Eating out

There are numerous places in which to eat in Chongqing, offering a vast choice of cuisine. A good place to start exploring the Chongqing nightlife and the range of bars/restaurants is Nan Bin Road, in the Nan An District.

Cantonese

God of Chef Shark’s Fin & Seafood City
Add: 6th floor, World Traders Hotel, 118 Zou Rong Road, Yu Zhong District
Tel: 6378 1111 ext. 8618, 8628

Survival Club
Add: 57 Zhong Hua Road, Yu Zhong District

Yu Du Hotel
There is a revolving restaurant on the 29th floor with live entertainment. English menu available.
Add: 168 Ba Yi Road, Jie Fang Bei, Yu Zhong District

Dim Sum (Yum Cha)

Bi Feng Tang Restaurant
Situated on the ex-site of the Xinhua Bookstore, this recently opened and very clean restaurant specialises in Cantonese dishes. The Dim Sum served here is delicious and the menu vast.
Add: 179 Min Sheng Road, Yu Zhong District
Opening Hours: 10:00 – 04:00

Japanese

Fuji Japanese Restaurant
An "all you can eat" for Yn98 per person. Drinks extra.
Add: Lobby Level, Holiday Inn Hotel, 15 Nan Ping Bei Road, Nan Ping
Tel: 6292 4214

Sichuan

123 Favourable Wind
Add: 2 Lin Jiang Road, Yu Zhong District

Yi Zhi Shi Restaurant
This small restaurant next to World Traders Hotel, serves delicious Chongqing and Sichuan food. English menu and reasonably priced.
Add: 114 Zou Rong Road, Yu Zhong District

Thai

Thai Home Restaurant
Offering authentic Thai cuisine, prepared by Thai chefs, at reasonable prices. Since its opening in early 2003, this Thai restaurant has become a regular dining spot among the expatriate community.
Address: Rm 53/54, 2nd floor, C District, Da Ye Material City, 86 Jiao Chang Kou, Yu Zhong District
Tel: 6379 8618

Western

Champs Elysees
This 1902 ex-French Marines building has recently been restored, transforming it into a bar/restaurant while maintaining the ambience of the old world charm throughout the building. There is a small museum in the courtyard unfolding some of the history of Chongqing. The balconies are the ideal place to sit outside during a warm night, overlooking the Yangtze River and downtown. The menu offers some Western and Chinese dishes. There are also 10 private function rooms for set Chinese meals.
Add: 142 Qian Tai Xiang, Dan Zi Shi, Nan An District

Golden Monkey Coffee House (colder months)
Add: Lobby level, Holiday Inn Hotel

River Garden (warmer months, outdoor seating area)
Add: 3rd floor, Holiday Inn Hotel

Piccolo's Pizza
Add: 88 Sha Zheng Jie Street, Sha Ping Ba District

Pizza Sunday
Add: located above the Modern Book Centre.

Cafés, Bars & Pubs

The choice of cafes, bars and pubs in Chongqing is extensive. It seems as though a new place opens up every weekend.

Dee Dee's Bar
A cosy and popular bar with expatriates, especially the Holiday Inn apartment residents.
Add: Located near the entrance of the Holiday Inn apartment block.

Fifth Season Book Pub
The first Book Pub in the city, set up to encourage reading and relaxation. The coffee is good.
Add: 6th floor, Metropolitan Plaza, Jie Fang Bei

Newcastle Arms
A Western-style bar with good beer and great music.
Add: 3rd floor, 168 Ba Yi Road, Jie Fang Bei, Yu Zhong District

Romantic Bar Street
A terrace area, stretching out to the Jialing River, with Chinese-style buildings housing an array of bars and pubs, with outdoor seating. May’s Bar, A Street Car Named Desire – Movies Bar, Ready Made Bar, Hot Sea Bar and Philadelphia Bar are just some of the bars you’ll find.
Add: located near Pizza Sunday/Modern Book Centre

Reunion Club
A pleasant and popular bar offering live jazz music.
Add: Level 8, Yu Tian Mansion, Ba Yi Road, Jie Fang Bei (next to McDonalds)

Scenic spots and places of interest

Around Chongqing
Arhat Temple (Luohan Si)
Built around 1,000 years ago, one of the major Buddhist Temples in the region, mainly inhabited by the Han people. At its peak, this temple was home to 70 monks. Nowadays this number has dropped considerably but nonetheless the temple is still popular with local worshippers. The temple's most notable feature is its entrance flanked by rock carvings, many of which have survived the onslaught of time, the Cultural Revolution and pollution.
Add: Min Zu Road, Yu Zhong District
Cost: Yn2

Chaotianmen Dock
Located in the northeast of the city, at the confluence of the Yangtze and Jialing rivers, surrounded by mountains on three sides, Chaotianmen slopes down to the rivers on each side. Its name originates from a city gate that was built there in the early Ming Dynasty. The gate was so-called because it faced Nanjing, the capital at the time and where the Emperor lived. In 1891, Chaotianmen was opened as a trading port, but in 1927 the old city gate was pulled down to make way for the construction of Chaotianmen docks. Today the Chaotianmen Passenger Transportation Dock and the newly built Chaotianmen Square are ideal places to view the charming river scenery and where the two rivers come together to form one.

Chinese Traditional Medicine Museum
Located on Pi Pa Hill, the museum houses a 5,000-year history of Chinese traditional medicine. Its nine exhibition halls feature statues of famous Chinese doctors, famous articles, recipes, herbs and production tools. A traditional Chinese medicine doctor is available for consultation.
Add: 101 Pi Pa Shan Main Street, Yu Zhong District
Opening hours: 9:00 – 17:30 everyday

Ciqikou (Old Town)
Located in the northeast district of Sha Ping Ba, this ancient town with a history of more than 1,000 years was built in 998, as a town in the reign of Emperor Xiangping of the North Song Dynasty. Ciqikou has been an important commercial harbour for the shipment of porcelain since the Ming Dynasty. The easiest way to reach Ciqikou is by taxi. A one-way journey will cost approximately Yn30.

Eling Park
Eling Park, also known as "courteous park", was built in 1909 and was originally the home of Lee, a wealthy businessman. During the war against Japan, Chang-Kai Shek and his wife lived here and some embassies were also established in the park. After the liberation of Chongqing in 1949, the park became the headquarters of the Southwest Military Command. In 1958, it was remodelled as a park and named Eling Park. An ideal place to enjoy views of the Yangtze and Jialing Rivers and the night views of Chongqing.
Add: 176 Zheng Street, Eling, YuZhong District

Great Hall of the People (Ren Min Da Litang)
The spectacular Chongqing People's Great Hall is a precious treasure that the proletarian revolutionaries of the older generation, Liu Bocheng, Den Xiaoping and Helong left untouched. This splendid building was built in 1951, adopting the Chinese traditional style of palace construction. The whole building includes an auditorium, north, south and east wings. The circular hall has a seating capacity of around 4,000. The People's Square was built in 1997, covering an area of 24,000 square metres, and a popular place for line dancing.
Add: Ren Min Road, Yu Zhong District

Lao Jun Dong Temple
A large Taoist temple located on the side of the mountain and part of the Nan Shan Scenic Area. Originally this was a Buddhist temple, but then changed to a Taoist temple in 1851. The climb up to the temple is quite long and a little steep, but worth it.

Nan Shan Scenic Area
This is the name given to a large expanse of mountains and greenery on the south bank of the Yangtze River. It includes Yellow Mountain (Huang Shan), South Mountain Park (Nan Shan Gong Yuan), and Wang Mountain (Wang Shan), in all about 10 mountains. The area is beautiful, with mountains covered in shady pine tree forests, with burbling streams and a few rivers. Make sure you also visit the house of Chang-Kai Shek, nestled in the trees on Yellow Mountain.

Painter's Village
Painter’s Village is an art organisation run by professional artists of the Chinese Artist Association. The village is a compound of old houses, turned into studios where original paintings, both oil and traditional Chinese, are displayed and are available for purchase.
Add: 24 Hua Cun, Hualongqiao
Phone: 63313735

Pi Pa Shan Park
Mount Pi Pa (Loquat) park, with an elevation of 345 metres is situated on Mount Pi Pa, which lies in the centre of Chongqing, commanding a magnificent view of the city proper. Once a private garden owned by Wang Lingji, the chairman of the Sichuan government from 1911 to 1949, it was confiscated after the liberation in 1949 and then extended into a park by the People’s Government.

Stillwell Museum
The museum is housed in the former VIP guest house of the Guomingdang and residence of General Stillwell. Since 1991, the Chongqing Municipal Government has turned it into a museum, housing exhibits on General Stillwell and Americans in Chongqing during World War II.
Add: 63 Jainshe Xincun, Li Zhi Ba

Cable Car Trips
Yangtze River
Add: Xin Hua Road, Yu Zhong District
Operating Hours: 06:30 – 21:45
Cost: Yn2 one-way

Tea Houses
Eighteen Stairs Teahouse
The first ‘collection’ teahouse in Chongqing, collecting ancient tea services from Tang to Qing Dynasty. Its décor is typical ancient Chongqing style.
Add: 1 Zhong Xin Road, Yu Zhong District
Opening Hours: 11:00 – 23:00

Day trips outside Chongqing For outings outside the Chongqing city area, hire a minibus if there are four or more of you. Minibuses can be hired through the international hotels as well as from the ticketing office on the 3rd floor in Harbour Plaza Hotel. English-speaking tour guides can also be organised through the Ticketing office. All the places listed below have an entrance fee and restaurant facilities, although a picnic lunch may sometimes be the easiest option. Overnight stay is possible. Distances quoted are approximate and are from downtown Chongqing.

Black Mountain (Hei Shan)
A beautiful place with floating bridges, crystal-clear water and big waterfalls. There are two entrances to Black Mountain, one in the south and the other north. From the south entrance, you walk down the mountain, whereas from the north entrance, you take a golf buggy up to a certain point then walk the rest of the way mainly uphill.
Distance: 80km
Cost: Yn75
Suggested time of departure: 8:30 - 9:00, whole day excursion

Chongqing Safari Park
The largest national ecological tourist park in China. More than 30,000 wild animals of some 430 species have been transported from 14 countries around the world. There are some protected as well as rare animals, such as white tigers.
Distance: Yongchuan – 63km
Suggested time of departure: 10:00

Dazu Grotto Carvings
The grotto art of Dazu County, northwest of Chongqing is a World Heritage site dating back to the Tang Dynasty (650 – 55AD). The sculpting continued through to the Song Dynasties. There are over 50,000 Buddhist, Taoist and Confucian sculptures and carvings scattered over the county in some 40-odd places. The main groupings are at Bei Shan and the more interesting ones are at Baoding.
Distance: Dazu County - 160km
Cost: Yn50 for the Baoding site
Suggested time of departure: 9:30 – 10:00

Hot Springs
Tianci Hot Spring Resort
A clean hot spring resort with many different hot spring pools.
Add: Baishiyi in Jiulongpo District
Cost: Yn40, massages are available at an additional cost.
Suggested time of departure: 9:30 – 10:00

Shopping

Antique Market
A market situated in a multi-storey building selling all kinds of 'antiques' (most are reproductions) and knickknacks: Chinese furniture, wooden carvings, ceramics, teapots, old Chinese books, stamps, Mao statues etc. The best days to attend are Saturday and Sunday, but try to get there in the morning as many vendors start packing up by mid-afternoon. Bargaining is an absolute must, as most vendors will charge ridiculous prices.
Add: Zhongxin Road

Chaotianmen Market
Very popular amongst locals and foreigners, where everything and anything can be found. Some of the items include; plastic ware, Christmas decoration, toys, souvenirs, teapots, shoes, handbags, candles and everyday knickknacks. Bargaining is expected.

Chaotianmen Material & Haberdashery Market
If it’s material you’re after, then this is the place to visit. All sorts of fabrics and colours at very good prices. From men suiting material, to denim, linen and traditional Chinese silks. Go in the mornings as most vendors tend to pack up at around 1.00 p.m. The fabrics do change with the seasons, in the warmer months you are likely to come across a greater variety of cottons and linen whilst during the colder months, you’ll find more woollen fabrics and corduroys.
Add: Xinhua Road, Yu Zhong District

Plazas
Metropolitan Plaza (Da Du Hui)
This glitzy seven-storey plaza hosts around 160 shops, such as Polo Ralph Lauren, Kenzo, Hugo Boss and the like. It also hosts a food court on the 6th floor with various restaurants, from hotpot to Japanese, an ice-skating rink, a cinema and a bowling alley on the 5th floor.
Add: Jiefang Bei Area, in between Harbour Plaza Hotel and Metropolitan Plaza Office Tower
Opening Hours: 10:00 – 23:00

Pacific Plaza Department Store (Tai Ping Bai Huo)
Has a good range of foreign and local labels from shoes to clothing to kitchenware. It's a little pricier than the other department stores.
Add: located inside Metropolitan Plaza
Opening Hours: 10:00 – 23:00

Chongqing Department Store (Chongqing Bai Huo Dalou)
The largest state-run department store in Chongqing. Now it has many chain stores around the city with the flagship store situated in downtown Jiefangbei.
Add: 2 Min Quan Road, Jie Fang Bei
Opening Hours: 10:00 – 22:00

Clothing Shops
Chongqing is swarming with clothing stores. The main ones are:
Giordano (Hong Kong chain)
Baleno
Kobran
Metersbonwe
Jeans West

Supermarkets
Carrefour (Jia Le Fu)
Add: New Chongqing Plaza, Mian Hua Street, Yu Zhong District
Opening Hours: 09:30 – 22:00

Metro Jinjiang Cash & Carry (Mai De Long)
Easily reached by taxi, this is Chongqing's largest supermarket, providing a considerable range of foreign and Chinese products, from food to houseware. A membership card is required and you can apply for it at the counter by the entrance. Plastic bags cost Yn1.
Add: Corner of Dashi Road & Baihe Road, Li Jiao Qiao
Opening Hours: 06:00 – 22:00

Immanuel Foreign Food Store
This husband and wife team stock a large range of foreign food products including breakfast cereals, baking products, salad dressings, preserved foods, spices and more!!! You can either make your way down to the store, or order on line and take advantage of the free delivery.
For e-mail orders: will_rach@hotmail.com
Add: Ground floor, Building D, Zi Jing Yuan (Garden), Sha Ping Ba
Tel: English speakers call Rachel on 61701345; Chinese speakers call Li Xiao Ping on 1333 0266 839

Traditional Chinese Clothing
Mr. Li's Chinese Dress Shop
Add: 101 Zhong Shan Yi Road, Yu Zhong District
Tel: 66699964

Other entertainment

Bowling alley
Add: Level 5, Metropolitan Plaza
Opening Hours: 10:00 – 22:00 every day

Cinema
Huanyi Cinema City
A five-theatre complex with 300 seats in each theatre. Movies are sometimes shown in English.
Add: 6th floor, Metropolitan Plaza
Opening Hours: 10:00 – 22:00

Ice Skating Rink
Add: Level 6, Metropolitan Plaza

Golf Courses
Chongqing Byford River View Golf Course

Chinese opera
Chongqing Beijing Opera Group
The theatre is located on Zheng Yang Street. Tickets can be bought on the Saturday before the show from the little booth on Wuyi Road, across the road from the DVD shops.
Add: 111 Wuyi Road, Yu Zhong District
Show Times: 14:00 every Sunday
Ticket cost: Yn10 per person

Swimming Pools
Holiday Inn Hotel – Outdoor swimming pool (May to October)
Add: 15 Nan Ping Bei Road, Nan Ping, Nan An District
The Holiday Inn offers a special membership for expatriates not residing at the Holiday Inn.