Expat, globetrotters, and influencers are thrilled by the unique and avant-garde city of Chongqing. The city’s main attractions include a zoo with giant pandas, a public square built on the rooftop of a 22-story building, and an aerial railway with one of its main stations located in a block of flats. The city’s skyline is also a major draw, with its resplendent colors visible from the banks of the Yangtze River.
The city’s eccentricities are often referred to as “dystopian” and “the craziest city on the planet” by media outlets. This label is due to the city’s rapid growth, which has led to a lack of clear rules and inhibitions, resulting in a display of eccentricities. However, some argue that the city’s topography, with its irregular mountain plateau and two great rivers, has forced residents to be creative and build upwards, resulting in a unique, three-dimensional, and multi-level labyrinth.
Some of the city’s notable features include a ring shopping park with a futuristic design, sky squares built on rooftops, and residential blocks with more than 30 floors. The city also has a unique public transportation system, where trains pass through holes in 19-story blocks of flats, and metro stops can be accessed via escalators with tolls. These features have made the city a hotspot for digital nomads and influencers, who showcase the city’s oddities on social media.
Despite its quirky reputation, Chongqing is also home to many cultural attractions, including the Hongya Cave complex, the Baiheliang Underwater Museum, and the Cikiqou theme park. The city is also known for its delicious local cuisine, including the spicy condiment salad málà , which is served at a popular restaurant in the Hongya Cave complex. With its unique blend of old and new, Chongqing is a city that is difficult to categorize, but one that is undoubtedly worth visiting.
