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🇨🇳 Chongqing · Attractions

Hongyadong (洪崖洞)
The 11-storey stilt-house complex that glows gold at night

A timber stilt-house complex clinging to the cliff above the Jialing River — the moment the sky goes dark, the whole facade lights up gold. It is the image people picture when they think of Chongqing. Free to walk, and you can enter from the top at street level or the bottom by the river.

The basics

Why everyone comes to Hongyadong

Picture this: you are standing in the middle of Qiansimen Bridge at 8 pm, a soft breeze coming off the Jialing River, and right in front of you an 11-storey timber building clings to the cliff, every eave lit in warm gold, the reflection streaking down the water. People often say it looks like the bathhouse town in Spirited Away — and once you have seen it for yourself, you understand exactly why.

This is Hongyadong — a complex of stilt houses (吊脚楼 diaojiaolou) rising 11 storeys, about 75 metres, built against the cliff on the Jialing riverbank in Yuzhong District, right beside the downtown core of Jiefangbei. The stilt house is Chongqing's traditional architecture: homes propped up on stilts to grip the steep, hilly terrain. Hongyadong reworks that form into a giant tourist complex, packed inside with shops, restaurants and souvenir stalls.

What makes Hongyadong the number-one image of Chongqing is simple: it is free to enter, there is no ticket queue, and at night, when the whole facade lights up gold, you are looking at a city of the future stacked on top of an ancient one in a single frame — something genuinely hard to find anywhere else in China.

Hongyadong Chongqing at night — the 11-storey stilt-house complex lit gold across the whole facade, reflected in the Jialing River
Hongyadong at night — every floor lit gold at once, reflected in the Jialing River
🎫
Admission
Free
Walk up and down all 11 floors, no ticket
🌃
Best time
7.30–10 pm
Fully dark, lights at their best (check the off-time)
🚇
Metro
Xiaoshizi (L1/L6)
Exit 9, then a 5–10 minute walk
🏯
Structure
11-storey stilt houses
About 75 m tall, built against the cliff
🔼
Entrance
Top (Floor 11) or bottom (Floor 1)
8D city — Floor 11 is street level
📸
Best photo spot
Qiansimen Bridge
Whole facade + river in one frame
What's inside

Walking the 11 floors top to bottom — what each level holds

Hongyadong is not just a photo op — step inside and it is a full eat-and-browse market.

The 8D trick: don't be thrown if you walk in on Floor 11 and find yourself at street level — Chongqing is built on hills, so a building can have several "ground floors". The easiest approach is to enter from the top (Cangbai Road) and take the escalators or lifts down floor by floor to the river — walking down is far easier than walking up.
Lights, photos, crowds

How to get the best shot of the gold lights

🌃 The night lights — when to go

The gold facade lights switch on in the early evening (often around 6 to 7 pm) and go off around 10 to 11 pm. The peak window is 7.30 to 10 pm, once the sky is fully dark and the gold reads at its richest against it. Important: the on/off times shift with the season and around holidays — in winter it gets dark earlier — so always check the day's lights-off time before you set out, so you don't miss it.

The smoothest plan is to arrive before dusk, around 5.30 to 6.30 pm, eat inside the complex or around Jiefangbei first, then walk out just as the lights come on — fed, and not stuck standing in the crush.

Hongyadong Chongqing in daylight — the stilt-house structure clinging to the cliff above the Jialing River clearly visible
Hongyadong by day — you can see the stilt-house structure gripping the cliff, before the gold lights transform it at night

📸 The best photo spots

For the "whole facade" shot you see on postcards, go and stand on Qiansimen Bridge (千厮门大桥). This bridge over the Jialing River springs out right beside the complex, so from the middle of the bridge you get both gold-lit Hongyadong and the river in a single frame — the angle every photographer comes for, and walking onto the bridge is free.

Want a different look? From across the river in the Jiangbei area you see the full building from a distance. And for a close-up looking straight up, with the building towering overhead, shoot from the Binjiang Road riverside beneath it. The two angles feel completely different but both are stunning.

👥 How to beat the crowds

Let's be honest: Hongyadong gets very crowded in the evening, especially on weekends and during Chinese holidays (Golden Week in early October, Spring Festival). Qiansimen Bridge and the top floor get so packed it can be hard to photograph. The best move is to avoid the holidays if you can — a weekday is far more comfortable.

Another trick: arrive a little before the lights come on and claim a spot on the bridge or the top floor early, so you are ready to shoot the moment they switch on, without fighting for position. Expect some walkways to move slowly when it's busy — wear comfortable shoes, because you'll be going up and down a lot of floors.

Getting there

How to reach Hongyadong

The easiest way is the metro, which brings you out at the top level (street level) directly.

🚇
Metro Line 1 / 6
Xiaoshizi station (小什字)
Exit 9, walk ~5–10 min to the top level — the easiest route
🚈
Metro Line 2
Linjiangmen station (临江门)
Exit A, around 300 m from the upper part of Hongyadong
🚶
Walk from Jiefangbei
~10 minutes
An easy walk from the downtown shopping core — ideal after a day out
Timing tip: Hongyadong is right next to Jiefangbei and not far from the Yuzhong-side station of the Yangtze River Cableway. Spend the daytime at Jiefangbei and the Yangtze River Cableway, then drift over to Hongyadong just before dusk — all three are within walking distance in Yuzhong District.
Where to stay

Hotels near Hongyadong worth a look

The Jiefangbei area and the Yuzhong riverside — a few minutes' walk to Hongyadong, and some rooms open the curtains onto the gold lights.

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Frequently asked

FAQ · Hongyadong before you go

Is Hongyadong free to visit?
Yes. Walking through and up and down all 11 floors is free, with no admission ticket. You only pay if you buy food or souvenirs or sit down to eat in one of the restaurants inside. Walking out onto Qiansimen Bridge for the full-facade photo is free as well.
When do the lights come on at Hongyadong, and when is it best to visit?
The gold facade lights usually switch on in the early evening (often around 6 to 7 pm) and go off around 10 to 11 pm. The best window is roughly 7.30 to 10 pm, once the sky is fully dark and the gold lights stand out against it. Note that the lights-off time changes with the season and around holidays, so check the time for the day before you go. To dodge the worst crowds, arrive before dusk (around 5.30 to 6.30 pm) and have dinner first, so you are right there when the lights come on.
Do you enter Hongyadong from the top or the bottom?
Either works, because Chongqing is an 8D city and the complex is built against a riverside cliff. The top level (Floor 11) opens straight onto Cangbai Road at normal street level, so you can walk in without climbing. Floor 1 sits down on Binjiang Road along the Jialing River. The metro brings you out at the top (Floor 11), which is easier — you then walk down floor by floor to the riverside.
How do you get to Hongyadong, and which metro line?
Take Metro Line 1 or Line 6 to Xiaoshizi station (小什字), leave by Exit 9 and walk about 5 to 10 minutes to the top level. Alternatively, Line 2 to Linjiangmen station (临江门), Exit A, is only around 300 metres from the upper part of Hongyadong. Both routes bring you in at the Floor 11 street level.
Where is the best spot to photograph Hongyadong?
The classic full-facade shot is from Qiansimen Bridge (千厮门大桥), which crosses the Jialing River directly opposite the complex. Walk to the middle of the bridge and you get both the gold-lit Hongyadong and the river in one frame. Other good angles are from across the river in the Jiangbei area, or from the Binjiang Road riverside right beneath the building for a close-up looking up.
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Klook · Chongqing night tours & activities

Hongyadong night-lights tours, city river cruises and the Yangtze cableway — book ahead

Guided evening walks past Hongyadong and the lit-up bridges, river cruises along the Chongqing skyline, and Yangtze River Cableway tickets — book on Klook in advance instead of taking your chances on the day.

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