September 14, 2026

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 views wer nice and there was a peaceful pagoda and lake in the center of the park.

Then we went to the Raffles Complex, also designed by Architect Moshe Safdie, who did the Marina Bay Sands ( MBS) Complex in Singapore. At top the 4 towers at Raffles spans a cylinder called Crystal, very similar to the boat astride the MBS. I paid the $16 USD to go up and see the views of the City from there, in case I missed anything, in this once in a lifetime trip.

I got to see several building more clearly and was able to identify them with google lens.

Our last stop before wrapping up for the day was the Great Hall of the People and Plaza.

Wanted to share some signs from our journey - things definitely get lost in translation!

CHONGQING ZOO - PANDAS

By Pat Patrick • September 14, 2026
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, CHINA

By Pat Patrick • 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.

CIQIKOU ANCIENT TOWN, CHONGQING, CHINA

By Pat Patrick • September 14, 2026
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.