Great Hall of the People
Chongqing's Great Hall of the People and the People's Square in front of the Hall is an architectural symbol of Chongqing City. 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.
HongYaDong
Near Jiefangbei, a recreation of the old Chongqing, clinging to the side of the mountain with many small shops. A tourist place but you can find recreations of old local crafts here and genuine local food.
Foreigner Street
An entertainment and amusement park area northwest of Jiefangbei on the other side of the river and a bit north, where foreigners have been encouraged to set up shops. You can find a church, an upside-down house, an Australian bar, a small train, the world's largest public restroom and many other overly kitschy attractions.
Zhou Enlai's old residence
Zhou Enlai worked as a member of the Communist Party alongside Mao Zedong. Unlike Mao, Zhou was well-liked by the Chinese people and his death led to the Tiananmen Incident in the 1970s not to be confused with the more famous incident in 1989. Located by the Jialing river north west of Jiefangbei, and now a museum and open to the public for a small fee. It has been preserved as it was the day it was used.
On the surface, the city appears rough around the edges and a bit grungy and thus there may appear to be not much to do, but further investigation will uncover a city with truly its own character and a number of interesting sites actually worth looking into.
Chongqing served as the capital of the Republic of China for seven years during the late 1930s and early 1940s during the Anti-Japanese War World War II. With this political history comes a number of historic sights which are worth visiting. Chongqing has the largest population in West China and is the focus of China's "Go West" strategy to help further develop the western part of China. As a result, it is a very lively and rapidly modernizing city, although it does get a bit hectic at times.
Chongqing Jiefangbei Pedestrian Street (Jiefangbei Shangye Buxingjie)
Jiefangbei stands in the most prosperous downtown center of Chongqing. Jiefangbei, or the Peopleâ s Liberation Monument, formerly known as the Monument of Victory in the War of Resistance usually called the "Anti Japanese war", is a 27.5 meter highs structure. It is the center of the city marked as Chongqingâs commercial heart. It is isolated by broad, paved pedestrian square and numerous glassy office skyscrapers and highrise hotels, reminicent of New York's Times Square or Tokyo's Shibuya district. Jeifangbei Shopping Square, itself completed at the end of 1997, is 400 meters from east to west, and 350 meters from north to south, covering an area of 24,400 square meters. Pedestrian St and food street GPS 29.559030-106.574380Liberation monument GPS 29.560454-106.573400. Around the square are more than 3,000 stores various kinds of shops, with more than two dozen large malls and shopping centers, dozens of star-graded hotels, and offices such as banks, stock markets, trade and finance companies, postal and telecommunication services, and places of entertainment.
Red Rock Village (Hong Yan Cun)
Red Rock Village Hong Yan Cun, located near Shapingba centre on the road following the river is a very important tourism site in Chongqing City. This is the location where the Chongqing Negotiations between Mao Zedong and Jiang Jieshi Chiang Kai-Shek took place, and the historic aspect of the place is nice. To get to the history, you will have to go through an exhibition center which is worth going to.
Song Qing Ling's Residence
Another interesting site to visit especially if you're staying at the Hilton Hotel is Song Qing Ling's former 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 a businessman. Middle sister Qing Ling 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". Qing Ling is the one who loved China. There is an interesting movie (http://www.hollywood.com/...) 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. The house is located about 100 meters south of the main entrance to the Hilton Hotel.
Chongqing Hua Yan Tourist Spot
A temple complex including a Buddhist monastery and a large golden Buddha overlooking the whole place. Tucked in a green valley on a small lake, surprisingly in the middle of an urban built up area of Chongqing City.