September 14, 2026
Chongqing known as the mountain city of China, has some very unique architecture. Space is used very carefully and they maximize every square foot or meter. High rises dominate the skyline and mixed use space is the norm - hotel, office, residential and retail spaces are all combined. Some even have trains that go right through them because it works best with the topography, see Liziba station below.
Kui Xing Lou Plaza. is another example of were topography rules in the design and use of space in Chongqing. When you approach this plaza from the hospital side (which sits higher on the hill) it appears to be at the ground level. But if you walk to the backside of the plaza and look over the railing, you will see you are actually on the 22nd floor roof deck of the attached building ( which is lower on the hillside.) Finding your way around this town is a challenge because so many places have the same address. The hotel we are stay in is one of four hotels, with the same address, in the same building.
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Where Chongqing really comes alive is at night, the skyline is a blaze in colored neon lights!
After our Panda watching we went to Erling Park for some good city views. Green space in Chongqing is rare, it is truly a concrete jungle with a few planters and trees smattered in along the sidewalks.
The 21 Pandas at the Chongqing Zoo is t he largest grouping of them of anywhere we have traveled in China. We were all excited to see them and were up and on the road by 7am. They are super popular and morning is the supposedly the best time to see them active. It was another hot and steamy day, but less brutal than yesterday.
CHONGQING is such a gigantic city we had hired a driver to take us around to multiple sites, over the two days we had there for sightseeing. It was a blistering hot day with temperatures hitting 100 degrees, before lunch. Ciqikou Ancient town was our first stop, as this required the most walking of what we had planned. It's a lovely place with cobblestone streets and wood frame houses and shops. The main streets are loaded with lots of shops selling all kinds of products and lots of food. There is a local theater, with daily performances of opera, in the center of town.