Menu
Menu
Beijing Time(GMT+8)
New York Time(GMT-5)
Greenwich Mean Time(GMT)
Beijing Time(GMT+8)
Profile Travel Reviews Travel Forum Travel Tips Photo album  
Chongqing Travel Tips
Your first-hand tips on an area you have been to in China will help other fellow travelers on their trip planning and on-the-spot stay. Please choose one of the specific categories.
Tips 25-32 of 37 Page 4 of 5 < Previous Next > Page:
Write Your Travel Tip
People's Great Hall
By JABAROOTOO | 3/12/2007 8:46:39 AM

Looking like the Temple of Heaven in Beijing, the People's Great Hall is a famous and popular landmark in Chongqing. Once the tallest building on the peninsular it is now dwarfed by its surroundings but is nonetheless impressive. A hotel in keeping with the character of the place makes up part of the complex.

On a hill opposite the new San Xia museum it is popular with locals, especially in the evenings when many of them come out to dance. Take your pick of styles and join in. You're more than welcome but it is usually finished around nine o'clock.

Inside the great hall you'll find out how the roof was designed and assembled on the ground before being disassembled and rebuilt in place.
There's also an art gallery and a demonstration of traditional brush paintings is offered to tour groups.

Entrance Fee Y5 Currently not open to the public becuase of restoration work.

Another recent addition is a commercial centre down on the street where you can watch artists and work and buy paintings/scrolls and other souvenirs.

KFC as well if you are interested!


New San Xia Museum
By JABAROOTOO | 12/18/2011 6:14:45 AM

Recently opened the new Three Gorges museum is a must for history and culture buffs. It is a magnificent piece of modern architecture which blends readily with its surroundings. It hosts a display on the new dam and river and the relics that were either lost or moved to higher ground.
Another on the recent history of Chongqing and the War years, with yet another depicting the ancient culture of the Ba people.
There is so much to see but if you are pushed for time then these three are probably the best to take in.

Located opposite the Remnin Da Li Tang or the People's Great Hall it is easy to find and also great to visit in the evening before nine pm to watch the locals come out to dance. You may even be invited to join them.

Entrance free

The South Bank 2
By JABAROOTOO | 9/28/2005 9:21:57 AM

NAN’AN DISTRICT South of the river

See Part 1 for how to get here

On arrival in Long Men Hao, Nan’an you have two choices. Second Choice

Climbing the Mountain
The first stop on the way to Nan shan is Yi Ke Shu or One Tree Hill, a good night viewing platform. Just a little further up the hill you’ll find the Lao Jun Dong Temple. From here you can enter by the back gate and walk back down through this large temple complex via loads of steps to the entrance and then more stairs down to the Shang Xin Jie near the cable car.

Turning left at the intersection at the top of the hill, follow the road up to the Golden Eagle (Jin Jing), built since the war to celebrate the liberation of China. It’s the only spot that gives you a 360° ‘bird’s eye’ view not only of Chongqing but west over the Changjiang. It is situated in a park with an entrance (Y12) on the north side of the ridge and as you descend the south side you’ll pass through another lovely park, which has accommodation available. You can leave by the front gate of this second park and a short walk down the road to the left will bring you to some restaurants and the bus terminus.

There are numerous parks and gardens on Nan Shan but will leave them for another time.
How to get there
You have several options from Shang Xin Jie. Bus 384, take a taxi, or a mini van taxi Y5 pp or a motor bike Y10 per bike( will take two pillions for Y10). This is my preferred option on a clear day.
On your return from Jin Jing, catch the bus and get off at Shang Xin Jie and walk down to cable car for return trip across the river. Y2 each way. You can also negotiate for un-metered cars near the cable car, which is good value if there are more than two of you. They were asking Y10 for a Y6/7 taxi so be wary if you decide to hire one for ride to Nan Shan.


The South Bank 1
By JABAROOTOO | 6/27/2007 9:58:40 AM

NAN’AN DISTRICT South of the river

From Jeifengbei take the cable car from Xinhua Lu across the Changiang to Long Men Hao from where you’ll get a great view of both the river and some parts of the city. Remember that large portions of Chongqing, at one time China’s wartime capital, were destroyed or burned during some of the heaviest bombing raids by the Japanese inflicted upon any city during the war.

Looking left and downstream toward Chao Tian Men you will notice a large walled compound of traditional Chinese architecture. Originally built over a centaury ago it is the Merchant Traders Guild Hall and has recently undergone restoration and conversion to a Museum and should be open by Oct 1 2005

On arrival in Long Men Hao, Nan’an you have two choices.

First choice

Along the river
Heading downstream along the river on Nan bin Lu you will find the Old French Naval Garrison built in 1902. Restored and converted to a teahouse/restaurant called the Champs Elys’ees 1902 it also houses a small museum and photo display of Chongqing at the turn of the century when it was also opened to foreigners as a treaty port. You can sip tea or coffee from the rooftop garden and enjoy the magnificent view over the river.

Head upstream along Nan bin Lu and you’ll discover one of Chongqing’s premier dining locations. With a wonderful new park and boardwalk, showcasing the river it offers many choices for dining both indoors and outdoors and is a great place to walk and people watch. In the evenings you can also enjoy the beauty of Chongqing lit with a myriad of lights, many reflecting in the Chiangjiang .

How to get there
From the cable car take a taxi on the street outside (Y6/7) to Champs Elys’ees or walk down to Nanbin Lu and jump on any bus (373, 338 for Y1)heading in that direction and catch the same number bus back again to below the cable car (Y2 each way)
or continue on the bus to downtown Nan ping area.

Great Restaurant & Pub
By CQPRC | 6/2/2005 4:15:49 PM

My first of many trips to Chongqing was made all the better when I was put onto a great place called Dee Dee's Bar in Nanping.
It's very close to the Holiday Inn, but away from the majority of other bars - this may be a plus or a minus depending on your inclinations, however if you are new to town it's a "must go". The food and drink is reasonably priced and excellent - western or local dishes. The help however is priceless! Where to go, where to stay, do's and don'ts - all given freely and friendly. Dee Dee is extremely helpful and friendly as are the local expats.

Details of the bar can be found at www.deedeesbar.com

places to stay in Chongqing JiefangBei
By ELCABRON | 2/20/2005 6:55:00 PM

Well, I have a backpacker soul, so when I travel with a friend or on my own I try to find some cheap places, but still the best quality for a certain amount of money.
If you travel with your girlfriend things look different - they make travelling so expensive;-)

Finding luxury places to stay in is nothing special. The challenge is to find cheap Hotels with the best quality.
Here are my results for Chongqing:

In spring 2004 the HUIXIANLOU (on MinzhuLu No. 186 leading to the JiefangBei Monument, phone: (023)-63845101)offered the best dormitory rooms in Chongqing around JiefangBei. Despite a 6-bed-room it was great because the walls were completely of glass offering an amazing view down to the busy shopping streets to the JiefangBei monument. They charged me with 50 Yuan a night.

But around Christmas and New Year in 04/05 they closed down any dormitory offers.
Maybe you are lucky next time, but it seems they got too greedy and that dormitory does not fit into their concept anymore.

I checked several other hotels like the SHIPIN DASHA (72 ShaanxiLu No.72, phone: (023)-638476775) which is closer to the harbour. But it is totally run down and even their so called better double rooms 100 to 180 yuan are not worth thinking about it. There is also a Karaoke Bar in the building which does not make it better.

A Chinese friend helped me to find a great place, the SHUANGHUI LIJING HOTEL. From JiefangBei Monument you walk down the Minzhu Lu for 5-10 minutes to the big Carrefour Supermarket. In front of this market turn left and the next possibility right again. Right behind the Carrefour, approximately the 4th building on the left side, there you find it. My doubleroom was on 15th floor with a nice view and cost 100 Yuan. Rooms are very clean, nice service and western style bathrooms.
They are flexible with prices because on the board there was no room under 300 Yuan. Maybe I was lucky, but you should give it a try! It is the best quality for your money!

The pic shows the SHUANGHUI LIJING HOTEL.

A great TEA HOUSE in Chongqing
By ELCABRON | 5/1/2005 10:01:35 PM

My first tip is one of the best Tea Houses I have ever seen in China. It is a pitty I could not read the Chinese name, but it is not too difficult to find. Itis situated in the Yuzhong District, close to Jiefang Bei. From JiefangBei walk down the MinquanLu to the round about or rotary traffic meeting the XinhuaLu (10 minutes walking). From this traffic circle you take the second street on the right side, which is called ZhongxingLu and heads down to the ChangJiang, but it is already the second building 100 meters on the left side of the road (from there you look down on to an older part of Chongqing. From the outside you donot realize that it is a Teahouse (if you can not read Chinese of course) and it looks so small you only see one storey. But if you enter you will find another world.
There are three more storeys downstairs, because it is situated on the hangside to an older quarter of Chongqing. Everything is decorated with antiques, woodcarvings, bamboo, calligraphies, buddhas and so on. In summer time you can enjoy a nice terrace, lovely decorated, with a view over the mentioned old quarter all the way to the ChangJiang (if they havent built 10 new skyscrapers by now, you never know in Chongqing). On the lower floors they have a little well running like a river through the floor, so that you have to do some stone-stepping to reach the other side with dry feet, Im serious. You can choose between cosy corners, private rooms or normal tables but you always feel very comfartable. I dont have to mention the Tea quality in a Chinese Tea House, do I?
Here I used to take a break with a relaxing cup of tea after a tough bargain at the Antique Market down the street, which is my second tip for Chongqing.

A helpful soul just told me the name of the tea house: Eighteen Stairs Teahouse
Thanks for that!

ANTIQUE MARKET in Chongqing
By ELCABRON | 2/16/2005 12:50:13 AM

The ANTIQUE MARKET is situated in Yuzhong District, downtown Chongqing, close to Jiefang Bei. From JiefangBei walk down the MinquanLu to the round about or rotary traffic meeting the XinhuaLu (10 minutes walking). From this traffic circle you take the second street on the right side, which is called ZhongxingLu and heads down to the ChangJiang
Walk down this road where the Tea House is situated (my first tip) for maybe 5 more minutes. On the left side you will see a big building, which you can not miss because of many busy people. It is not spectacular from the outside but there are at least three floors full of traders. From the street you would enter the third one which offers electronic stuff, but I was not looking for a tv or washing machine. Walk around the building or down the stairs to the first two storeys where you can only find antiques! And by the way they where looking at me you could tell that this is a real Chinese market where they don? see foreigners very often (even in Chongqing). They offer everything from little things to complete old traditional Chinese beds and wooden statues (looked like old temple statues) of more than 3 meters height. You name it, they got it!
This market is open everyday, but don? come too late. If you come by on the weekend there is also some market outside offering all kinds of goods.

Have a good price hunting!


Tips 25-32 of 37 Page 4 of 5 < Previous Next > Page:
Write Your Travel Tip

Top