How to Spend 1 Day at Hongyadong? The 'Old Chongqing' Hidden on the 5th Floor: Complete Guide to 'Reunion 1980'

📍 Chongqing · 👁 15 reads · ❤️ 92 likes

Every shot in 'Travel Lens' is an original video.

Hongyadong, built along the mountain, layer upon layer,

The dazzling lights of stilted buildings, a dream world like Spirited Away.

With its rich historical and cultural heritage, traditional Bayu stilted architecture, brilliant night lights, and distinctive Bayu cuisine, it attracts numerous Chinese and foreign tourists every year, becoming the face of Chongqing tourism.

[Shot from the riverside of Chongqing Science and Technology Museum]

The magnificent night view, antique stilted buildings, and the rolling Jialing River paint the most beautiful scenery of the mountain city of Chongqing.

Countless tourists exclaim, 'If you travel to Chongqing and don't see the night view of Hongyadong, you haven't really been to Chongqing,' which shows the place Hongyadong holds in the hearts of tourists.

Parameters: 20S F11 IS0100 (fireworks composite)

[Shot from the observation platform on the road in front of Hongyadong]

During the day, Hongyadong looks like an ancient temple embedded in the cliff of the mountain city. The stilted buildings of Hongyadong are of the railing style, built along the mountain and river. The daytime perspective of Hongyadong perfectly recreates the magical Chongqing where 'you think you're on the first floor, but you're actually on the top floor.'

Hongyadong 2.0 Version: One-Day Itinerary Recommendation

Hongyadong has 11 floors. The night lights are on from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM. You can view the stilted buildings, enjoy the 'Hongya Drip Green,' stroll through the old mountain city streets, appreciate Bayu culture, have a hot pot while watching the confluence of two rivers, and taste world-class cuisine. Explore the 'One Aspect, Three Wonders, Four Streets, Eight Scenic Spots.'

Morning check-in (1st floor):

Admire the Bayu-style blue bricks and stone tiles. There are antique traditional houses with red eaves and green tiles, as well as 'folk craft works' with front shops and back factories. Attractions include Hongya Drip Green, Confluence of Two Rivers, Stilted Building Cluster, Hongyadong Group Sculpture, City Balcony, Bayu Culture Pillar, Riverside Food Street, and Jialing Sunset.

Noon check-in (4th floor):

The Feast Food Street showcases 'Chongqing cuisine.' Along the river, artisans make glutinous rice cakes, cut peach slices, and roast peanut candy on the street. Hot pot, Jianghu dishes, and live demonstrations of food specialty production techniques. On the cliff side, there are snack shops offering Dan Dan Noodles, Zhuerba (sticky rice balls), large glutinous rice balls, Geleshan Spicy Chicken, Qianjiang Chicken Gizzards, and Old Chongqing Maoxuewang (blood curd stew).

Afternoon check-in (5th/6th floor):

5th floor: Experience the 'Old Chongqing' in the 'Reunion 1980' block.

6th floor: Feel the 'Twelve Scenes of Bayu' in Chongqing.

The 'Reunion 1980' block is themed around the daily life of Chongqing in the 1980s and 1990s, covering a total area of about 3,100 square meters. It artistically recreates period life scene areas, character performance areas, and interactive experience areas. Inside the inner city, the Shancheng Cinema presents a holographic MR interactive music show of Teresa Teng for visitors to experience.

They say fashion is a cycle;

What was popular before is now favored again.

The retro style of the 1980s has become the trend we look back on.

Today, I'm introducing a different way to visit Hongyadong.

ACTION 1980

Reunion 1980 Block

Location: 5th Floor, Hongyadong, Jiefangbei, Chongqing

5th Floor: Experience the Most Authentic Chongqing of the 1980s

As a native Chongqing post-80s, seeing this 'frog trash can' instantly pulls me back from 2020 to 1980. Before my eyes is an authentic old Chongqing street from the 1980s.

With the theme 'Old City · Story, Chongqing · Reunion,' it focuses on the local life and old alley culture of Chongqing, faithfully recreating the diverse daily life of the 1980s. It offers visitors a chance to enjoy food, drinks, and fun in the memories of that era while experiencing retro fashion. Let's see what fun things there are! I don't want to miss any place that can evoke my memories.

The block is divided into Outer City (free) and Inner City (9.9 yuan ticket).

Outer City mainly consists of several period scenes: Fruit Wholesale Market, Bayi Road Tube Building, Dacheng Street, Taipingmen River Street, and Dayanggou Market. The nostalgic tube building features period apartment units, various snack collections, and stalls; outdoor tea stalls, snacks, tobacco and liquor stalls; Dayanggou Market has small vendor booths, supply and marketing cooperatives, and nostalgic mobile vendors. Here, you can walk through the tube building amidst the sounds of hawking, stroll along Taipingmen River Street, or sit down and enjoy a cup of outdoor tea, experiencing the leisurely time of old Chongqing while reminiscing about the unique life atmosphere of the 1980s and 1990s.

Inner City is divided into several period scenes: Chongqing Station, Zou Rong Road, and City Center Square. On Zou Rong Road, there is the Shancheng Photo Studio, where yellowed photos take you back to glorious years. Visitors can also see the No. 5 Trolleybus. The City Center Square recreates the Chongbai Department Store and the Shancheng Wide-Screen Cinema, with authentic old Chongqing architecture that takes you through childhood memories. At the Shancheng Wide-Screen Cinema, you can experience the holographic MR interactive music show 'Looking for Teresa Teng.'

[Ticket Hall]

Chongqing's oldest Caiyuanba Railway Station, which carries the memories of many Chongqing people and witnessed the city's rapid development, has been turned into the ticket entrance (ticket 9.9 yuan, package with Teresa Teng VR show 29 yuan). This photo has an old Chongqing flavor.

[Yutie Village Street]

Yellow lights, colorful signs, retro scenes and props, food with the taste of the 1980s, take a photo and you'll have a retro look that will blow up your social feed. Add a bit of color grading, and you can easily get a Wong Kar-wai style Hong Kong movie look in seconds.

[Emotion Hotline]

A phone wall covered with landline phones. Pick up the phone... you may forget 'her/his' number, but you won't forget to dial '023' first, because that's your youth.

[I Was Here Wall]

This is the only scenic wall in the country where you can freely leave your name and scribbles. Take a photo with the wall signed by thousands of people, hoping everyone can witness my growth.

Inside the city, there is a hot pot restaurant called [Local Earth Local Fire] serving authentic old hot pot, but there are more people taking photos than eating. Next to it is a small store.

[One-Person Alley]

As its name suggests, the entrance is very narrow. If you don't look carefully, you might miss it. It perfectly recreates the life of our neighbors: water meters on the wall, old wooden benches, blue and white curtain cloth, faded couplets, pigeon cages, and old bacon and underwear hanging above. Across from it, there is a large glass that can take the most authentic 'mirror' reflection of daily life photos.

[Shancheng Photo Studio]

The retro photo studio decor, sitting on a small stool, makes you feel like you're back in old Shancheng. The angles for photos are great, left and right.

Note: Enable wide-angle mode on your camera to get long legs in the photo.

There are too many photo spots here. If you're tired, just lie on the sofa for a nice pose.

[No. 5 Trolleybus]

This recreates the No. 5 trolleybus. Back then, Chongqing had only five trolleybus routes. The No. 5 trolleybus, with its two 'pigtails,' carried batches of young people through the years, rolling memories rushing in. It's also a good place to rest and drink some milk tea or beverages from [One Yogurt Cow].

[People's Post and Telecommunications]

Next to the trolleybus is the post office. In those days, people wrote letters to pen pals, had mailboxes, and sent parcels at the post office. It was the transfer station for communication. Now it's a cartoon portrait studio run by several fine arts students, who can draw and send you a digital image.

Do you still remember your father's 'Monkey Three Motorcycle' that carried pork? And the comic strip books?

[Game Arcade Machines]

Arcade machines were popular all over small towns in China. High school students would spend their hard-saved allowance on them after class. Even after running out of money, they would hang around to watch others play.

Here, the scenic area has brought three or four real arcade machines, free for everyone to play! Come and relive classic games like King of Fighters and Streets of Rage.

[Meeting by Fate]

Next to the disco square, there is a singing stage where you can queue up to sing for free. It recreates a 1980s disco dance hall with sparkling ceiling lights and retro TV decorations. Come and dance a magical disco!

[Disco Square]

Cool lights, sparkling ceiling lights, a huge retro radio, instantly transporting you back to the nostalgic 1980s. Follow the rhythmic beats and do the cha-cha, you'll be the hippest person on the street.

Every evening, the disco square has dance troupes performing retro dances and singing golden oldies, with a strong immersive feel. Next to the disco square is a cylindrical wall made of dozens of black-and-white TVs, perfect for photos. Don't miss it if you're interested.

Programs: Radio Gymnastics, Karaoke, Retro Disco, Folk Band, FM1980 Radio Station...

[Eight Directions View]

This is a very unique pillar covered with old TVs and radios. Some are on, some are deliberately made to show TV signal failures, giving me a tingling sensation like an electric shock, deeply piercing my childhood memories. I remember one rainy day, I touched the antenna with my hand to watch 'Slam Dunk'...

[Shancheng Cinema]

Watch a movie at the Shancheng Wide-Screen Cinema. Currently showing a holographic show of Teresa Teng. The sweetest fantasy is 'Sweet Honey Honey,' the most affectionate confession is 'I Only Care About You.' The name Teresa Teng is enough to move the entire Chinese music scene.

The holographic MR interactive music show 'Looking for Teresa Teng' showcases the unique charm of idol Teresa Teng, combining holographic technology, virtual humans, visual effects, multimedia stage design, and other rich technological elements to let you watch Teresa Teng 'herself' sing classic songs.

The surrounding department store also recreates the display of the era.

[Cultural and Creative Souvenir Shops]

These also recreate our life scenes: washstand, old washing machine.

A little further ahead, you'll find this interesting shop 'Entertainment Circle.' The walls are painted with classic animated characters in blue and yellow tones: Black Cat Sheriff, Brother Hai'er, Calabash Brothers... instantly evoking childhood memories. Three main activities: ring toss, sandbag toss, and shooting. I believe everyone is familiar with these, but now it's rare to find a place dedicated to them. They are classic childhood playground games. Come and experience them!

Rotating roller lights, wash-cut-blow sign, along with old perming tools and photos, let visitors sit on the chair and take a photo straight out of a Wong Kar-wai movie.

Here ends the inner city section. You can also buy a ticket to enter. After exiting, there is a 'Baba Tea House.'

[Baba Tea House]

Old-style bamboo chairs and benches, teapots and teacups highly recreate the roadside street atmosphere. Sit and chat with friends over tea, it's quite charming.

[Supply and Marketing Cooperative]

In my parents' era, the supply and marketing cooperative monopolized the buying and selling of Chinese farmers. People would exchange grain tickets, cloth tickets, cigarette tickets, liquor tickets, etc., for goods. To let everyone recall this period, the supply and marketing cooperative has also been moved into the block. It's easy to find, so take a photo together at the entrance and reunite with memories of the last century.

[Dayanggou Market]

The archway at the entrance is identical to the original.

Living in a good tube building was a symbol of a well-off family. The corridors and railings could be extended as private space; it also intertwined the lives of neighbors. This scene perfectly recreates the tube building: messy small posters on the walls, red printed dormitory characters, Marilyn Monroe black-and-white poster, warm lighting unique to that era.

Dazzling array of advertising signs, very Hong Kong style.

[Themed Signs]

Using classic typography and neon colors, they made signs of featured attractions. Need I say more? This is a must-photo spot.

This is the old Chongqing of the 1980s, this is life in the 1980s—beautiful, simple, yet happy. Although we can't really travel back in time, the Reunion 1980 block at Hongyadong gives us a chance to 'time travel.'

The old city culture of Chongqing needs to be passed down and preserved by all of us. As the top internet-famous attraction in Chongqing, Hongyadong has presented a highly authentic 1980s block in terms of both scene and content, on top of its popularity. Thank you very much!

6th Floor: Dream Tour of the Twelve Scenes of Bayu

The 'Dream Tour of the Twelve Scenes of Bayu · Light and Shadow Interactive Art Space' is located on the 6th floor of Hongyadong. It is themed around the sequence of four seasons and solar terms, and the evolution of space from ancient to modern, combined with immersive multimedia art installations.

The entire experience space, using light, sound, and electricity, can be seen, heard, felt, and interacted with. It incorporates AR technology to enhance the sense of reality. Visitors can scan with their phones to experience three-dimensional scenes and dynamic effects in different spaces.

Guided by the original Hongyadong fairy two-dimensional character, you can multi-sensorily experience the classic beauty of the Twelve Scenes of Bayu and the transformation of ancient and modern mountain city scenery. The entire space includes 12 different themed immersive scenes:

Golden Breeze Fragrance, Haitang Misty Rain, Gele Spirit Sound, Hongya Drip Green, Yunzhuan Wind Clear, Huangge Evening Ferry, Tongjing Gorge Macaques, Jinyun Mountain Sunset Clouds, Fotu Night Rain, Huaying Snow Clear, Longmen Bright Moon, and Zishui Night Lanterns.

Business hours: 11:00~23:00

Reunion 1980: 9.9 yuan/ticket (inner city) Outer city free

Package ticket (including Reunion 1980 + Looking for Teresa Teng): 29 yuan/ticket

Dream Tour of the Twelve Scenes of Bayu: 50 yuan/ticket

Transportation:

- Hongyadong Station: Accessible by buses 151, 181, 262, 466, 0491 (night bus)

- Xiaoshizi Station: Accessible by buses 111, 114, 135, 401, 866

- Metro (Exit 9):

- Take Light Rail Line 2 to Linjiangmen Station, walk about 500 meters northeast

- Take Metro Line 1 to Xiaoshizi Station, walk about 500 meters

- Take Metro Line 6 to Grand Theater Station, walk across the Qiansimen Bridge

- From Jiefangbei: about 11 minutes on foot