Day trip from Chongqing
Hongyadong
洪崖洞
An 11-story complex of traditional Bayu stilted buildings clinging to a riverside cliff in central Chongqing.
Clinging to a steep bluff above the Jialing River in Chongqing, Hongyadong is an 11-story commercial complex modeled on traditional Bayu diaojiaolou (stilted wooden houses). What makes it distinctive is both its vertical geography, with street-level entrances on both the first and eleventh floors, and the way its stacked timber eaves glow bright gold against the modern skyline after dark.
Hongyadong itself takes only two to three hours in the evening, though Chongqing rewards a three-day stay. Base yourself in the adjacent Jiefangbei neighborhood in Yuzhong District so you can walk back after the lights switch off. Beyond the city's monorails and hillside lanes, the best day trips from Chongqing are the UNESCO-listed Dazu Rock Carvings and the karst gorges of Wulong. On a broader China itinerary, Chongqing pairs naturally with Chengdu via a 90-minute high-speed train, or is the embarkation port for a Yangtze River cruise to Yichang. It suits urban photographers, night-market grazers, and fans of dramatic cityscapes, while travelers seeking quiet, preserved historical architecture may be underwhelmed by its crowded, mall-like interior.
Updated 24 October 2026
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Night Illuminations from Jiabin Road and Qiansimen Bridge, 4th Floor Bayu Food Street, 11th Floor City Balcony (Cangbai Road) +1
Highlights
Night Illuminations from Jiabin Road and Qiansimen Bridge, 4th Floor Bayu Food Street, 11th Floor City Balcony (Cangbai Road) +1
01Night Illuminations from Jiabin Road and Qiansimen Bridge
After dusk, the stacked wooden facades light up in warm gold. The classic frontal view is from Jiabin Road at the riverside level, while walking halfway out onto the pedestrian deck of Qiansimen Bridge frames the complex against the Jialing River.
必看024th Floor Bayu Food Street
A dense indoor-outdoor labyrinth of stalls serving local Chongqing snacks such as sour-and-spicy glass noodles (suanlafen), grilled skewers, and small-bowl noodles, alongside riverside teahouses.
0311th Floor City Balcony (Cangbai Road)
Because of Chongqing's vertical terrain, the roof of Hongyadong sits flush with an upper city street, offering a wide terrace looking out over the Jialing River and the steel arches of Qiansimen Bridge.
必看04Jiangbeizui Riverside Viewpoint
Directly across the Jialing River near the Chongqing Grand Theatre, the opposite riverbank offers a much quieter, wide-angle panorama of Hongyadong stacked below the skyscrapers of Yuzhong Peninsula.
Travel tips
Walk down from the 11th floor, Ignore the 'shortcut' touts, Time your visit for the lighting window +2
Travel tips
Walk down from the 11th floor, Ignore the 'shortcut' touts, Time your visit for the lighting window +2
Walk down from the 11th floor
Enter at the 11th-floor rooftop on Cangbai Road and walk down the stairs to the 1st floor on Jiabin Road. The internal elevators have massive queues at night and are best avoided.
Ignore the 'shortcut' touts
Locals near the upper and lower entrances often try to sell access to 'fast-track elevators' or 'secret photo decks.' These are just standard building corridors or public viewpoints you can reach yourself.
Time your visit for the lighting window
The golden exterior lights only switch on after dusk (roughly 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM depending on the season) and turn off promptly around 11:00 PM. During the day, the wooden structure looks much less impressive.
Take the metro or walk back
Riverside roads around Hongyadong gridlock after dark, and taxis are frequently barred from stopping on Jiabin Road. Walk up to Jiefangbei or use Xiaoshizi Metro Station to leave the area.
Book a free entry pass online
Entering the interior floors of the complex typically requires a real-name reservation via Hongyadong's official WeChat mini-program, though viewing the building from the road and bridge requires no pass.
How to get to Hongyadong
Most visitors arrive in the city via Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport (about 40 minutes away by metro or taxi) or by high-speed rail into Chongqing North or Chongqing West stations, with frequent trains from Chengdu taking 1 to 1.5 hours and from Xi'an around 5 hours. To reach Hongyadong, take Metro Line 1 or Line 6 to Xiaoshizi Station, or Line 2 to Linjiangmen Station, and walk 10 minutes to the 11th-floor entrance on Cangbai Road.
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