Hi Everyone!

I had never even heard of Chongqing until it popped up while I was searching for visually insane places in China—somewhere with glowing skylines and that full-on cyberpunk vibe. Turns out, I had wildly underestimated what I was about to walk into.

Chongqing isn’t just a big city—it’s one of the largest in the world. The municipality has a population of over 30 million people, making it more like a province-sized mega-region than a traditional city. The dense urban core alone still clocks in at well over 10 million. It’s massive, chaotic, and somehow… completely mesmerizing.

From the moment I arrived, the city felt like stepping into the future. Neon lights everywhere, layers of roads slicing through the skyline, and trains literally weaving through buildings. I’m not exaggerating—there’s a train line that passes straight through a residential tower like it’s just another floor. It genuinely felt like I’d been dropped into a mix between Blade Runner and Tron.

They call Chongqing the “Vertical City,” and that name absolutely earns its keep. Walking here is not straightforward. At all. You’ll see a place you want to go that looks like it’s right in front of you—and then spend the next 20 minutes trying to figure out how to actually get there. Sometimes you go up three levels on an outdoor walkway, sometimes down into an underground tunnel, and sometimes… straight through a shopping mall. There’s no universal logic. The locals clearly have their routes memorized, and if you don’t, you’re just guessing your way through a 3D maze. Honestly, it felt like a high-stakes navigation puzzle the entire time.

Hongyadong "Cave"

One of the wildest places in the city is Hongyadong. It’s often called a “cave,” but that’s not quite accurate—it’s actually a modern reconstruction inspired by traditional stilt houses that used to line the cliffs along the river. Historically, this area was a dense, chaotic settlement built vertically into the rock, where homes and shops stacked on top of each other out of necessity.

What exists today is a reimagined version of that concept: an 11+ story vertical market, built into the hillside and glowing like something out of a fantasy film at night.

Inside, it’s pure sensory overload. Food vendors everywhere, endless souvenir shops, massage services, and then… some of the most bizarre offerings I’ve ever seen. One guy was advertising ear-cleaning services using what looked like a tuning fork setup. I don’t know if it’s legit or just a tourist trap, but either way, I was not volunteering as tribute. Still, watching it all unfold around me was part of the experience.

Finding my Hostel

Getting to my hostel on day one felt like a full-blown side quest.

Like most buildings in Chongqing, the lower floors were packed with shops and markets. Somewhere hidden within all of that chaos was the elevator I needed. No signs. No obvious entrance. Just vibes.

Eventually, I found what I thought was the right building. According to Hostelworld, my place was on the 31st floor. I get in the elevator… and it only goes to the 30th.

Perfect.

I asked a guy in the elevator (via translator app) if I was in the right place. He nodded. When we reached the 30th floor, he casually walked me over to a very sketchy stairwell and pointed up. No words. Just “trust me.”

So up I went.

And somehow—he was right. The hostel was up there, hidden like a secret level. And honestly? Not bad at all. It turned out to be a kind of multi-floor quarter penthouse setup, with different amenities on each level and a rooftop terrace at the top. Not exactly what I expected when I was climbing that staircase, but I’ll take it.

The City Skyline

That first night, I headed out across one of the massive bridges to get a proper look at the skyline.

And yeah… this is where Chongqing really hits.

The city absolutely delivered—and then some. The reflections off the river, the layered highways, the glowing towers—it all came together into something that didn’t even feel real. It honestly felt like I’d stepped inside a video game. Or like I’d been digitally uploaded into some neon-soaked future world.

“Impressive” doesn’t quite cut it. But it’s the word that keeps coming back.

The Zoo

The next morning, I went to the Chongqing Zoo—and I’ve got to give them credit, their marketing is incredible.

They have around 20 giant pandas, and their own signage basically says:

• Come in the morning to see active, playful pandas

• Come in the afternoon to see “black and white blobs that don’t move”

Respect.

I went early, and sure enough, the pandas were actually doing things—eating, climbing, rolling around. The zoo itself was surprisingly lush and relaxing, with a ton of different animals. Some I’d never seen before in person, like white rhinos. It ended up being a really nice contrast to the chaos of the city.

The Drone Show!

I lucked out hard with my timing—my last night in Chongqing was a Saturday, which means drone show night.

And this isn’t just any drone show.

We’re talking 11,000+ drones lighting up the sky in synchronized formations. It’s currently recognized as a world-record-scale performance, and it absolutely feels like it. The drones split into massive coordinated groups, creating animations across the skyline—storytelling in the sky.

The show itself tells a kind of mythological story—something along the lines of a heroic struggle involving a massive creature (I’ll let you fact-check me on the exact legend later). But honestly, the specifics almost don’t matter. The scale of it is what hits you. It’s one of those things where you just stand there thinking, how is this even real?

And once again… amazing is the only word that fits.

Chongqing completely blindsided me. I didn’t come in with expectations, and maybe that’s why it hit so hard—but this city is something else. Chaotic, vertical, confusing, futuristic… and somehow all of it just works.

Chongqing was amazing.

Next stop — and good luck pronouncing this one — Zhangjiajie.