Chongqing Day 1: Baixiangju, Guanyinqiao & a Stay at SEYA Hotel
4 September 2026
This trip to Chongqing was a little different from my usual solo travels—I was travelling with two friends! We were all arriving at different time though, so I had the first day to explore on my own before our group of three was complete.
BAIXIANGJU (白象居)
My first stop was Baixiangju (白象居), known for its unusual hillside layout and views of the Yangtze River Cableway (长江索道). It is a very Chongqing sort of place: exits on the 1st, 10th and 15th floors lead out to different street levels. You can step outside from a high floor and find yourself back at ground level! The buildings follow the hillside, which explains this slightly mind-bending arrangement.
I had a café in mind, so I booked a Didi straight there. The car couldn’t take me all the way to the entrance, and I had to walk the remaining stretch. Along the way, I spotted a few nice photo spots.
My first glimpse of the cable car over the Yangtze river.
A glimpse of the skyline across the Yangtze on my way to the café in Baixiangju.
I also spotted a group of people standing around with their cameras pointed towards a gap between the buildings. At first, I wondered what everyone was trying to film. Then the cable car appeared and then I thought to myself ahhh, that explained it! From that angle, you could watch it pass between the two buildings. It was quite a nice sight, but the moment was over so quickly. If you want a video, you really need to press record real quick. Miss it, and you’ll have to wait for the next one! During my visit, the wait seemed to be around ten minutes, and I saw cable cars travelling in both directions.
Ahhh, so this was what everyone was waiting to film! The cable car passing between Baixiangju’s buildings.
The café I visited was Shanshiji (山什集), tucked inside one of the residential buildings. The building looked a little uninviting at first, and I did wonder whether I was heading the right way, but I eventually found it!
Found it! Shanshiji (山什集), tucked behind an ordinary apartment door in Baixiangju.
My drink and cake were not bad, and I could watch the cable car passing from the café too. A window seat sounds ideal for that, but Chongqing was HOOOTTTT. Sitting beside the window was hot, hot, hot—even indoors!
Watching the cable car glide past through the café’s little window. Feels like a moving picture frame!
Coffee, cake and a river view at Shanshiji. It's a lovely spot where you can sit and watch the cable car pass by the Yangtze river.
Shanshiji 山什集（白象居站）
Address: Unit 9-1, Building 4, Baixiangju, Jiefang East Road, Yuzhong District, Chongqing
重庆市渝中区解放东路白象居4号楼9-1
Opening hours: 10:30 am–7 pm; last orders 6:30 pm
Baixiangju’s layout seemed quite confusing, so I decided to follow a walking route recommended by other visitors, starting from the Baixiangju Residents’ Self-Management Service Station (白象居居民自治管理服务站). Having a specific landmark to navigate to felt much easier than trying to figure out all the different entrances and floors myself.
I’ve arranged the photos below in the order I took them, so you can get a sense of my walk through Baixiangju, starting from the residents’ service station.
Entrance of Baixiangju Residents’ Self-Management Service Station (白象居居民自治管理服务站).
Zigzagging staircases squeezed between the buildings. This is one of my favourite views of Baixiangju’s many layers and is easy to miss. Keep an eye out for it on your right!
A river view through the window at Buyaoju (步摇居), wearing a floral hairpin I’d just bought there! The shopkeeper even helped me put my hair up with it. I loved the shop so much that I left with several hairpins and clips, plus a necklace and earrings hahaha. Prices were around S$10–30—not exactly cheap, but reasonable, and I felt they were worth it.
I think this is the best spot to capture the cable car passing over the Yangtze river.
A colourful cable car mural along the walking route.
“我在重庆”, which translates to “I’m in Chongqing”! A little photo spot beneath the apartment blocks.
Densely packed balconies, windows and air-conditioning units, with laundry hanging here and there — so many little details in one view of Baixiangju.
Ground level… or so it seems! This open courtyard is actually several floors up.
Following the winding path around another corner of Baixiangju.
Passing Pangge Noodle Shop (胖哥面庄), beside a popular photo spot associated with Chinese celebrity Wang Junkai (王俊凯).
Steep stairs, tangled wires and layers of buildings around Baixiangju, a filming location for Better Days (《少年的你》). Such a cinematic little corner of Chongqing! I also saw a couple having their wedding photoshoot at this spot.
GUANYINQIAO (观音桥)
After Baixiangju, I took a Didi to Guanyinqiao (观音桥). By this point, I was pretty much Didi-ing everywhere. It was so convenient, and the fares felt relatively affordable compared with taking taxis in Singapore.
My first stop was the famous giant screen with the countdown followed by “我在重庆”—“I’m in Chongqing!” I had seen it online, so I wanted to see it in person too.
3-2-1 “我在重庆”
The screen plays other advertisements as well, but thankfully the “我在重庆” sequence appeared quite frequently during my visit. I didn’t have to wait too long to catch it. You can also see the screen from street level below the pedestrian bridge, where plenty of people were taking photos.
There is also the english version as well. It's hard to avoid the crowd in the photo or video at the spot though. Personally, I do think the overhead bridge is a better spot for taking a video of the billboard.
But wow, the SUN. At this point, I felt like I had already gone one shade darker! So, I decided to escape into the mall connected to the bridge, Beicheng Paradise Walk (北城天街) before making my way to my next planned destination.
While browsing, I came across this shop called BEAST (野兽派). The things inside were so, so cute, although a little pricey. There was a Hello Kitty collaboration too! I didn't buy anything though, because I was expecting to spend quite a bit at my next stop Taping Community (塔坪社区).
Escaping the Chongqing heat inside the mall and stumbling upon BEAST (野兽派). The Hello Kitty display caught my eye!
A whole shelf of pink Hello Kitty goodies! So many cute things, though a little pricey.
Hello Kitty in all sizes at BEAST (野兽派). Super cute!
A pavement marked with ‘乖乖’—an affectionate little ‘sweetie’ greeting, and a cute spot for a photo in Guanyinqiao!
TAIPING COMMUNITY (塔坪社区) & BEICANG (北仓)
On my way to Taping Community, I passed a café called Sweet Pupu (甜噗噗). I wanted to try their cookie cup drink — drink served in an edible cookie cup (曲奇杯) — so I stepped inside. I tried their Oreo matcha milk in an edible cookie cup (奥利奥抹茶牛乳曲奇杯, RMB 28). The drink was alright, but the cookie cup was SO hard. I tried biting into it, and could not manage to.
My Oreo matcha milk in a cookie cup at Sweet PuPu (甜噗噗).
Sweet Pupu (甜噗噗)
Address: 8 Yanghe Road, Guanyinqiao Subdistrict, Liangjiang New Area, Chongqing
重庆市两江新区观音桥街道洋河路8号
Opening hours: 10 am–10 pm
Right beside the café was a lovely souvenir shop. I bought panda tea, some coasters and magnets. The shopping had officially begun.
So many cute souvenirs in the shop beside Sweet PuPu! I picked up panda tea, coasters and magnets to bring home.
Taping was full of little shops selling handmade items, toys and collectibles. I felt that so much thought had gone into how the shops were designed. They were cute, full of details and very instagrammable. I bought quite a few things here.
The colourful storefront of 蜜瓜小象 — already a little preview of the cute things inside!
A blue elephant welcoming visitors at the entrance of 蜜瓜小象.
“做个快乐的大人”—“Be a happy grown-up.” A lovely little reminder at the storefront.
Another little shop tucked into Taping’s residential buildings, opposite 蜜瓜小象, with a cheeky sign inviting you to “come in and slack off”.
A whole wall of Hello Kitty designs labelled with different years. I bought one corresponding to my birthyear!
A basketful of tiny Hello Kitty charms in all sorts of outfits.
Chongqing landmarks and local food turned into the cutest little illustrations.
Shelves packed with Rilakkuma, Hello Kitty and other cute character goodies.
A rainbow wall of little plush charms, each with its own expression and personality.
A bright window corner filled with stationery, with a giant Hello Kitty looking on.
Figurines, a pink sewing machine and tiny treasures by the window. I loved how thoughtfully the shops were decorated.
“I LOVE TAPING”. Colourful artworks brightening up the neighbourhood’s residential buildings.
Bright orange seats and retro signs outside Doorway (兜味), a restaurant.
An Anpanman display designed to look like a vending machine. Such a playful little detail!
The leafy entrance to Double Lucky Cat — my favourite shop discovery in Taping!
A black cat dressed as a Christmas tree outside Double Lucky Cat. Too cute hahaha!
Original illustrations by the couple who own the shop, with cats, flowers and lovely little accessories filling the display.
Little wooden carvings made by the husband, alongside illustrated cups and lenticular charms whose pictures change as you tilt them. So cute! Guess which wooden carving I bought!
For lunch, I stopped at Haorizi Family Kitchen (好日子家庭厨房), a cute little restaurant that looked like a dollhouse. There was even a little dog! I ordered the spicy Korean-style noodles with wontons (馄炖火鸡面) and cola chicken wings (可乐薯骨鸡翅). The noodles were okay, but the chicken wings were so nice, especially with the potato stuffed in the wings! Definitely my favourite of the two dishes.
Lunch at Haorizi Family Kitchen (好日子家庭厨房). With its little roof and oversized spoon, the entrance looked like a dollhouse!
Spicy noodles with wontons and cola chicken wings for lunch. The noodles were okay, but the chicken wings were soooo good! Psst... the noodles were alrd half-eaten before I remembered to take a photo.
The cutest little greeter at 好日子, looking rather sleepy on the job hahaha.
Haorizi Family Kitchen (好日子家庭厨房)
Address: 103 Taping, Guanyinqiao, Chongqing
重庆市观音桥塔坪103号
Opening hours: 11 am–9:30 pm
Then I continued to Beicang (北仓), right beside Taping. The browsing continued, with more little shops to explore and more things finding their way into my shopping bags. These two areas worked really nicely together for an afternoon of wandering, eating and shopping.
Giant BEICANG letters, brick walls and colourful shop signs — a lovely introduction to 北仓.
Little shops and stalls lining the lane, with a giant cat peeking down from above!
Bright yellow stairs leading up to Beicang Library (北仓图书馆). Even the stairways here have personality.
Tiny glass Christmas trees, flowers and colourful rings at 异物 · Strange Handmade. So many delicate little things to browse.
Totoro keeping watch outside a little wooden storefront, complete with a miniature fruit-and-vegetable display.
A vending-machine display filled with Hello Kitty goodies, with Santa sitting on top. Christmas apparently came early.
Afternoon sunlight falling across the broad steps painted with 北仓里.
Shin-chan dressed as Action Kamen outside a colourful shop packed with cartoon goodies.
Shin-chan, his family and friends making a colourful appearance on a Chongqing mural.
A giant Hello Kitty welcoming visitors outside the bright pink 摸鱼万岁 shop.
Hello Kitty shelves, Chongqing souvenirs and little cartoon treasures filling almost every corner.
An entire shelf of Hello Kitty treasures—from little figurines and tins to clocks and plushies.
Red-and-white stripes, colourful seats and a little train outside a photobooth shop. Such a playful storefront!
Inside of the photobooth shop.
Miniature Hello Kitty cups, tied up with gingham ribbons, alongside cute stationery. There are so many shops with hello kitty items! I could not stop buying them all.
A little ginger cat chilling beside a red truck, looking completely unbothered.
I also stopped at Yuan Ma’s Red Bean Soup (袁妈红豆汤), which I had seen recommended, and tried their chilled red bean dessert, 冰冰的袁妈大满贯 (RMB 20). Maybe it was just me, but I thought it was so-so. It was nice to have something cold in the heat, though it wasn’t a standout for me.
A dessert stop at Yuan Ma’s Red Bean Soup (袁妈红豆汤), tucked beneath the neighbourhood’s apartments.
My chilled 袁妈大满贯 at Yuan Ma’s Red Bean Soup. A welcome break from the heat, though the dessert itself was just alright for me. I do loved the place’s old-school charm.
Yuan Ma’s Red Bean Soup（袁妈红豆汤）
Address: 108 Taping, Xingta Road, Guanyinqiao, Chongqing
重庆市观音桥兴塔路塔坪108号
Opening hours: 8 am–9 pm
Then it was time to meet up with the first of my two friends for dinner! Neither of us was feeling particularly hungry, so we decided to have something lighter at Xiaobo Teahouse · Wudu Forest (小波茶馆·雾都森林).
Looking down into 小波茶馆·雾都森林, with a little indoor garden of flowers, lanterns, tiled roofs and cosy tables.
We went for a beautifully presented seasonal dessert set and glutinous rice cake (糍粑). More of a sweet little evening meal than a proper dinner. There was ample seats and so we sat and chill with our dessert for some time.
Dinner: a pretty seasonal dessert set and colourful drinks, surrounded by flowers.
Lotus flowers, hydrangeas and a wooden waterwheel creating a little garden scene indoors.
Weathered walls, hanging lanterns and a little bamboo water feature—so many details tucked into the teahouse.
A wall filled with visitors’ messages and doodles, framed by a rough-edged doorway.
Curious little cats peeking around the pillar, beside bamboo chairs and a wall of Chinese calligraphy.
“Can’t quite slack off, can’t win the rat race—how about a cup of white tea?” This cheeky wall mural gets it hahaha.
A rustic corner of the teahouse, with bamboo chairs, a wooden table and calligraphy across the walls.
Xiaobo Teahouse · Wudu Forest 小波茶馆·雾都森林
Address: 28 Daijia Lane, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, beside Zhu Shi Pang Zi Lan Hotpot
重庆市渝中区戴家巷28号（朱氏胖子烂火锅旁边）
Opening hours: 10 am–11 pm
JIEFANGBEI PEDESTRIAN STREET (解放碑步行街)
After our light dinner, we walked from tea house to Jiefangbei Pedestrian Street (解放碑步行街).
A red-lit bridge and glittering buildings across the river.
Glowing red beams jutting out in every direction at Guotai Arts Centre (国泰艺术中心), home to Chongqing Art Museum. Such a striking building to pass on our evening walk!
重庆 spelled out against a wall of colourful flowers and butterflies — another little photo stop along the way.
A misty, bamboo-filled entrance watched over by a whole collection of pandas.
A closer look at the giant panda absorbed in its book, with mist swirling around its feet. So cute!
We finished our stroll around Jiefangbei Pedestrian Street rather quickly. Personally, it didn’t feel like a place where I needed to spend very long, although we stopped to see the monument that gives the area its name.
At first glance, Jiefangbei (解放碑) looks like a relatively modest monument surrounded by much taller modern buildings. But its history goes much further back than the shopping streets around it. During the war against Japan, Chongqing served as China’s wartime capital after the Nationalist government relocated here in 1937. The city became a centre for directing resistance and endured years of devastating Japanese air raids.
In 1941, a symbolic monument called the “Spiritual Fortress” (精神堡垒) was built on this site to rally morale and express the determination to keep resisting. It was later replaced by the monument we see today, built to commemorate victory over Japan and renamed the People’s Liberation Monument in 1950. So while our visit was brief, there is quite a lot of history behind this little landmark in the middle of the city!
Jiefangbei illuminated at night, surrounded by bright billboards and people out for an evening stroll.
SEYA HOTEL JIEFANGBEI FLAGSHIP, 世野SEYA酒店（重庆解放碑旗舰店）
I also have to give my hotel some airtime, because my stay at Seya Hotel’s Jiefangbei flagship (重庆解放碑旗舰店) was fabulous!
I had wanted to stay here after seeing its in-room pool overlooking the skyscrapers and the “storm spa” experience on social media. Definitely a hotel I was excited to experience for myself.
My own little pool overlooking Chongqing’s skyscrapers at SEYA Hotel. This is the view that made me book this stay!
A soak with a skyline view.
My hotel room at night, with the city lights right outside the window. There is a float that one can relax on while enjoying the pool.
The service made the stay even better. At check-in, the receptionist added me on WeChat, so whenever I needed anything, I could simply message the little concierge, or 小管家. They were available 24/7 during my stay and replied very quickly. It was so convenient!
Breakfast was delivered to my room in the morning, with service starting at 7 am. I could send my breakfast choice and preferred delivery time through WeChat, and use the same chat to book the storm spa.
Breakfast delivered straight to my room at SEYA, with chilli oil wontons (红油抄手), steamed buns, fruit and more. Such a lovely way to start the morning!
One thing to note: the storm spa room accommodates up to six people for a 30 min slot, so booking as a solo guest doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll have it to yourself. I messaged the concierge to ask whether anyone else had booked and managed to find a slot with nobody else there.
That slot was at midnight, though, and only for 20 min. A little late, but I got to enjoy the experience on my own!
A little glimpse of SEYA’s storm spa with rain falling from above, surrounded by stormy sea visuals.
Ending my first day with a midnight storm spa session at SEYA. Managed to get the whole space to myself.
SEYA Hotel Jiefangbei Flagship, 世野SEYA酒店（解放碑旗舰店）
Address: 58th Floor, Yingli International Financial Centre, 28 Minquan Road, Yuzhong District, Chongqing
重庆市渝中区民权路28号英利国际金融中心58楼
Room Type: Dawn Tower - River View Grand King Room
Price: S$546 for 2 nights
AND...
that wraps up my first day in Chongqing! From watching cable cars pass between buildings at Baixiangju to browsing the lovely little shops in Taping and Beicang, it was a day filled with so many of the things I enjoy — and quite a few shopping bags. It was lovely to meet up with my friend in the evening, before ending the night with a midnight storm spa session back at SEYA. My mostly solo day was over, and I was looking forward to exploring more of Chongqing with my friends!
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