Chongqing in China is a feast for all the senses. Photo: Kim Treasure.
Unless you are an avid TikTok or Instagram user, chances are you’ve never heard of Chongqing – and that’s a pity.
Not only is it the largest city in the world, considering its entire administrative area’s 32 million population, but it’s also a feast for all the senses.
Chongqing is known as the city of mountains and rivers, situated at the confluence of the Yangtze and Jialing Rivers. It was the very first Chinese inland port to be open to the world and served as the capital of China for seven years, during World War II, when Japanese forces invaded coastal parts of the country.
But what it’s best known for in the world of social media is a train that appears to run into an apartment building – and its multi-level madness. Throw in a jaw-dropping electric light show each night, and you have everything a young influencer needs for the perfect social post.
The sight of a train going through a residential building in Chongqing is attracting tourists from around the globe. Photo: Kim Treasure.
But there’s much more to Chongqing than its showy facade.
The municipality is home to a remarkable blend of cutting-edge technology and a rich history dating back thousands of years.
It is China’s major vehicle production base, the world’s largest laptop producer and a national centre for advanced manufacturing. Last year alone it produced 2.54 million vehicles, doubling the previous year’s output and EVs from its Chang’an Automobile R&D Centre are now being sold in Australia.
And while garbage plants are unlikely tourist attractions, what they do to transform waste into energy at the Chongqing Sanfeng Yulin Environmental Protection Power Generation Company is well worth seeing.
Think of it as a window into China’s ambitious sustainability drive — industrial-scale, high-tech, and surprisingly elegant. A garden-style factory, AI-controlled, with minimal odour and little byproduct, it powers 800,000 homes.
On the other hand, Chongqing is home to a UNESCO World Heritage site and two UNESCO World Natural Heritage sites — a reminder that, despite its modern skyline, this megacity is steeped in art and antiquity.
As day gives way to night, the city’s somewhat grim concrete exterior transforms into a sea of colour and light. Ferries glide past illuminated bridges, street vendors sell late-night snacks, and high above it all, glass elevators zip between layers of streets, creating a city built in the clouds.
If you’ve come for food, you’ve come to the right place. The city is the undisputed home of the fiery Chongqing hot pot. For the full experience, head to the Hongyadong Folk Custom Scenic Area, a terraced, lantern-lit complex that looks like something straight out of an anime film.
It’s equal parts shopping mall, food hub, and architectural marvel, stacked along the cliffside with sweeping river views.
Traditional costumes are often worn for photo opportunities in China. Photo: Kim Treasure.
No visit to China would be complete without seeing the pandas – and here again, Chongqing delivers in spades. The Chongqing Zoo is home to 23 giant pandas. If you arrive early in the morning, you’ll catch them at their most active – munching bamboo, rolling about, and occasionally giving visitors a photogenic stare.
Be prepared for crowds – and the people watching is almost as good as the pandas – but there is plenty of space for everyone to enjoy their antics.
The pandas are the main attraction at Chongqing Zoo. Photo: Kim Treasure.
But perhaps the most unforgettable experience lies an hour and a half west of the city, in the Dazu Rock Carvings – a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site and one of the most extraordinary examples of ancient Chinese art.
Carved into the cliffs between the 9th and 13th centuries, these intricate sculptures and reliefs depict Buddhist, Taoist and Confucian beliefs with astonishing detail and grace. Thousands of figures stretch across the rock faces – serene Buddhas, writhing demons, scholars, and everyday people – each telling a moral story about compassion, restraint and enlightenment.
The Baodingshan section is the most famous, with more than 10,000 individual carvings, including the breathtaking reclining Buddha – a 31-metre-long masterpiece representing Nirvana. Walking among these works, shaded by forest and perfumed with incense, it’s easy to forget the glass towers and traffic-choked bridges back in the city.
The Dazu Rock Carvings ushered in a new era for grotto art. Photo: Kim Treasure.
It’s this duality that defines Chongqing: a place where a hyper-modern skyline meets millennia-old spirituality; where steaming hot pots meet quiet temples; where trains run through apartment blocks, but ancient hands once chiselled wisdom into stone.
And while many travellers make the mistake of skipping over Chongqing en route to the Yangtze River cruises, that’s a missed opportunity. This city isn’t just a stopover – it’s a destination in its own right.
Just outside the city is a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site. Photo: Kim Treasure.
From the dizzying heights of its skyline to the tranquil artistry of Dazu’s stone carvings, Chongqing leaves visitors with one overriding impression: this is a city that refuses to fit neatly into any box.
It’s modern and ancient, chaotic and calm, industrial and beautiful, all at once.
And if that’s not worth a place on your travel list, nothing is. Plus, you’ll have some great pix for Instagram.
Kim Treasure travelled in China as a guest of the All-China Journalists Association.
