Artistic Flair, Slow Life: Yuzhong’s N Reasons for Taking It Easy
A wonderful journey must include a touch of artistry—when both body and soul are on the road, that is a blessed destination.
Chongqing’s Yuzhong is undoubtedly the best place to arrive.
House of Light Image by Jinshazhou
House of Light Image by Jinshazhou
Here you’ll find a dreamlike two-dimensional castle as radiant as Spirited Away, a three-dimensional tableau perfectly constructed from old buildings and skyscrapers, Eling Factory No. 2 portrayed in Zhang Yibai’s film I Belonged to You, and countless hidden artistic shops nestled in the urban jungle—cafés, bookstores, small taverns, old restaurants…
Photography by Zhang Kunkun
Old and new, tradition and modernity, humanity and trends intertwine and merge here, gently and continuously nourishing the city.
Yuzhong’s daily life is like poetry written over time.
Loving yourself, and equally loving and embracing the world—joy, comfort, and warmth are the foundations of life in Yuzhong.
The scroll of Chongqing’s human history unfolds casually along the streets, alleys, and stairways of the Yuzhong Peninsula.
Those who walk through Yuzhong inevitably linger among these flavors and scenes.
Landscapes everywhere; culture at every step.
Now, bring your body and soul, invite your friends, put on canvas shoes, grab your LOMO camera, and pack your suitcase. Set off to Chongqing, to Yuzhong, and discover a long-lost touch of emotion.
Everything is so vibrant and exuberant, like the recklessness of youth—blooming and singing before you even have time to think.
The humanity of Yuzhong is so moving.
01 Eling Factory No. 2
Reason: Main filming location for Zhang Yibai’s I Belonged to You, where Faye Wong sang the BGM “You’ll Wait for Me at the End.”
Cost: Free admission; parking is difficult, so it’s recommended to take a taxi. The park has many specialty shops with prices ranging from 15 to 300 yuan.
Photography by Fan Xiaodong
Although Factory No. 2 is relatively new as a scenic spot, it has a rich historical charm. It was once the printing factory of the Central Bank of the Republic of China before transitioning into a print shop over time. Among the restaurants, clothing stores, cafés, and hotpot shops scattered across the factory area, you can easily take unique travel photos—even as a photography novice—by standing at the entrance with the entire factory building as your backdrop.
Photography by Amanda
The park periodically hosts film screenings and art discussions, providing a platform for artistic enthusiasts to showcase and exchange. Chongqing-born director Zhang Yibai’s film studio is also located here.
Photography by Fan Xiaodong
02 Loquat Hill No. 1 Printing Factory
Location: Loquat Hill Back Street
Reason: Besides the weathered old buildings, it also offers charming city rooftop views.
Cost: Free admission; parking 2 yuan/hour. The park is small but worth exploring in detail.
Located on Loquat Hill Back Street, the weathered old buildings were mostly built from the 1960s to the 1980s. The industrial style, mottled walls, and shadows under the trees breathe new life into this old factory, which has become a filming location for many movies—No. 1 Printing Factory has already transformed into the “Back Street Film Culture Industry Park,” dubbed Chongqing’s version of the “798 Art District.”
Image from the “Ordinary Design” official account
There are also many mysterious spots: for instance, “Guo Garden,” built in 1934, was the mansion of Guo Xunqi, a famous general of the Sichuan army. This unique pentagonal building is a representative structure of the area. From the old factory rooftop, you can enjoy an unobstructed view of three bridges—the Yangtze River Bridge, Caiyuanba Bridge, and Egongyan Bridge—and face the scenery along Nanbin Road.
Image from the “Ordinary Design” official account
03 Mountain City Alley
Location: 81-85 Mountain City Alley
Reason: Mountain City Alley connects the upper and lower parts of Chongqing and hides the last remnants of old Chongqing.
Average cost: Free admission; occasional exhibitions; specialty snacks start from 30 yuan per person.
Photography by Zhang Kunkun
The history of Mountain City Alley can be traced back to the Ming and Qing dynasties. Originally called Tian Deng Alley (Lamplight Alley), its name comes from the century-old French church—Rendan Church (French Charity Church). After Chongqing opened as a trade port, French missionaries arrived, built a church and hospital, and lit lamps along the alley at night to illuminate the way for passersby, giving it the name.
Photography by Zhang Kunkun
Stepping onto the first step of Mountain City Alley and looking at the timeworn buildings on both sides feels like watching a documentary of old Chongqing, making it hard to leave. It’s as if the 1,700-meter-long bluestone path never ends.
Photography by Zhang Kunkun
The remaining stilted houses in the alley, stone gateways from the Ming and Qing dynasties, and the winding mountain city trails along the cliffs connect Chongqing’s past, present, and future.
Photography by Zhang Kunkun
04 Sino-British Liaison Office Site
Location: Wusi Road, Yuzhong District
Reason: The only Western-style old building in the central area of Jiefangbei.
Cost: Free admission; consumption at the on-site venue averages 120–150 yuan.
Image provided by the Sino-British Liaison Office Site
The Sino-British Liaison Office Site was part of the “Zhen Yuan Church” built by French missionaries in Chongqing. The site was constructed in 1910 and earned its name because the Sino-British sides exchanged wartime intelligence there during the Anti-Japanese War. Designed by the French, this 1,200-square-meter brick-and-wood building in French style features exquisite and charming interiors.
Image provided by the Sino-British Liaison Office Site
Amid the rows of urban buildings, this French architecture appears small yet unique. After years of renovation, it has been transformed by House of Heddy into an art space combining a café, light meal restaurant, and lifestyle aesthetics, attracting many urbanites to take photos and visit.
Image provided by the Sino-British Liaison Office Site
The first floor mainly offers a healthy light meal restaurant, coffee, brunch, and afternoon tea. The entire first floor and the second-floor outer corridor are available for afternoon tea. Climbing the timeworn wooden stairs to the second floor, you enter an art world, with regular exhibitions of paintings of various themes and styles. Of course, you can also grab a cup of coffee, sit on the second-floor balcony corridor, and let yourself and your emotions drift into a retro time capsule.
Image provided by the Sino-British Liaison Office Site
05 Mountain City Eighth Trail
Location: Starting from the 829 bus stop on Renhe Street, extending upward to Hongqiuba and Zaozi Lanya, connecting to Wenhua Palace Alley, and all the way to the outpatient department of Chongqing Children’s Hospital on Zhongshan Second Road. Total length about 1 kilometer.
Reason: No commercial development, few tourists, perfect for a leisurely stroll to experience the relaxed pace of old Chongqing.
Image provided by Daxigou Subdistrict Office, Yuzhong District
This may be the most complex trail in Yuzhong District, connecting the Labor People’s Cultural Palace, Xuetianwan, and the Renhe Road area of Daxigou. However, the scenery along the trail is beautiful. Clean paths adorned with red bricks and green tiles, covered with bluestone slabs, allow for a slow walk while taking in the beauty of the surroundings, offering a feast for the eyes and a peaceful mind.
Image provided by Daxigou Subdistrict Office, Yuzhong District
On both sides of the trail, many landscapes are built with memories of Chongqing’s culture. Mao Dun’s “Praise of the White Poplar” was written in Zaozi Lanya. The “Raising the Red Ball” display in Hongqiuba showcases the turbulent years of the Anti-Japanese War. The famous poet Fu Tianling, with her poem “Pen Drawing,” leads us to appreciate the charm of the Eighth Trail. Being here allows you to travel through the history of old Chongqing.
06 Zao’er Alley Trail
Location: Hidden among old residential buildings next to Chongqing No. 42 Middle School, connecting Renhe Street and Zaozi Lanya Main Street.
Reason: An old alley renovated to experience the charm of the mother city amid the daily life of old town, feeling the appeal of traditional culture and the landscape of mountain city culture.
Image provided by Daxigou Subdistrict Office, Yuzhong District
Zao’er Alley Trail was transformed from a dilapidated old alley. The winding alley is over 300 meters long, extending upward along the slope. Along the way, there are wall murals reflecting Chongqing’s local characteristics. The filial piety culture murals themed on the “24 Filial Exemplars” allow you to feel the influence of traditional Chinese culture. The old school gate of Chongqing No. 42 Middle School, the nearby Taoli Garden, and the former appearance of Zaozi Lanya Primary School emit the cultural aura of Chongqing’s mother city. The yellow walls feature murals of the river-crossing cable car, Liziba monorail station, Hongyadong, and other iconic scenes, recreating the mountain city’s landscape.
Image provided by Daxigou Subdistrict Office, Yuzhong District
07 Zhangjia Garden Mountain City Trail
Location: From Renhe Street extending upward to the Chongqing People’s Hospital (formerly Zhongshan Hospital) near Zhongshan Second Road.
Reason: Follow in the footsteps of historical figures, strolling along a mountain city trail rich in literary fragrance.
Image provided by Daxigou Subdistrict Office, Yuzhong District
This is part of the Third Mountain City Trail, the most book-scented trail in Chongqing. The famous poet Pan Xichen (whose works are included in high school Chinese textbooks and university Chinese textbooks) once visited here, drinking tea and discussing poetry with renowned poets like Jin Lingzi and Lan Lan.
On the trail, Bashu Kindergarten was formerly the Zhangjia Garden Orphanage. One of its board members, Li Yiming, was the uncle of Jiang Jie (a revolutionary martyr), and Jiang Jie received her earliest communist education here. Along the way, “Yu Garden” is the site of the National Anti-Enemy Association of Chinese Writers and Artists, established by Zhou Enlai, Sun Ke, and Chen Lifu. Mao Dun, Shen Junru, Zang Kejia, Guo Moruo, Lao She, Ba Jin, Zhu Ziqing, Ding Ling, Tian Han, and many other modern cultural figures you can name once “fought” here.
At the old site of Bashu Middle School, Lu Zuofu, Kang Xinru, and He Lu set the school motto of “Justice, Sincerity, Simplicity, and Honesty.” Zhou Enlai once gave his famous “Nine Questions on the War of Resistance” speech on the school playground. The renowned educator Ye Shengtao served as a Chinese teacher and wrote lyrics for the school song, still sung today. Lao She, Guo Moruo, Zou Taofen, Tian Han, Hu Feng, Shao Lizi, and Shen Junru held dozens of anti-war speeches here. This place also nurtured the first Communist Party organization in Chongqing…
1 The upcoming new Shibati: Located at Jiaochangkou in Yuzhong District, Shibati is based on the historical and cultural background of “Seven Streets and Six Alleys.” It is a time passage connecting the upper and lower parts of the city, where Yuzhong’s fashion and nostalgia blend—one end connects the upper part of Yuzhong, the other the lower part; one end connects the past, the other the present. In Jiefangbei, you can easily experience modern urban prosperity; in Shibati, you can travel through time to feel the lifestyle of old Chongqing.
Image from the internet
2 Chongqing Ma’anshan: Located behind the People’s Grand Hall on Zaozi Lanya Main Street, forming a three-dimensional combination with the Grand Hall and the Three Gorges Museum as a fascinating window into Chongqing’s history and culture. Formerly Liangzhuang, now Ma’anshan·Tangli, it preserves Shen Junru’s former residence and other excellent historical buildings. This place played a significant role in China’s anti-war and united front history. It was an important venue for meetings and gatherings of famous patriotic democrats like Shen Junru, Shi Liang, Li Gongpu, and Huang Yanpei, and is one of the birthplaces of China’s democratic parties, illustrating that “the history on Yuzhong’s central axis is more exciting than stories in books.”
Photography by You Keli
3 Sino-French School: Originally Mao Garden, located at 121 Renmin Road, Daxigou Subdistrict, Yuzhong District. It was the first cadre training school of the Communist Party in Chongqing and the birthplace of the earliest local party organization in Chongqing—the Chongqing Party Branch. In September 1925, Wu Yuzhang, Yang Angong, Ran Jun and others established the Sino-French School in Mao Garden, training a large number of revolutionary fighters, including Yang Shangkun, Luo Ruiqing, Yang Hansheng, Ren Baige, Xu Yangang (Commander of the Third Red Army), and Zhang Xilong (Commander of the Seventh Red Army).
4 Daijia Alley: Currently under development. It is the site of old Chongqing’s city wall, where you can still see how the old city was easy to defend and hard to attack. Along the way, there are many hidden local delicacies with prices ranging from 20 to 100 yuan.
5 Jinshazhou: Originally a great spot for artistic youth, created by a group of passionate Chongqing trendy artists. However, due to floods, it is undergoing full renovation and will reopen in three months. Leaving a little regret for next time is also part of travel’s charm.
Image provided by Jinshazhou
01 Senzang Coffee
Location: Inside Baixiang Street
Reason: A coffee shop hidden in a residential building, offering a 360-degree view of Chongqing.
Cost: From 35–50 yuan per person.
Image provided by Senzang Coffee
Senzang is really well hidden.
Walking along Baixiang Street, going around a steep slope with bougainvillea by the roadside, sneaking into an old residential building, climbing a few flights of stairs, and finally arriving. This was originally a decade-old residential apartment, now completely renewed. In this almost starkly simple coffee shop, there are only tables, chairs, plants, bookshelves, and framed photos on the wall—nothing else. The long glass windows, revealing a nearly 360-degree view of Chongqing, are the most luxurious decoration.
Image provided by Senzang Coffee
The owner is a photographer. When choosing a location for the shop, he wanted to create an independent coffee shop with the best scenery. Sitting by the window, you can see the cable car passing through buildings, the Yangtze River flowing, the Twin Towers glittering, the Qiansimen Bridge bustling with traffic, and the “One Tree” observation deck on Nanshan in the distance… With a single glance, you can take in most of Chongqing.
Image provided by Senzang Coffee
Outside the window of Senzang is Chongqing’s beautiful scenery; inside the window, other aspects of Chongqing are hidden. Many photographic works hang on the walls, each a different perspective of Chongqing, each beautiful enough to be a collector’s item. Some scenes are unknown even to locals.
Image provided by Senzang Coffee
02 South Mountain · Gutenberg Star Han Bookstore
Location: 4th Floor, Building 12, Chongqing Tiandi
Reason: A bookstore with excellent design and book categorization—a place worth staying in.
Cost: Coffee around 38 yuan per cup; book purchase about 50 yuan per book.
Image provided by Chongqing Tiandi Commercial
This is a new venture by South Mountain Bookstore. The selection, display, and categorization of books, as well as the overall environmental design, are all excellent. The bookstore is named after Johannes Gutenberg, the inventor of movable type printing in the West—in a sense, his invention led to a media revolution. From this name, we can see the bookstore’s ambition—perhaps they also want to stage a revolution in bookstores.
Image provided by Chongqing Tiandi Commercial
In the middle of the bookstore, a wooden ship-shaped reading space aims to carry readers to the vast sea of knowledge. Books are organized and displayed in a topic-based manner. Using technology for unmanned checkout and automated book sales, customers can more freely choose the books they need.
Image provided by Chongqing Tiandi Commercial
Large green landscapes around the store and a creatively designed Zen terrace make visitors feel as if they are in a forest even amidst the bustling city.
Image provided by Chongqing Tiandi Commercial
03 Litun Craft Beer Pub
Location: About 150 meters north of the intersection of Jialing River Riverside Road and Zhongshan Fourth Road, Yuzhong District
Reason: Litun is small but has a big reputation. It is one of the initiators of craft beer pubs in Chongqing.
Cost: From 100 yuan per person.
Image provided by Litun Craft Beer Pub
The owner, Xiao Chao, returned from studying in Japan. The name of the bar comes from the Japanese culture of “standing and drinking.” To create a standing-drinking atmosphere, the shop is small with tables and chairs arranged densely. The overall decoration leans toward Japanese style, with Japanese curtains and wall paintings that immediately remind you of the various standing bars scattered across Japan. Even the beer glasses have details like fans and wooden clogs. The beer wall in the bar area is Litun’s signature feature. In less than 70 square meters, it offers 24 constantly updated craft draft beers. The owners are a group of tough guys, and standing together, they look quite impressive.
Image provided by Litun Craft Beer Pub
The draft beers are served in experimental flasks. Guests can first judge the alcohol concentration by color; if uncertain, they can ask the bartender for a small sample taste. Sweet, sour, bitter, spicy, salty—everything is available.
Image provided by Litun Craft Beer Pub
04 Gengu Mansion 1936
Location: Yellow building within Liziba Anti-Japanese War Heritage Park, No. 66, Liziba Main Street, No. 8, Liziba
Cost: Around 100 yuan per person.
Image from the internet
Gengu Mansion was built in 1936 and was the former residence and command headquarters of Li Gengu, the air defense commander of Chongqing during the wartime capital period. It has now been converted into a bar and private kitchen restaurant. Old items from that era—sofas, record players, typewriters, etc.—allow guests to sit without any distance in this “museum” and enjoy a drink “with a story.”
Image from the internet
05 Niao Nei Hui
Location: Next to the sales office of Rixiang Square, No. 1 Jiefangbei, Jiaochangkou, Yuzhong District
Cost: Around 60 yuan per person.
A shop of less than 30 square meters is divided into two by a hollow partition. On one side is a private room hidden behind a cyan curtain, where staff bend halfway to pass dishes inside. Inside, people are tipsy with laughter and flushed faces…
Image from the internet
06 Denghuang Craft Beer
Location: Near the garage entrance by the river at Chongqing Tiandi
Cost: Around 60 yuan per person.
“Denghuang” (drifting around) is a local Chongqing term meaning to loaf about all day doing nothing.
Image provided by Denghuang
It must be said that Denghuang Tavern itself has the qualities of an online sensation. What’s a tavern without alcohol? Here, they gather drinks from all over the world, mainly beer, but you can also find fruit wines and plum wines that girls like.
Image provided by Denghuang
When you’re tired from wandering, come here to warm up a pot of wine—it’s bliss.
Image provided by Denghuang
01 Listen to Music, Play with Giant Rabbits, Eat Delicious Food
Location: Chongqing Tiandi, Hualong Bridge
Reason: The annual “Tiandi World Music Festival” and “Tiandi Food Week” at Chongqing Tiandi, featuring the Australian Intrude Family Giant Rabbit Light Art Exhibition, the first time this exhibition has entered China.
Cost: Free admission to the music festival; many upscale and tasteful shops around Tiandi, with consumption starting from 100 yuan; high-end Fuji Kaiseki can reach 2,888 yuan per person.
Photography by Fan Xiaodong
Photography by Fan Xiaodong
During the Mid-Autumn Festival full moon, Chongqing Tiandi introduced the Australian Intrude Family Giant Rabbit Light Art Exhibition. The largest rabbit is up to 11 meters tall, surrounded by ten giant rabbits from 2 to 4 meters in various adorable poses. Each rabbit is presented in an oversized visual proportion, blending with the architectural style. They are round and cute during the day, vivid and three-dimensional when lit at night, giving a fairyland-like feeling and attracting countless visitors to take photos.
Photography by Fan Xiaodong
This music festival gathers top Chinese musicians and introduces pioneering “Guochao” (national trend) music elements. Music teams from various ethnic groups will present unmissable performances during this period.
Similarly, this year marks the fifth Chongqing Tiandi Restaurant Week, focusing on two important dimensions: “Using Food to Return to the Social Essence” and “Focusing on Zero Food Waste.” Leveraging the advantage of Chongqing Tiandi’s catering industry, it is a food culture event jointly launched with various dining businesses.
Photography by Fan Xiaodong
02 View “Art from the Mountain City” Exhibition
Location: 67th Floor, United International Building
Reason: In the core area of Chinese modern and contemporary art, see exhibitions of modern and contemporary art.
Cost: Tickets for the 76th-floor observation deck and 67th-floor exhibition: 90 yuan per person.
Image provided by Phoenix Art Center
In just twenty or thirty years, Chongqing has rapidly developed and connected with the international community. As the group most sensitive to changes in the world, artists draw endless inspiration from these changes with keen insight.
Image provided by Phoenix Art Center
This exhibition, titled “River·Mountain—Art from the Mountain City,” originates from this context. As one of the first “Chongqing city builders,” it expresses Chongqing’s development and changes through contemporary art. The exhibition deeply explores the past and present of Chongqing’s urban construction with rich content.
This might be the closest point to Chongqing’s art scene.
Image provided by Phoenix Art Center
03 Visit the Most Ancient Three Gorges
Location: Chongqing Three Gorges Museum
Reason: The Chongqing Three Gorges Museum will be a landmark building of early 21st-century Chongqing, a shining pearl embedded in the heart of the mountain-and-water landscape city.
Cost: Regular exhibitions require advance reservation; special exhibition “The Story of Grain” costs 128 yuan per child, free for adults; remember to wear a mask.
Image provided by Sugu Cultural Media (Beijing)
The overall layout of the Three Gorges Museum uses the east-west axis of the People’s Grand Hall as the main axis, connecting People’s Square with the museum’s main building to form a “trinity” four-dimensional effect. The museum houses about 100,000 cultural relics and over 50,000 documents. Valuable pieces with important historical and artistic value include more than 500 Sichuan Paleolithic artifacts, over 1,000 Ba-Shu cultural relics, more than 100 Han Dynasty stone reliefs and brick reliefs, over 4,000 ceramics from famous kilns of various dynasties, and over 5,000 paintings and calligraphy works by famous artists since the Song and Yuan dynasties. It comprehensively displays the history and grandeur of the Three Gorges, from the formation of the ancient Three Gorges, cultural heritage, historical stories, to the Three Gorges renovation. It also traces the roots of Chongqing’s culture over 3,000 years to the Anti-Japanese War and the inspiring spirit of builders during Chongqing’s urbanization process.
Image provided by Sugu Cultural Media (Beijing)
Image provided by Sugu Cultural Media (Beijing)
04 Listen to Luzu Temple Opera
Location: Luzu Temple
Reason: A tea house named after the Republic of China.
Cost: From 30 yuan per person.
Photography by Amanda
Brew a pot of Xiaguan tuocha tea from the Republic of China period, listen to an old-style Luzu temple opera—this is true comfort.
Photography by Amanda
Old wooden tables, small sofas, old bookshelves filled with vintage books, and occasionally elegant women in cheongsam—you can reach out and touch the Republic of China charm from a hundred years ago. Facing the stage in Republic of China style, someone in a long gown may deliver a passionate pingshu (storytelling); sometimes a troupe takes the stage, performing an old-style Luzu temple opera amidst the music. Bayin (Chongqing music), Yu folk tunes, and local dance combine to provide a triple sensory experience. What more could you ask for?
01 Lan Mo L'Amour French Desserts
Location: L113, Times Square, Yuzhong District, Chongqing
Reason: A legend in the industry, one of the leading Chinese French pastry experts.
Cost: 50–100 yuan.
Image provided by Lan Mo
Founded in Chongqing in 2012, Lan Mo is the phonetic translation of the French word L’Amour, meaning “in the name of love, because of love.” The Chinese name “Lan Mo” evokes a sense of fragrant and delightful pleasure.
Image provided by Lan Mo
Head chef Lei Yanjie excels in taste and continuous innovation, dedicated to making Chinese-style French desserts. He is a member of the China Western Pastry Top Chef Club Committee (TPCC), a judge for multiple competitions including the FHC China International Dessert and Bakery Competition, and the first Chinese pastry chef invited to Paris to demonstrate and exchange techniques with French MOF masters.
Image provided by Lan Mo
02 Hidden Here City Living Room
Location: 12th Floor, Chongqing Department Store, No. 2 Minquan Road
Reason: A hidden restaurant in the bustling city center.
Cost: 50–300 yuan.
Image from the internet
Located on the 12th-floor rooftop of Chongqing Department Store, the simple and rustic decoration brings a sense of peace and serenity. “Named ‘Hidden Here,’ it aims to find tranquility in the heart of Yuzhong District, creating a place of leisure and slow pace.”
Image from the internet
Chongqing has long been regarded as a food city, and Yuzhong, as its core area, is filled with all kinds of delicious food. “Hidden Here” mainly serves Western cuisine but also includes local Chongqing dishes. Signature dishes like steak retain the original Western preparation, attracting many foreign guests who become regulars.
Image from the internet
03 Wu Ming Culinary Arts
Location: 6th Floor, Global Financial Center
Reason: A restaurant created by Sichuan cuisine master Wu Wanli and his son Wu Qiang.
Cost: From 200 yuan per person.
Image provided by Wu Ming Culinary Arts
Wu Ming Culinary Arts carries on over 50 years of culinary expertise from the Sichuan cuisine master Wu Wanli. As Master Wu’s famous saying goes: “Character first, then dishes.” The flavors of life’s ups and downs are expressed vividly through each delicious course. Old photos of Chongqing are displayed throughout the restaurant, adding a sense of history to the dignified atmosphere.
Image provided by Wu Ming Culinary Arts
The taste is completely different from the perception that Sichuan cuisine is all about heavy ma-la (numbing and spicy). It directly tells you through real dishes that Sichuan cuisine actually has many flavors.
Image provided by Wu Ming Culinary Arts
04 Yu Dong Lan
Location: 5th Floor, Global Financial Center, Minzu Road (below the Huixian Tower Observation Deck)
Reason: Authentic local ethnic specialty dishes from Chongqing.
Cost: 65–120 yuan.
Image provided by Yu Dong Lan
Yu Dong Lan means “Encounter the East,” with “lan” referring to “mountain mist” to indicate “Fog City.” It conveys the idea of meeting in the Fog City, and the decoration closely follows this theme. An inverted Chongqing city hangs above your head, making dining here feel novel and magical.
Image provided by Yu Dong Lan
Its history can be traced back to 1989. Three generations of the family have worked in the industry for nearly 30 years, specializing in the eating habits of southeastern Chongqing, committed to passing on the unchanging old flavors. The rice accompaniments at Yu Dong Lan are deeply memorable. Using traditional cooking methods, they reinterpret authentic Chongqing classic flavors with a trendy new style. Enjoying a meal here feels like the mountain city landscape—straight to the heart, unforgettable.
Image provided by Yu Dong Lan
05 Xiangding Hotpot
Location: Baixiang Street Entrance
Reason: The hotpot restaurant that best embodies the old school hotpot spirit of Chongqing.
Cost: 80–150 yuan.
Image provided by Xiangding Hotpot
Unlike many other hotpot restaurants, Xiangding’s base is not produced in a base factory but is stir-fried in their own kitchen. They insist on using last year’s or this year’s Shizhu Red No. 3 peppers, cut, seeded, and destemmed; the best Maowen Sichuan peppercorns, only the first branch of the year; and Xi’an beef tallow from a factory that custom-makes it for them…
From high heat to low heat, then low to high, the giant spatula (like a monk’s staff) stirs thousands or even tens of thousands of times in the massive wok. After nearly ten hours, a pot of handmade hotpot base is complete.
Image provided by Xiangding Hotpot
So Xiangding Hotpot is never afraid to show the entire pot base to customers. It’s not simply a pot of broth; rather, all ingredients are proportionally placed in the pot: base, red oil, peppers, Sichuan peppercorns, minced ginger, scallion sections, rock sugar, and fermented rice—all clear at a glance.
With such an old-school hotpot, even if you boiled stones, they’d taste good, right?
Image provided by Xiangding Hotpot
06 Night Banquet Garden Restaurant
Location: Liziba Main Street
Reason: Excellent integration of environment and cuisine; drinking beside the Jialing River, wine flows like water.
Cost: 100–300 yuan.
Image from the internet
Night Banquet Garden Restaurant has a unique style in its environment, blending nature with cuisine. When you step in, you truly feel like you’re in nature. Listen to the surging river waves among the colorful flowers and plants; see the sky and water merge into one; smell the birdsong and flowers.
Image from the internet
Recommended dishes include golden roast pigeon, pigeon brain steamed egg, fragrant fish, and tender jerky with wind-cured meat.
Image from the internet
07 South Mountain · GUGA Ancient Star Courtyard
Address: L5-01, Building 12, Chongqing Tiandi (above South Mountain · Gutenberg Bookstore)
Reason: When the spirit is fulfilled, the appetite must also be satisfied. Enjoying food while surrounded by books makes the meal more meaningful.
Cost: 50–300 yuan per person.
Image provided by Chongqing Tiandi Commercial
The uniquely styled, green-filled courtyard feels like the osmanthus tree inside blooms and falls repeatedly, letting you experience the changing seasons the moment you step in. Inspired by a love for garlic chili crayfish, they created “lobster garlic sauce pasta.” The pizza hides selected Chengkou preserved meat and pieces of houttuynia cordata… The owner blends his favorite Chongqing flavors into Western cuisine, expressing his love for this land through every kind of food.
Image provided by Chongqing Tiandi Commercial
At Ancient Star Courtyard, enjoy various delicacies with friends during the day, and drink different wines at night. On a night with gentle moonlight or a boring, idle evening, go find dreams of sweetness and bitterness.
Image provided by Chongqing Tiandi Commercial
08 Fuji Kaiseki Cuisine
Address: LG Floor, Building 6, Chongqing Tiandi
Reason: The first authentic kaiseki restaurant in Southwest China, with a Michelin three-star chef, a visual feast of cuisine.
Cost: 800–2,888 yuan.
Image provided by Chongqing Tiandi Commercial
This is Chongqing’s first pure kaiseki restaurant, blending fine cuisine, aesthetic art, and landscape mood into pure Japanese culture. The environment features the artistic conception of a dry landscape garden.
Image provided by Chongqing Tiandi Commercial
The interior decorations and furnishings are all imported from Japan. The head chef comes from a Michelin restaurant in Hong Kong. Upon request, he can serve guests personally in the private room. Reservations are required, and only a few tables are served each day. Ingredients are air-shipped daily. Each dish goes through countless processes, and the presentation is exquisite, emphasizing the original flavor of the ingredients.
The service staff patiently explain the meaning of each course, allowing guests to experience the beauty of Zen during the meal.
Image provided by Chongqing Tiandi Commercial
01 Montain Ghost (Shan Gui) No. 1 Factory
Location: Inside No.1 Printing Factory, Loquat Hill Back Street
Reason: One of the Top Ten Most Beautiful Guesthouses in China in 2018, a trendy online sensation for Chongqing’s artistic accommodation, worth experiencing.
Cost: 633–2,013 yuan per room.
Image from the “Ordinary Design” official account
Mountain Ghost No.1 Factory’s design inspiration comes from a skirt hem. If the factory is compared to a bride about to be married, the renovated space is like her wedding dress—the collision and combination of old and new present a brand-new appearance. The skirt hem is the rebirth of the old factory. The wedding rooftop gives those attending the ceremony the impulse to propose.
Image from the “Ordinary Design” official account
From the tranquility of Nanshan to the heart of Chongqing city, Mountain Ghost transitions from mountain calmness to urban fashion. The guesthouse features a borderless river-view swimming pool, a river-view café, an upscale fusion Western restaurant, a party hall, and a garden bar. It offers high-end customized romantic-themed trendy accommodation, making it the top love landmark in Chongqing and even the country.
Image from the “Ordinary Design” official account
Image from the “Ordinary Design” official account
02 Backpack Ten Years (Guesthouse)
Location: Mid-section of Mountain City Alley
Reason: Established as a travel concept store, the building itself is a modern art piece, full of historical and fashionable appeal.
Cost: Café average 45 yuan per person; regular room price: 50 yuan per bed in six-person room, 60 yuan per bed in four-person room; during National Day: 150 yuan per bed in six-person room, 170 yuan per bed in four-person room.
Image provided by Backpack Ten Years
Image provided by Backpack Ten Years
The youth hostel personally participated in by Xiao Peng, author of Backpack Ten Years—letting every red brick return to its own position. He is not just fulfilling his own dream but helping each red brick complete its dream.
Image provided by Backpack Ten Years
The main hall features red brick walls as the base. The modern, fashionable, young, industrial-style design is stunning. In such an environment, pairing a glass of craft beer from around the world with stories of travel adventures from friends beside you—perhaps this is youth, this is travel.
Image provided by Backpack Ten Years
This is a model for boutique youth hostels: full Wi-Fi coverage, complete Kohler bathroom fixtures, 24-hour hot water, five-star bedding, coffee, craft beer, National Geographic books and magazines, novelty artworks from travel destinations worldwide, themed photography exhibitions, screening rooms…
Image provided by Backpack Ten Years
03 Muki Hotel
Location: Riverside area of Chongqing Tiandi
Reason: There is no room number 2046 here, but people don’t want to leave once they arrive.
Cost: 500–1,200 yuan per room.
Image provided by Chongqing Tiandi Commercial
Charcoal black floors, matte gold lobby corridors, soft ambient lighting… Upon entering the hotel, a black-toned space greets you. Muki Hotel follows a unique black-toned elegance, advocating an elegant “advanced black,” using layered lighting to segment the minimalist black surfaces. Details incorporate playful and lively decorative items, allowing guests to appreciate Muki’s style while enjoying quality life.
Image provided by Chongqing Tiandi Commercial
Additionally, modern and stylish VR visual experiences are available. Muki Hotel aims to become the best-reviewed boutique business hotel in Chongqing, providing VR interaction to offer high satisfaction hotel services for target customers.
