ding trams” and battery carts; if you don’t want to walk too much, you can ride them.
In the wartime provisional capital, newsboys dashed through the streets, sedan chairs bobbed up and down, and old teahouses buzzed with chatter...
These fragments of memory gradually link together in our minds, and the curtain of reminiscence is drawn back.
The first stop was the Camera and Sewing Machine Museum. It’s one of the film city’s most treasured attractions and one I highly recommend.
The Jiahe Classic Camera Museum houses the largest collection of classic cameras in the country.
The museum has three floors covering 400 square meters, displaying over a thousand classic cameras from China and abroad, spanning different eras, countries, and functions.
These vintage cameras represent the pinnacle of mechanical, optical, and material science from around the world. Some rare pieces are unique even globally, and many foreign experts make special trips just to see them.
The museum also has miniature spy cameras, transmitters, and sewing machines from espionage films, as well as all kinds of old-model cameras gathered from various countries – too many to count. Many are rare treasures well worth exploring at leisure.
During the Republican era, Chongqing had many photo studios, and the most famous was – the Provisional Capital Photo Studio.
You know the camera from movies that emits smoke, where the photographer hides under a cloth and the image appears upside down – it’s really fascinating.
Taking your time in the Jiahe Museum is a true feast for the eyes and well worth the trip!
Walking around the area, you’ll occasionally come across performances like military police patrols, student marches, and press-gang roundups.
The actors in the film city give authentic performances, and some visitors who love acting spontaneously join in, making it hard to tell who’s who – the scenes are absolutely hilarious.
There are rickshaw pullers in the film city who are practically directors in their own right; they’ll teach you how to use props and strike poses – the resulting photos are truly time-travel blockbusters :)
Many scenes in the film city are familiar to old Chongqing residents: rice shops, cigarette shops, tailor shops, foreign wine shops, business offices, and more.
Shibati (Eighteen Steps) is a name everyone knows. Glancing back, several schoolgirls run down the slope, and it really feels like a scene from the past.
Watch a qipao-clad lady gracefully ascend the steps, leaves gently drifting in the wind – at that moment, there’s an inexplicable touch of melancholy.........
After a meal, a stroll to Chaotianmen Dock is a good way to digest. By the Gaodong River, a gentle breeze brushes your face, the water shimmers, boats sway in the reflection, and you feel refreshed. Climbing the steps, Chaotianmen Dock no longer has its former glory, but the artisans seen everywhere in the film city still hold onto their dedication. Handicrafts bought here make absolutely perfect souvenirs and collectibles.
As the Minguo Street was originally built for the movie *Back to 1942*, film and TV shooting is naturally one of the must-try experiences for visitors.
One of the must-see spots on Minguo Street is the Film & TV Experience Hall, which has served as a filming location for many war movies. You can experience numerous movie scenes here. In the hall, not only can you see the spy and street-combat settings often appearing in films, but you can also take part in micro-film shoots, costume and prop experiences, and more – giving you a perfect immersive taste of film culture.
Seeing the devastation of the Hanyang Ironworks, the tanks, bunkers, machine guns... doesn’t it make you reflect on the cruelty of war?
Browse the department stores, then step into the “prison” to feel its confinement and eeriness – these are experiences you’ve never had before.
These are the Presidential Palace built at a 1:0.6 scale, a place I personally like quite a bit.
Inside the Presidential Palace, an old Chongqing photo exhibition is underway. The scenic area has specially selected over 200 historical photos of old Chongqing from the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic to the War of Resistance period. Each photo bears the imprint of history on this city. Through the people, scenery, folk customs, and daily life captured, visitors can see the real old Chongqing and feel the rich urban life of a century ago.
Additionally, during the National Day holiday, Liangjiang Film City will host a vintage book and painting salon exhibition, “Seeking Traces in Old Books,” at the Life Bookstore in the scenic area, as well as a retro typewriter installation art exhibition at the *Xinhua Daily* business office, sharing historical memories with visitors.
In 2018, the 40-episode major revolutionary historical TV drama *Chongqing Negotiations* began filming in Liangjiang Film City. The series tells the story of Communist Party leaders such as Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai going to Chongqing after the victory in the War of Resistance in 1945 to conduct peace talks with the Nationalist government for the future of the nation and its people.
The Du Mansion was one of the key interior filming locations for *Chongqing Negotiations*. To mark this, Liangjiang Film City has restored the shooting set, hoping to express the highest respect and remembrance for the Chinese revolution and its communist leaders.
The wax museum opposite the Du Mansion is definitely worth a visit.
Inside are all kinds of incredibly lifelike wax figures of familiar celebrities, stars, and scenes of old Chongqing life.
The wax museum is highly interactive; my friends and I had a blast there :)
Built for Feng Xiaogang’s film *Back to 1942*, Liangjiang Film City has since provided filming locations for over a hundred movies and TV productions, including *The Founding of a Republic*, *Chongqing Negotiations*, and *Cairo Declaration*. During this year’s National Day holiday, the Red Mansion in the scenic area will be transformed into a large-scale film prop exhibition hall, displaying a huge collection of film props and revealing the secrets behind the camera to visitors.
Located on Baixiang Street, the replica of the *Xinhua Daily* former site has been used as a filming location for many movies.
The *Xinhua Daily* building is a replica of the original *Xinhua Daily* Chongqing business office at 240 Minsheng Road, built at a 1:0.8 scale and completed in 2012.
Not far away is my favorite, the Rongchang Church.
Rongchang Church is quite well known, having appeared in the movie *Back to 1942*.
Later, the film city restored it to a 1:0.8 scale as well, and it has become a popular spot for couples’ wedding and portrait photography.
Today, I happened upon a group of children making mooncakes here.
Dressed in traditional Han costumes, the children were very serious, making Mid-Autumn mooncakes under the guidance of their teachers and parents.
The film city is also home to many Chongqing street snacks: douhua rice, dandan noodles, Meiling potatoes, bachelor meat pies, crystal rice cakes, ice jelly, rice noodle rolls with pork intestine, bobo chicken, and much more. The Chongqing Old Restaurant also serves home-style dishes like steamed pork with rice flour, salt-fried pork, twice-cooked pork, and mapo tofu – all delicious and perfect to "whet your appetite."
The Empress Ballroom presents an ultimate Republican-era song-and-dance extravaganza, with skirt dances, pipe dances, jazz dances, and more performed in turn, letting visitors experience the fashionable art of that time.
Here you can feel the passionate gatherings and nightlife of trendy young men and women back in the day.
If the ballroom isn’t enough, head over to the Cathay Theater to watch a performance.
The *Great River Ballad*, created by a national-level inheritor of the Chuanjiang Haozi tradition, vividly recreates the lives of Yangtze boat trackers and is incredibly powerful.
There are also dazzling acrobatic displays and a magician whose superb skills leave the audience completely convinced.
At the Koushe Leisure House, you can enjoy one-of-a-kind Sichuan opera storytelling. Stand-up comedy, pingshu (storytelling), cross talk, clapper ballads, and two-man comic acts are all on offer – savor the Sichuan dialect, listen to Sichuan intonations, and feel the charm of traditional folk performing arts.
Street performers’ world-weary yet soulful singing draws you into the mood of their songs.
After all the walking, find a teahouse, brew a cup of lidded tea, scroll through your phone, or doze off half-closed eyelids under the shade of a tree. With a cup of tea, a table, and a couple of good friends, you can while away a pleasant stretch of rest time here...
If you haven’t had enough fun, after dinner you can stay overnight in one of the scenic area hotels, immersing yourself more deeply in the culture of that historical period and experiencing the film city’s nightlife.
Time to leave the film city, and I want to bring some souvenirs home. The film city sells many distinctive gifts in beautiful packaging, perfect as souvenirs. Besides those handicrafts, roadside stalls also offer plenty of small items to take home.
As the Mid-Autumn and National Day double holiday approaches with an eight-day long break, Chongqing’s Liangjiang Film City has "big moves" again: “The Third Golden Autumn Folk Tourism Festival of Liangjiang Film City” will officially kick off on National Day. In addition to the splendid indoor venue performances, the most characteristic experience of the film city – the street-level live performance programs – will be even richer. More than twenty shows, such as Yue opera excerpts, dock drama *Chuanjiang Haozi*, Eastern Sichuan wedding custom parades, Shibati film scenario plays, female folk music ensembles, the Grand Parade of Anti-Japanese War Victory, and the *Chongqing Negotiations* film scenario play, will dazzle your eyes.
Don’t miss out – during the Mid-Autumn and National Day long holiday, go and have a blast at Chongqing Liangjiang Film City~!
Admire Chongqing’s distinctive mountain-city architecture, savor authentic local delicacies, and enjoy Chongqing dialect performances. Change into Republican-era style clothing, wander through the lanes, take part in the various themed activities, fun events, and folk customs, snap great photos, and share them on your social media. Go to the Empress Ballroom to listen to music and dance, visit the Koushe Leisure House for pingshu stories and a cup of lidded tea, watch old movies at Cathay Theater, treat your taste buds to genuine local dishes on Koushui Street, or pick up a piece of Bayu flavor from the creative shops to bring home for family and friends.
Take Metro Line 3 (towards Jiangbei Airport), get off at Shuanglonghu Station – exit 1, walk 440 meters to Lümeng Square, transfer to Bus 980 – alight at Liangjiang International Film City Station, and walk 780 meters.
Recommended self-drive routes:
From Jiangbei, Yuzhong, Nan’an –
1. Inner Ring Road – G505 Jiangbei Toll Gate – G5001 Chongqing Ring Expressway – exit at Longxing Toll Gate – Liangjiang Avenue – scenic area
2. Airport Expressway – Baosheng Interchange onto Shengxing Avenue – Huanshan Tunnel and Tongluoshan Tunnel – Xiandai Avenue – Liangjiang Avenue – scenic area
From Beibei –
1. Beibei South Toll Gate – exit at Longxing Toll Gate – Liangjiang Avenue – scenic area
2. Via G15 Lanhai Expressway towards Beihuan – via Caijiagang Interchange onto Zhonghuan Expressway – Quanxing Avenue – Jiayue Bridge – Baosheng Interchange onto Shengxing Avenue – Huanshan Tunnel and Tongluoshan Tunnel – Xiandai Avenue – Liangjiang Avenue – scenic area
From Yubei Shuanglonghu area –
1. Via Konggang Toll Gate onto G5001 Chongqing Ring Expressway – exit at Longxing Toll Gate – Liangjiang Avenue – scenic area
2. Via Airport Expressway – Baosheng Interchange onto Shengxing Avenue – Huanshan Tunnel and Tongluoshan Tunnel – Xiandai Avenue – Liangjiang Avenue – scenic area
Suggested itinerary (for reference only, adjust according to personal preference):
Arrive at scenic area – Visitor Center to buy tickets – Costume change – Victory Monument – Chaotianmen – Church – Presidential Palace visit – Xinhua Daily – Lunch – Wushu Academy – Gaodong River – Cathay Theater – Empress Ballroom – Afternoon tea – Dinner – Bonfire party – Nighttime stroll in the scenic area – Check into hotel
Ticket: 40 yuan/person.
