//
Photo: Zhou Guanhuai, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Pipa Mountain Park is a hillside park in central Chongqing and the highest point in Yuzhong District. It is known for its green paths, gardens and panoramic views of the city. The Red Star Pavilion at the top offers views of the Yuzhong Peninsula and the surrounding cityscape.
Pipa Mountain Park is a major urban park in the city of Chongqing. With an elevation of 345 meters, this park is the highest point of the Yuzhong District of Chongqing. The park used to be a private garden to Wang Lingji, the former KMT governor of Sichuan Province during Republic of China period. In 1955, the garden started to open to public as an urban park. On the top of Pipa Mountain, there is a tall pagoda called Twin River Pagoda, with views of Yangtze River to the south and Jialing River to the north.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
皇冠大扶梯
Claimed to be the second longest single escalator in Asia, it saves travelers having to climb the steep steps, hundreds of metres up or down between the train station & Chang Jiang Yi Road. Curiously it is a paid service in both directions.
鹅岭公园
Eling Park is a historic hilltop park in central Chongqing. It gets its name from the shape of the terrain, which resembles a goose's head. It is known for its traditional gardens, walking paths and panoramic views of the Yangtze and Jialing rivers.
Soong Ching-ling's former residence 宋庆龄故居, 宋庆龄旧居
This was Song Qingling's (Song Qing-ling's) residence from the period of the Second World War when Japan occupied much of China and Chongqing was the temporary capital. There were three Song (also spelled Soong) sisters. The eldest married China's richest man. Middle sister Qingling married Sun Yat Sen, the founder of modern China. She was herself an important political figure, especially after his death. The youngest married Chiang Kai Shek. A saying about them is "One loved money, one loved power, and one loved China". Qingling is the one who loved China. There is an interesting movie with an English soundtrack, and a book ("The Soong Dynasty") about the family. This house wedged in between tall, ugly buildings is a nice German design (the original owner was an engineer who studied in Germany) that is not unlike many of the pre-liberation colonial architecture that can be found here and there in and around Chongqing.
重庆人民大会堂
Chongqing's Great Hall of the People (and the People's Square in front of the Hall) is an architectural symbol of Chongqing City. This is where the Chongqing Municipal People's Congress, the legislature of Chongqing Municipality, meets. Its construction began in 1951, but its design is traditional and mirrors those of China's ancient classical dynasties. It somewhat resembles an enlarged version of the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. The People's Square was only completed in 1997 and is decorated with trees and flowers. The ground of the square is paved with smooth marble tiles; there is magic music fountain; at the southern end of the square stands a stage for performances in the open air. You may see thousands of people dancing on the square in the numerous beautiful lights in the evening. The building is to be seen from the outside, no need to pay the admission fee. If you do go inside, you can read about the history of the building (in Chinese only) and view some old photographs
山城第三步道
A suspended walkway clinging to the cliffside, this trail connects historical sites like the Kangjian Hall and the Bodhi Vajra Pagoda. It provides a quiet escape and unique angles to view Chongqing's mountainous urban landscape, away from the crowded tourist hotspots.
巴蔓子墓
Ba Manzi was an army general of the ancient Ba kingdom. He is best remembered for the manner of his death. History records that he hired some troops from the kingdom of Chu to put down a rebellion, promising to reward the Chu king with three Ba cities. However, when the Chu king came to collect his reward, Ba Manzi refused to cede the land and offered the king his severed head instead. A museum built around the tomb documents Ba Manzi’s life and times.