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.

YZ 12 Walking Tour of the Walled City

By following Xing Long Jie back to the right as you emerge from the Di San Bu Dao you will arrive at Tong Yuan Men, arguable the most visible of the city gates on Zhong Shan Yi Lu. What remains of the city wall was rebuilt during the Qing Dynasty and today this is the most accessible of all the gates and still in relatively good condition.

A new teahouse and gallery keep watch on the wall today while life -size bronze soldiers scale it in a mock siege beneath a barrage of arrows from the archers on the wall. Across the street, hidden behind the modern façades are more alleys and pathways and stairs between the small old timber, bamboo and tiled houses with their cool dark interiors where everyday life spills into the street.

YZ 11 Walking Tour of the Walled City

Business is still brisk in this real city street

Xing Long Jie, ‘brisk business street’ just off Pipashan Zheng Jie is the beginning or the end of the Di San Bu Dao, depending on which way you choose to walk. It’s located above the tunnel and the northern approaches to the Chang Jiang Bridge, beside Shibanpo, an area that is lit with fairy lights at night. Some of this area has been dressed up with new facades but most is simply raw Chongqing at its colourful and fragrant best.

Business truly is brisk as shops overflow with goods into the streets - baskets of grains and pulses, wet and dry markets, and general kitchen and household goods – beside butchers plucking poultry. This area offers a great chance to explore the real city in almost every direction and following Xing Long Jie to the east will take you down to Tong Yuan Men on Zhong Shan Yi Lu.

YZ 07 Walking Tour Of the Walled City

Chu Qi Men is an unusual gate with seven arches at the top of a long flight of stairs. It can be approached from both the top and bottom but neither is easy to find.

Walk from Wang Long Men outside Huguang Huiguan climbing the hill to Jiefeng Dong Lu. There are two alleyways offering close up views of daily life of these inner city residents. One follows the compound wall and the other continues past the Silk Embroidery gallery.

Once on Jiefang Dong Lu, head west to Chu Qi Men which was a significant gate in the city wall. All but one of he arches are blocked up these days.

An elevator nearby takes the hard work out of this climb up to the Chongqing Daily Newspaper offices on the corner of Xinhua Lu.

A short distance down the street is a small disused but interestingly overgrown temple.

Continue on to Jiao Cheng Kou via the wartime bunker at the end of Ba Yi Lu

YZ 08
YZ 09 Walking Tour of the Walled City

Located on Zhong Xing Lu in Jiao Cheng Kou, the Eighteen Stair Teahouse, Mosque and Antique Markets are an interesting mix of sites. The quaint old traditional teahouse and storefront sits precariously on another steep slope above an interesting pocket of town. You can sit awhile and sip tea as you soak up the atmosphere or pay Y5 to wander around this little museum full of collectables, photos and letters with a French connection dating back to the turn of the last century.

Just down the street are the Mosque and a bakery where you can buy the savory Hui style bread.

A little further down the street are the Antique Markets in a building that sells second hand electrical and white goods although many of the stallholders have moved from here to the new facilities near the People’s Great Hall. The entrance to the Di San Bu Dao is at the bottom right hand side of the street.