Life

Impressions of Chongqing

Chongqing may be more Sichuan than Chengdu

Chongqing, separated from Sichuan Province but comparable to Chengdu, is a motorcycle-friendly mega-city with chaotic overpasses and dense 3D terrain. Although the city offers a vibrant skyline perfect for photography, its overwhelmingly spicy "Jianghu" Sichuan cuisine can be hard to handle long-term. The professional use of Mandarin in services contrasts with Chengdu’s preference for Sichuanese.

  1. #Chongqing
  2. #motorcycle
  3. #terrain
  4. #urban style
  5. #dialect
  6. #skyline
  7. #Sichuan cuisine

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A nighttime cityscape is reflected in calm water, with tall buildings illuminated by lights and a bridge crossing the river.A nighttime cityscape is reflected in calm water, with tall buildings illuminated by lights and a bridge crossing the river.

Chongqing, a municipality separated from Sichuan Province, is comparable to Sichuan when considered as a province in the term "Chuan-Yu." As a city, it is often compared with Chengdu.

Chongqing is one of the few mega-cities in China where motorcycles are not only not banned but encouraged, due to its terrain suitable for riding motorcycles and the presence of many motorcycle manufacturing enterprises. Recently, the Motorcycle Expo was also held in Chongqing.

So, when I recently went on a short trip to Chongqing, I naturally chose to ride my motorcycle.

A black and gray motorcycle with a black seat and kickstand is parked on a checkered floor in front of a modern glass building with a large window. The motorcycle has a black box with a picture of a mountain and a black and white sign with the word "HONDA" on it.A black and gray motorcycle with a black seat and kickstand is parked on a checkered floor in front of a modern glass building with a large window. The motorcycle has a black box with a picture of a mountain and a black and white sign with the word "HONDA" on it.
无极500DS

Terrain

The first impression of Chongqing is always the chaotic overpasses and tunnels, and the motorcycle buildings on the hills.

Many cities are built on uneven terrain, but cities with as much elevation difference as Chongqing are not as densely populated; places with greater elevation differences than Chongqing cannot build high-rise buildings.

The elevation difference and high density together constitute the magical 3D foundation of Chongqing.

The roof of a building at the foot of the mountain is at the same level as the ground on the hillside, and a section of the overpass can directly lead from the roof to the road on the mountain. This structure, which is easy to understand at first glance, can make people lose their sense of direction due to the dense buildings blocking the view, making them amazed by Chongqing's "magic."

A cityscape with tall buildings, a walkway, and a street with cars and a bus.A cityscape with tall buildings, a walkway, and a street with cars and a bus.
左营街在山上，有一个天桥直通山下住宅楼的11层
A high vantage point captures a bustling cityscape with tall apartment buildings, a busy street, and a park. The buildings are predominantly white and gray, with blue accents, and are adorned with air conditioning units. The street is filled with cars and a bus, and a park with trees and a fountain is visible in the background. The image is taken from a balcony overlooking the city, showcasing the urban environment.A high vantage point captures a bustling cityscape with tall apartment buildings, a busy street, and a park. The buildings are predominantly white and gray, with blue accents, and are adorned with air conditioning units. The street is filled with cars and a bus, and a park with trees and a fountain is visible in the background. The image is taken from a balcony overlooking the city, showcasing the urban environment.
左营街在山上，有一个天桥直通山下住宅楼的11层
A city street with a curved concrete road, a tall white apartment building with air conditioning units, and a pedestrian walkway.A city street with a curved concrete road, a tall white apartment building with air conditioning units, and a pedestrian walkway.
行车的天桥是好几层楼的高度
A narrow alleyway in a city, with a metal staircase leading to a building on the right side, surrounded by trees and people walking around.A narrow alleyway in a city, with a metal staircase leading to a building on the right side, surrounded by trees and people walking around.
紧贴着山体的一栋楼，下方靠山的那侧可真是阴暗
A person in a blue shirt is walking on a concrete staircase in an abandoned apartment building, surrounded by a concrete courtyard with a metal railing and a concrete wall. The building has multiple windows with air conditioning units and a red sign with the letters "S" and "S" on the side. The scene is set against a backdrop of a gray sky.A person in a blue shirt is walking on a concrete staircase in an abandoned apartment building, surrounded by a concrete courtyard with a metal railing and a concrete wall. The building has multiple windows with air conditioning units and a red sign with the letters "S" and "S" on the side. The scene is set against a backdrop of a gray sky.
从楼的中间进入​

Food

Although Sichuan cuisine is mainstream in Chengdu, there are also many non-local cuisines. If you look carefully, you can find obscure Cantonese dishes such as sauna chicken and crispy carp, as well as Xinjiang restaurants specializing in Xibe or Kazakh cuisine.

However, in Chongqing's food market, Sichuan cuisine has an overwhelming advantage. Moreover, the Sichuan cuisine here is the spicier and more intense "Jianghu" cuisine. It's fine for a few meals, but eating it too much is really unbearable. In the end, we searched the whole city for light non-local restaurants, and even pizza was considered a light dish to reduce internal heat.

Urban Style

Chengdu has many well-designed and even over-designed "boutique" shops.

In the middle of dilapidated streets from the last century, you can often suddenly spot a small store with a foreign name, large transparent glass walls, and warm white lighting inside, as if it were an Apple Store in a Rio de Janeiro favela. The store might sell tacos, baguettes, Ethiopian Geisha coffee brewed with washed processing, or steamed buns, wontons, and beef noodls at doubled prices. These kinds of shops are especially common in Yulin.

But in Yuzhong District, such shops are rarely seen. In Chengdu, you can stubbornly act like a Shanghai white-collar worker, but in Chongqing, you can only be a Chongqing native.

A red and yellow cable car is suspended in the air, with a cityscape of tall buildings in the background.A red and yellow cable car is suspended in the air, with a cityscape of tall buildings in the background.

Dialect

Although Chongqing feels more like Sichuan to me than Chengdu, there is one exception:

The usage rate of Mandarin is much higher in Chongqing than in Chengdu, at least from a traveler's perspective.

In Chongqing, I didn't encounter service people who insisted on speaking Sichuanese to me despite me speaking Mandarin. In Chengdu, you know, except for the workplace where Mandarin is used, service industry workers rarely switch to Mandarin unless you explicitly request it.

This makes the service industry in Chongqing seem more professional than in Chengdu.

A large white apartment building with balconies and windows is on the left side of the image, with a tall red bridge spanning the river on the right side. The bridge has white cables and is supported by two white towers. The river is calm and has green trees on both sides. The sky is gray and hazy.A large white apartment building with balconies and windows is on the left side of the image, with a tall red bridge spanning the river on the right side. The bridge has white cables and is supported by two white towers. The river is calm and has green trees on both sides. The sky is gray and hazy.

Skyline

Any photographer who likes capturing cityscapes would certainly love Chongqing. Its dense skyscrapers, undulating terrain, and numerous rivers and bridges allow you to easily capture impressive cityscape photos that appeal to most people's aesthetics.

A bustling Chongqing street scene features a colorful train track, a colorful building, a statue of a lion, and a pedestrian crossing.A bustling Chongqing street scene features a colorful train track, a colorful building, a statue of a lion, and a pedestrian crossing.

I've been in Chengdu for a year, and the number of clear days is few. More importantly, Chengdu's high-rise buildings are not very concentrated, and the flat terrain makes it hard to find good shooting spots. I'm almost giving up on cityscapes.

But you won't feel this way in Chongqing, although the air is just as bad as in Chengdu. There are many skylines to shoot. Basically, taking photos from one side of the river towards the other can give you good angles.

Unfortunately, the densest area of Chongqing's motorcycle buildings is right under the main flight path, and Yuzhong District does not allow aerial photography without prior approval. If drones were allowed, Chongqing would be as great a cityscape destination as Hong Kong or Shenzhen.

A cityscape with tall buildings, a bridge, and a few cranes, with a cloudy sky.A cityscape with tall buildings, a bridge, and a few cranes, with a cloudy sky.
A person stands on rocks near a calm body of water, with a city skyline in the background and a red bridge over the water.A person stands on rocks near a calm body of water, with a city skyline in the background and a red bridge over the water.
A nighttime cityscape is reflected in calm water, with tall buildings illuminated by lights and a bridge crossing the river.A nighttime cityscape is reflected in calm water, with tall buildings illuminated by lights and a bridge crossing the river.
A nighttime cityscape is reflected in calm water, with tall buildings illuminated by lights and a bridge crossing the river.A nighttime cityscape is reflected in calm water, with tall buildings illuminated by lights and a bridge crossing the river.
A nighttime cityscape features illuminated skyscrapers, a red bridge, and a river reflecting the city lights.A nighttime cityscape features illuminated skyscrapers, a red bridge, and a river reflecting the city lights.

Overall, I like Chongqing's streets. I like riding motorcycles, and I like the hilly, winding streets even more. But the food in Chongqing is something I can't eat for long periods. I'll definitely come back for photos when the weather is good, but I'm not considering settling down there.

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