Huashengyuan Golden Cake Dream Kingdom

Ciqikou Ancient Town

“One stone-paved road, a thousand years of history.” For lovers of ancient towns and folk customs, Ciqikou is a 1,700-year-old town on the banks of the Jialing River. For food lovers, a visit means sampling its “Three Specialties”: qianzhang (pressed bean curd sheets), mahua fish (twisted dough fish), and maoxuewang (blood curd hotpot).

3–4 hours

Jinfo Mountain

Combining mountains, water, forests, rocks and caves, natural landscapes like this can be found throughout southwest China. Jinfo Mountain, however, has its own distinctive character, and it even has a ski resort and other recreational facilities, making it a great place to enjoy snow in winter. The scenic area is made up of three mountains—Jinfo, Baizhi and Jingba. Rare trees, exotic flowers and numerous nationally protected wildlife species thrive in its complex terrain. For urbanites who increasingly appreciate getting close to nature, this is a wild animal and plant park where you can nourish your soul and breathe fresh air.

West Gate combo ticket ¥260 (entrance ticket + cable car + shuttle bus); North Gate combo ticket ¥220 (entrance ticket + cable car) · 1–2 days

Sichuan Fine Arts Institute

The campus is not very large, but it is truly beautiful, with photo spots including the Luo Zhongli Art Museum, tunnels, terraced fields and a lotus pond. Whether your taste is artsy, cool and understated, classical or industrial, there is something to suit you. The art museum has attracted visitors from around the world who come to take photos and check in.

Free · 1–2 hours

Danzishi Old Street

Changjiahui Danzishi Old Street sits on Nanbin Road, dubbed the “Bund of Chongqing.” Spanning about 1,000 metres front to back, the street has an elevation difference of roughly 80 metres. Climbing the slope reveals east Sichuan–style alleyways, courtyards and stilted-house shopfronts. At night, head up to the Liangjiang Confluence Viewing Platform to look across the whole Yuzhong Peninsula and the Jiangbei area, taking in Chongqing’s night views at a glance. The street is also lined with food stalls and bars that keep visitors lingering. It is a leisure district loved by locals, and visitors here can feel the full flavour of Chongqing.

1–2 hours

Jinyun Mountain

A national nature reserve with over 1,300 hectares of forest and more than 1,700 subtropical plant species, Jinyun Mountain is a famous botanical treasure trove and forest park. Its dawn redwood (shuishan) is a living fossil tree whose species existed 160 million years ago and is extremely rare in the world. Jinyun Mountain is also a Buddhist sacred site with numerous temples, the most famous being Jinyun Temple.

¥30 · 1 day

Liziba Viewing Platform

Chongqing is built into the mountains, with a new view at every step, giving a sense of magical realism. You may find a tall building below you while walking on the road, or find yourself on a highway after walking through a skyscraper. Liziba is the city’s most surreal sight: watching the light rail pass straight through a high-rise will make you feel as though you have stepped into a movie scene. Remember to bring your camera, because this moment is worth keeping forever.