r/chongqing

Hey guys im travelling around Chongqing in august 27-30 and i want to hire a photographer for a day or two. Anyone have suggestions? I have moodboard for my photo shooting places and editing ideas too.

I was wondering? ;-)

I love SamYang Buldak Hot Ramen 3x spicy, but that is the maximum level of spiciness I can handle.

I found 4 spicy levels from Chongqing:

Non-Spicy (Qing Tang/ 清汤)

Mild Spicy (Wei La / 微辣)🌶️

Medium Spicy (Zhong La / 中辣)🌶️🌶️🌶️

Heavy Spicy (Te La / 特辣)🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

what level do these SamYang compare to Chongqing?

Hello,

I want to buy a Sony Rx100vii but I’m not sure if it’s available in Chongquing’s malls. Anyone that loves photography could confirm this?

I’m from abroad and can’t find any website showing the products available at the big stores.

Thanks

Hey guys. I live in Chongqing and see a lot of tourists getting confused by the internet hype. I want to share my real opinions so you do not waste your time or money.

Hongyadong

Please do not go during the day. It is just a regular building then. The lights only turn on from 8 PM to 11 PM. Also ignore anyone offering a fast track pass because they are scammers. Just walk down the Daijia Alley cliffside path right next to it. It is free and has great photo angles. You also avoid the crazy elevator lines.

Jiefangbei Monument

It is right in the city center but honestly it is just a monument surrounded by luxury malls. Take a quick photo and move on. Also please do not buy those bright pink or green candied fruits sold here. They are artificially dyed and taste terrible.

Chongqing Zoo

If you want to see pandas then this is a must. It has one of the largest panda populations in the world.

Mountain City Walkway

This is where you feel the real history of Chongqing. Walking along the cliffside stairs by the river and drinking traditional tea is incredibly relaxing. I give this place an 8.5 out of 10.

The Great Hall of the People

It is a stunning traditional building but there is no need to go inside. Just admire it from the square outside.

Baixiangju Residence

This building went viral online but the locals living there are exhausted. They have put up no photography signs everywhere. If you go then please be quiet and respect their privacy. The architecture is cool but the vibe has been ruined by overcrowding.

Longmenhao Old Street

Such a beautiful spot. The sunlight on the bluestone paths and the stilt houses against the river view make for amazing photos. It is also full of hidden gem cafes and the night lights are gorgeous.

Testbed 2 (Eling Er Chang)

A trendy arts district in an old factory. The rooftop offers a stunning panoramic view of the city. However it has become quite commercialized and crowded lately.

Yangtze River Cable Car

It is basically an aerial bus across the river. Just do a one way trip. The round trip views are identical and you will have to queue all over again for the return. Grab a window seat for the best view.

Guanyinqiao Pedestrian Street

This is where the locals actually hang out. It is a massive shopping and food hub. There is a famous neon screen here. It is packed so expect to wait in line for photos but the cyberpunk vibe is totally worth it.

Shiba Ti (Eighteen Steps)

Historically significant but now it is heavily commercialized. It is basically just a long staircase lined with souvenir shops.

Sanxia Museum

Located right across from the Great Hall. The Three Gorges exhibit is excellent. The AC is great inside so if you are tired from walking then head to the second floor terrace for a perfect view of the Great Hall.

Ciqikou Ancient Town

A thousand year old town with beautiful traditional architecture. Definitely check out Baolun Temple. Do not forget to try the famous Chen Mahua twisted dough twists.

Huguang Guild Hall

A massive complex with striking bright yellow walls that are perfect for vintage photos. Note that it requires an entry ticket. You can also listen to traditional opera inside but that costs extra.

Huangge Ancient Trail

Want the real mountain city experience? Hike this. Start from the Shangxinjie roundabout. The path is shaded by centuries old banyan trees. If you make it to Laojun Cave you get a breathtaking view of the South Bank district.

Liziba Light Rail Station

The famous train passing through a building. Honestly the viewing platform is always packed with people. You will probably find that photos taken by others online are clearer than what you can get there. You can check this off your list in about five minutes.

Raffles City

The exterior has an amazing cyberpunk aesthetic. The best free photo spot is on the street right outside Metro Exit four at Chaotianmen. Unless you are shopping there is no need to go inside because it is just like any other massive mall.

Hope this helps you guys plan a better trip. Feel free to ask if you have any specific questions about arriving here.

Hi! I’ll be visiting Chongqing in the near future and was wondering if there are any malls or shopping areas that have lots of anime/figure shops, Pokémon stores, TCG shops, etc. — basically somewhere where a lot of young people and the local ACG crowd hang out.

I visited Beijing last year and really enjoyed Sanlitun, especially because there were so many anime, toy, collectible, and TCG stores all in one area. Is there anything similar in Chongqing? 😊

Hello everyone. I’m a student from Nepal and I’ll be travelling to Chongqing this September to start my Master’s at Chongqing University(Huxi campus).

Unfortunately, the university has informed me that they cannot provide me with a dormitory, so I’m now looking for an affordable 1-BHK/private apartment near the university.

I’d really appreciate advice from current or former international students in Chongqing, especially students at Chongqing University.

A few things I’d like to know:

• What is a reasonable monthly rent for a 1-BHK near Chongqing University?
• Which neighborhoods/areas should I look at for a good balance of price, safety, and distance from campus?
• Which platforms are reliable for finding apartments in Chongqing?
• Is it possible for an international student who doesn't speak Chinese to rent directly?
• Are there any agents or landlords who are familiar with international students?
• What additional costs should I expect (deposit, management fees, utilities, agency fee, etc.)?
• Are there any areas I should avoid or things I should be careful about when signing a rental agreement?

I’d also love to connect with current students or incoming students who speak/understand English, Nepali, or Hindi. Since I’m new to Chongqing and don’t speak Chinese, it would be really helpful to connect with people who can share their experience, help with basic communication, or even look for accommodation together. Also, if there are any WeChat groups for international students, Nepali students, or Chongqing University students, I’d really appreciate it if someone could share the group QR code/link in the comments, if possible. 🙏

My priority is a reasonably priced 1-BHK, preferably with convenient public transportation to Chongqing University. I’m also open to staying a little farther from campus if the rent is significantly cheaper.

If anyone has recently rented an apartment around Chongqing University, I’d be very grateful if you could share your experience, approximate rent, recommended areas, or useful contacts.

Thanks in advance!

Hey guys, I live in Chongqing and often drive foreigners from Jiangbei Airport to the city. I just want to share some real things I’ve noticed lately to help you avoid trouble.

1. The Metro is cheap, but brutal with luggage.
I picked up a couple last week who tried taking Line 10 with huge suitcases. They told me the stairs and escalators were a nightmare. If you have heavy bags, don't do it.

2. Always insist on the meter.
I often hear about tourists being offered a flat rate of 100+ RMB to Jiefangbei. It should be around 40-60 RMB. If a driver refuses to use the meter, just walk away.

3. Hotel check-in can be a headache.
Many small hotels don't speak English. I usually end up helping my guests translate at the front desk just so they can get their room keys smoothly.

Chongqing is an 8D city and GPS can be confusing. If anyone has specific questions about arriving here, feel free to ask!

Hi, this is my first time in chongqing. What is the best spot to see drone show this Saturday 15 August?

Thanks!

Ni Howdy!

While I have traveled internationally a few times, I am not one of those people who roam to all of the corners of the world. Recently I went to Chongqing and I visited for about 10 days. It was by far the furthest I had been from home. The trip and the country were completely amazing to me.

People are pretty much the same around the world - we work, we play, we love or children, etc. However, I did notice many differences between Chinese and American culture. These are just the subtle, silly differences that I thought were interesting so I noted them in my phone. I decided to write this out mainly for myself and for my family, but I thought it might also be interesting to share them here. I hope you find them informative and maybe even amusing.

• In general, things were very inexpensive from my point of view. Rides, meals, hotels were probably all less that half or maybe even a third of what I would expect in America.
• In general, people were very well behaved - rule followers... Until they were operating a motor vehicle...
• It all felt safe and I got the impression there was very little crime. In fact one time we left our luggage in the metro station. No locker - we just left it with a bunch of other peoples luggage in an area labelled luggage storage. Presumably there were cameras?
• There were no homeless. None. I am not sure how they solved that problem, but my hat is off to the Chinese for this one.
• No tax or tipping. This part was very nice.
• Most signs were in English and Chinese. This was super nice, but I did wonder about it. Why all the English signage? We literally went DAYS without seeing another 'Waiguoren'.
• The napkins were tiny. Also some restaurants gave you thin gloves to eat with to keep your hands clean. Oooh and some restaurants gave out flossers which I really did like.
• Speaking of signs - there were a number of them with random life advice on them. All had positive messages about how to be a good person or a good citizen. My favorite was a sign that said - 'Don't follow random advice.' You see the paradox, right?
• People were VERY sun conscious - using umbrellas all the time. It was cute to see couples with the man holding the umbrella.
• There were many pet dogs, but they were all pretty much small breeds. Must be a feature of apartment living.
• The advertisements for stores and drink places were so colorful! In many cases they had cute funny animals as icons - a snowman, a panda, dinosaur, etc. All had a happy fun vibe like Hello Kitty.
• Sometimes the stores had music that played outside - usually some sort of happy fun kid song. I recognized many of them as based on children songs in America - like 'turkey in the straw' or 'Mary had a little lamb.' Of course the lyrics (if any) were in Chinese. Still they are catchy!
• For any advertisement with a human model, they used these perfect actors that looked like they stepped our of a KPop (Cpop?) band. Basically they looked like the Chinese backstreet boys (and girls).
• Last thing about the shops and stalls - some of them had people shouting some phrase or two out to generate business. That was pretty normal. However, some took it further and had people with headsets that were amplified doing the sales pitch. Some even had simple recordings that were blaring constantly. In NYC this would have caused a fist fight with the neighboring proprietors but not here - I guess they just have it all tuned out.
• There was not a lot of ethnic diversity. Perhaps to a local, you could see people from the north, east, west of China and recognize them, but I could not. Basically everyone was Chinese. In America you get used to seeing people of all shapes and colors.
• Tea and drink stores are everywhere. You can order ahead or have drinks delivered easily. You could get some many delicious combinations. However, I am a regular black tea drinker and finding regular black tea was surprisingly difficult.
• In fact you could have ANYTHING delivered and it was fast and inexpensive. The hotel we stayed in had a robot. I think the robot was for the delivery people - they handed off the food to the robot and the robot rode the elevator and took the food to the specific room. We bumped into it several times - sort of like R2D2.
• It was hot while we were there and a lot of people had fans. Some were the old fashioned hand fans, but many were small battery powered ones. Some were very high tech!
• Scooters were everywhere. This makes sense in a busy crowded city. The level of customization was cool to look at too. Many were in colors or with funny anime stickers. Some had little canopies on them to protect from the rain/sun. It was clear that the sun made the handlebars hot in the summer so people would have different contraptions to protect them. Some had simple mitts for this and some went so far as to have a whole jacket reversed and attached. This was probably important in winter as well... Helmets were obviously optional though.
• We saw very few pedaled bicycles. That was strange.
• We rode a lot of escalators - each was a bank of two - one up and one down. We noticed that there was no rhyme or reason to which was one which side. I almost got on the wrong one several times. This struck me as strange because China is a very organized place.
• I used chop sticks exclusively for well over a week. This is definitely a way to go on a diet as an American. I actually got hand cramps.
• Basically all money exchange is through your phone. I never saw or touched any hard money. This worked very well and I wish we did more of that in the US. It all worked through QR codes. There were times where we go stuck but I think that was because we had non-chinese phone numbers. Even vending machines worked this way. It was great!
• I learned what a 'Beijing Bikini' was. It was super hot so a lot of Chinese men had their shirts flipped up and belly showing - hence the bikini.
• Like most people I get a lot of email and texts as the day progresses. However, over in China there is 'weird quiet' in the middle of the day due to the time difference when most of America is asleep. You can communicate with your family early or late but the middle of the day is quiet - its nice!

In general, I found China to be a weird paradox - Ancient and modern at the same time. The feeling of age comes through through in the people, customs, and language. At the same time it is also VERY modern with tall buildings, phone tech, better cars, and other ways. It's a nice place...

Post here if you are planning a visit to Chongqing and want tourist advice, including "how-to's" (how to get a SIM card, how to get from point A to point B, etc.), tour guide or company recommendations, restaurant recommendations, itinerary advice, etc. Please indicate if you would like tour guides to contact you (or not).

Tour guides- feel free to respond to users directly within this thread if they have indicated they are open to being contacted. Please respect those who have not indicated or indicated they would not like to be contacted.

Hey everyone,
Me and two friends (we are all 20 year old university students from Belgium) are visiting Chongqing soon for about 3 to 4 days.
We are wondering if it is worth hiring a local English speaking guide for just one full day to show us around the main cyberpunk and 8D architecture spots. We want to see the crazy infrastructure, but since we are students we are on a bit of a budget.
Is it easy to navigate and find these specific places by ourselves with public transport and Didi, or does a local guide really make a big difference?
Also, if you do recommend getting a guide, do you have any specific recommendations or WeChat contacts that are good and affordable for a group of 3?
Thanks in advance!

Hello, i will be studying Chinese in Chongqing for the first time starting this September and i have a few questions about school dormitories and weather.

1. How cold is winter in Chongqing? What kind of clothes should i wear during cold wet winter days?

2. Do i have to bring my own bed sheets and blankets for school dormitories or do they give it to you from the school?

3. How good is the quality of university campus dormitories in Chongqing in general? Do they have air conditioning?

My friends and I want to go in December, and the main focus is really the view and getting our money worth for the hotel (cap of 300 dollars per night for 5 nights).

Does anyone know which would be better to book?

Thank you!!

Are there any wechat groups for foreigners in chongqing? New here, feeling a bit isolated.