I’m a Chongqing local who studied in the UK — ask me anything about Chongqing
I grew up in Chongqing, so for a long time I genuinely thought the city was just… normal.
Then I moved to Glasgow for university and started travelling around Europe. I met people from all over — not just the UK — and that’s when I realized Chongqing is actually kind of insane to foreigners.
The funniest moment was probably when some British friends visited me in Chongqing for the first time. They thought Google Maps was glitching because we kept going “upstairs” and somehow ending up at street level again.
At one point I told them:
“Yeah the restaurant is on the 8th floor… but also technically on the ground floor.”
They were completely confused.
Other things that shocked them:
- random apartment buildings built into cliffs
- hotpot places still packed at 2am on a weekday
- bars hidden inside old air-raid shelters
- how Chongqing people casually walk up giant staircases every day like it’s nothing
- the general feeling that the whole city looks like a cyberpunk movie without even trying
After living in the UK for a few years and travelling around Europe, I also realized foreign tourists often experience China very differently from locals.
A lot of people only visit Beijing or Shanghai, which makes sense, but honestly my European friends usually end up talking about Chongqing the most afterwards.
I think it’s because the city feels less “polished” and more alive. It’s chaotic, confusing, loud, humid, friendly, and sometimes completely ridiculous in the best way possible.
Spending years around international friends also made me realize I understand both sides pretty well now:
- what foreigners find overwhelming in China
- what they unexpectedly love
- what makes them uncomfortable
- and what experiences they remember years later
So yeah — I’m a Chongqing local who studied in the UK.
Happy to answer questions about Chongqing, local culture, nightlife, food, weird city design, or what it’s actually like visiting here as a foreigner.