The monument
At the centre.
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Chongqing's commercial heart, a wide pedestrian zone ringed by skyscrapers, named after the monument at its centre, a 24 m octagonal column built in the late 1940s after the end of the war with Japan and known today as the «Liberation Monument». Thousands of shops, restaurants, malls and hotels surround the monument, with pedestrian streets running off in every direction, so the area looks like a dense forest of glowing towers on the Yuzhong peninsula between the Yangtze and Jialing rivers. The city's best-known sights lie a short walk away: Hongyadong, the Yangtze River cableway, the old Shibati quarter and Raffles City at the meeting of the rivers, so it's an ideal base for exploring on foot. Wandering is free, and the area is at its liveliest in the evening. Chongqing is famous for fiery hotpot, usually cooked in beef tallow, and many menus include pork, so look for halal hotpot restaurants.
At the centre.
And shops.
Lit at night.
Yuzhong District, central Chongqing
Yangtze River CablewayA historic aerial cableway over the Yangtze, linking Yuzhong with the southern N11 minutes walk4.3
Shibati (Eighteen Steps)A historic quarter on the slope between Jiefangbei and the bank of the Yangtze, 11 minutes walk4.4
HongyadongChongqing's most famous sight, an eleven-storey complex built against a steep cl11 minutes walk4.6
Raffles City and the Crystal SkybridgeA complex of eight towers at the tip of the Yuzhong peninsula at Chaotianmen, wh17 minutes walk4.8Yes, there are halal hotpot restaurants; traditional hotpot is usually cooked in beef tallow and many menus include pork, so ask before ordering.