Nan'an + Nanbin Road + Nanshan, Chongqing (南岸 · 南滨路 · 南山) — Walking the South Bank: Skyline Views, the Yikeshu Terrace and Longmenhao Old Street in Half a Day 2026

The neighbourhood

What Nan'an and Nanbin Road are — and why you cross to the south bank

Honestly, most people spend their whole Chongqing trip on the old-city side — the Yuzhong peninsula (渝中), with Jiefangbei, Hongyadong and the towers that climb the hillsides. But the spot where the Chongqing skyline looks best is not over there — it is on the opposite bank. That is Nan'an (南岸), the district on the south side of the Yangtze, where you cross over and turn back to see the whole city at once.

The heart of this side is Nanbin Road (南滨路), a long riverside avenue lined with restaurants, bars and cafés whose outdoor tables face the Yuzhong skyline — you can eat hotpot while Hongyadong glows across the water. Above Nanbin Road, up the hill, is Nanshan (南山) with the Yikeshu (一棵树) viewing terrace — the spot for the most classic Chongqing skyline photograph. And down by the river, at the south landing of the Yangtze Cableway, is Longmenhao Old Street (龙门浩老街), a restored complex of Republic-era lanes.

If you have ever felt a city was too keyed-up to breathe in, Nan'an is the answer for anyone who wants to slow Chongqing down for a day. This side is much calmer than the centre — you take the metro or the cableway over and spend an afternoon into the evening strolling, climbing up for a photo and eating by the river. That is why we always suggest giving the south bank a half-day, ideally in the evening.

The Chongqing skyline and Hongyadong at night, seen across the river from the Nanbin Road side in Nan'an — The Yuzhong skyline and Hongyadong at night — the shot looks best from the Nanbin Road riverside and the terraces on Nanshan.

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Highlight

Across-river skyline

Yuzhong + Hongyadong from the south bank · best after dark

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Riverside strip

Nanbin Road (南滨路)

Restaurants, bars, riverside cafés · tables facing the city

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Viewpoint

Yikeshu (一棵树)

On Nanshan, ~437 m · the classic skyline shot · ¥30

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Old street

Longmenhao (龙门浩老街)

~18 Republic-era buildings · beside the cableway landing

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Yangtze Cableway

Lands at Shangxinjie (上新街)

Crosses from the city side · lands on the Nan'an bank

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Nearest metro

Shangxinjie, Line 6 / Loop

Or Line 3 at the Tongyuanju (铜元局) end

How it feels to arrive

The feel of this side — quieter, better views, the whole city in one frame

The moment you cross the river to Nan'an the city slows, the traffic noise drops, and you are left with a wide river in front of you and the entire Chongqing skyline on the far bank.

The pull of Nan'an is that you get to stand back and see the whole city at once — in a place where the towers are packed so tightly you can rarely take it all in. By day, Nanbin Road is easy and relaxed, good for a walk and a riverside café. As the light softens, the Yuzhong towers switch on one by one. In the late afternoon you head up Nanshan to wait for sunset, and by evening the whole city is glowing, with Hongyadong shining gold by the water — that is when this side is at its best.

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Skyline and night photographers

Skyline photographers · Night view · Golden hour

If you are chasing the night photo of Chongqing with the whole peninsula lit up, this is the side to come to. The Yikeshu terrace on Nanshan is the angle for the city's classic skyline shot, while Nanbin Road by the river gives you Hongyadong and the towers reflected in the water at eye level. Arrive before sunset for both the dusk sky and the full lights.
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Couples wanting a riverside evening

Couples · Riverside dining · Romantic

Nanbin Road is full of restaurants and bars with outdoor tables facing the skyline, so you can have dinner while looking at the city lights across the water. It is a far more romantic evening than the crush of Jiefangbei — whether you walk the riverfront or sit over a drink watching the city.
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Anyone wanting to slow Chongqing down for a day

Slow travel · Calmer side · Cafés

If the day before wore you out riding trains through buildings and down endless escalators, Nan'an is the rest day. There are fewer people, the walking is easier, you can sit in a riverside café all afternoon and amble through the Longmenhao lanes — a way to breathe again before you take on the city side once more.
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People who want hotpot with a city view

Food lovers · Hotpot with a view · Grilled fish

Chongqing hotpot is good anywhere, but eating it on Nanbin Road throws in a skyline view as well. Many of the places along here are hotpot, grilled fish and river-style restaurants with tables turned toward the city — you eat and watch the lights, which is Chongqing at its most Chongqing.

What to see

The key stops on the south bank — strung into one evening loop

🏞️ Nanbin Road (南滨路 Nanbin Road)

A long riverside avenue on the south bank of the Yangtze, lined with restaurants, bars, cafés and a riverfront promenade. The draw is the view across the river to the whole Yuzhong peninsula — towers that seem to rise straight out of the water, their lights reflected on the surface after dark — and above all Hongyadong (洪崖洞) glowing gold on the far bank. Many people say the best angle on Hongyadong is from the Nanbin Road side. Walking the road is free, and it is liveliest and most beautiful in the evening. Read more on Hongyadong: the full Hongyadong guide.

📸 The Yikeshu terrace (一棵树观景台) on Nanshan

A viewing platform on Nanshan (南山) at about 437 metres, this is where the classic Chongqing skyline photo is taken — the whole Yuzhong peninsula, the point where the Yangtze and Jialing rivers meet, the bridges, and the towers climbing the hillsides all lit up. People call Chongqing's night view "Little Hong Kong," and this is the angle that explains the nickname best. Entry is about ¥30 (around ฿150) and it is usually open roughly 09:00–22:30 (some hours start in the afternoon, so check first). Arrive before sunset to catch both the dusk sky and the full city lights.

🚠 The Yangtze Cableway south landing (长江索道 · Shangxinjie)

The Yangtze River Cableway (长江索道) is a Chongqing icon — floating across the wide river, you see both banks in a way the roads never show you. Its south landing is right at Shangxinjie (上新街) in Nan'an, so it is both a way to cross to this side and an attraction in itself. A ride in the evening, with the city lights on both banks, is gorgeous, though the queues are often long (especially at weekends), so allow time — and you can book tickets ahead. Read how to ride it: the full Yangtze Cableway guide.

🏮 Longmenhao Old Street (龙门浩老街 Longmenhao Old Street)

A restored riverside lane complex on the Nan'an south bank, right beside the south landing of the cableway. Chongqing opened as an inland treaty port in 1891, so this side once had foreign consulates and banks; today it keeps around 18 Republic-era buildings that blend Western and traditional Ba-Yu architecture, turned into a walking precinct of cafés, gift shops and across-river view points. The area steps up the hillside in layers, in true Chongqing mountain-city fashion. It is free to wander, and you can easily do it together with the cableway in one trip.

🌉 Looking out at the bridges and the river junction

The Nan'an side is also a fine vantage point on Chongqing's many river bridges — the city is known as a "city of bridges," with suspension spans and double-deck bridges that carry the metro below the road. From Nanbin Road and from up on Nanshan you can watch the Yangtze curve around the Yuzhong peninsula and meet the Jialing River at the tip — the kind of terrain that makes Chongqing an "8D" city unlike anywhere else. For the city-wide picture first, see the top things to do in Chongqing.

The Yangtze River Cableway floating across the Yangtze in Chongqing, with its south landing at Shangxinjie in Nan'an — The Yangtze Cableway — crossing the river to its Shangxinjie landing in Nan'an, right next to Longmenhao Old Street.

Eat and drink

Eating on Nanbin Road — hotpot, grilled fish and riverside cafés

The whole point of this side is eating while you look at the skyline. Nanbin Road is full of places that turn their tables toward the city.

🌶️ Chongqing hotpot by the river

Beef-tallow hotpot (牛油火锅) is the dish you cannot skip in Chongqing, and Nanbin Road has plenty of hotpot restaurants with riverside tables facing the Yuzhong skyline. You sit over a bubbling red broth while Hongyadong glows across the water — something the city side cannot give you. A meal per person runs roughly ¥80–150 (around ฿400–750) depending on the restaurant and what you order. For a deeper dive on where to go and how to order, see the full Chongqing hotpot guide.

🐟 Grilled fish and river food

Beyond hotpot, the Nanbin Road side has grilled-fish (烤鱼) restaurants and jianghu-style (江湖菜) river cooking — bold, fiery Chongqing flavours. Charcoal-grilled fish comes drenched in chilli in a big pan to share around the table, which suits the riverside evening perfectly. A meal per person runs roughly ¥60–120 (around ฿300–600). For the rest of the Chongqing dishes worth trying, see the Chongqing food guide.

☕ Cafés and bars with a river view

In the afternoon before evening, Nanbin Road and the Longmenhao lanes have several good cafés where you can sit over the river for hours. After dark, many turn into bars where you nurse a drink and watch the city lights across the water. Coffee is usually ¥30–55 (around ฿150–275) a cup — a good way to rest your legs after climbing Nanshan, ordering one coffee and waiting for the city to light up.

A bubbling Chongqing beef-tallow hotpot — the dish you can eat with a skyline view on Nanbin Road — Chongqing hotpot — eaten on Nanbin Road, it comes with a Yuzhong skyline view thrown in.

Staying here

Why stay in Nan'an / Nanbin Road — and the hotels to look at

This side is not a city-centre business base like Jiefangbei, but you get the river view and the quiet in exchange.

The advantage of staying on the Nanbin Road side is that you wake up with the river and the Chongqing skyline in front of you. This side is quieter, with less traffic, and river-view rooms look straight across at the whole city. It suits travellers who want atmosphere and a view more than the convenience of walking out into a mall. Getting to the city-side sights is easy on Metro Line 3/6 or by riding the cableway across. If you are weighing up which side to stay on, read how to choose an area in the Chongqing where-to-stay guide for first-timers.

The icon of this side is the Kempinski Hotel Chongqing (凯宾斯基), a classic-European 5-star right on Nanbin Road — its river-view rooms look across the Yangtze to the Yuzhong skyline in full. Reviews run high, around 9.1/10, and it is a few minutes' walk to Gongmao on Metro Line 3, a short ride from Jiefangbei. If you want the experience of waking up to the river in some style, this is the first place to look.

Kempinski Hotel Chongqing (凯宾斯基)

5-star right on Nanbin Road · river-view rooms facing the Yuzhong skyline · scores 9.1/10

Read the review →

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The full Chongqing guide

Where to stay, what to see, getting around, and everything to know before you go

How to reach Nan'an, Nanbin Road and Nanshan

This side spreads out along the river and climbs the hill — it is not all walkable as one neighbourhood, and each spot has its own metro stop or way up. Planning around the stop you want is the easiest approach.

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Shangxinjie (上新街)

Line 6 / Loop Line

Main south-bank stop · beside the cableway + Longmenhao (Exit 1/2, ~160 m)

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Yangtze Cableway

Cross from the city side

Lands at Shangxinjie · both a way across and an attraction · long queues at weekends

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Tongyuanju (铜元局)

Line 3

For the western stretch of Nanbin Road · near the Kempinski zone

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Up to Yikeshu (一棵树)

Taxi/DiDi ~¥30–40

Or cableway to Shangxinjie, then walk up the old Huangge path ~30 min

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From the train stations

Metro transfer to Line 3/6

Chongqing North/West connect by metro to Nan'an · allow time to change

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Taxi / DiDi

Say "南滨路" or "一棵树"

From Jiefangbei ~¥20–40 (around ฿100–200) · use Amap to set the right drop-off

Tip: Chongqing is an "8D" city — many metro stations sit on cliffs or mid-tower, so the exit that matches "street level" may not be the one you expect. Check the exit before you leave. You can pay for the metro, the cableway and shops by scanning Alipay or WeChat anywhere — here is how to set it up: the Alipay/WeChat payment guide. Use Amap or Apple Maps to navigate instead of Google Maps.

Plan your visit

A south-bank evening loop — half a day, afternoon into night

🌇 Half-day evening loop (~4–5 hours)

3:30 pm — Ride the Yangtze Cableway across from the city side to Shangxinjie (or take Metro Line 6), making the cableway your opening attraction too.
4:00 pm — Walk Longmenhao Old Street (龙门浩老街) right by the cableway landing — Republic-era buildings, cafés and across-river photo spots.
5:00 pm — Head up to the Yikeshu (一棵树) terrace on Nanshan by taxi or DiDi to wait for sunset and catch the skyline at dusk.
6:30 pm — Come down to Nanbin Road (南滨路) along the river to watch the city lights and Hongyadong come on across the water.
7:00 pm — Find a hotpot or grilled-fish restaurant on Nanbin Road with tables facing the skyline for a dinner-with-a-view to close the day.

💡 Adjust it to your trip

If you come over earlier in the day, you can walk Longmenhao and sit in a riverside café through the afternoon, then go up Yikeshu in the evening. If you would rather not climb the hill, drop Yikeshu and just walk a long stretch of Nanbin Road — you still get the skyline at eye level. If you are staying on the Nanbin Road side already, start this loop from your hotel door. This side links straight into a city-side day after, so see the full plan in the top things to do in Chongqing and the full Chongqing guide.

Frequently asked

FAQ · Nan'an + Nanbin Road + Nanshan, Chongqing

Where are Nan'an (南岸) and Nanbin Road (南滨路) in Chongqing, and how do you get there?

Nan'an is the district on the south bank of the Yangtze, directly across from the Yuzhong peninsula — the old city core with Jiefangbei and Hongyadong. Nanbin Road is the riverside avenue on this side, and it gives the best across-river views of the Chongqing skyline. The easiest way in is the metro: take Line 6 or the Loop Line to Shangxinjie (上新街) and walk down to the river, or ride the Yangtze River Cableway across from the city side, which lands at Shangxinjie. For the western stretch of Nanbin Road, Line 3 to Tongyuanju (铜元局) also works. A taxi or DiDi from Jiefangbei is about ¥20–40 (around ฿100–200).

What is the Yikeshu (一棵树) terrace on Nanshan, how do you get up, and how much is it?

Yikeshu (一棵树观景台) is a viewing platform on Nanshan (南山) at around 437 metres, and it is where the classic Chongqing skyline photo is taken — the whole Yuzhong peninsula, the point where the Yangtze and Jialing rivers meet, the bridges, and the buildings climbing the hillsides all lit up. Entry is about ¥30 (around ฿150) and it is usually open roughly 09:00–22:30 (some hours start in the afternoon, so check before you go). You can get up by taxi or DiDi from Jiefangbei for about ¥30–40 (around ฿150–200), or ride the cableway to Shangxinjie and walk up the old Huangge stone path, which takes about half an hour. Arrive before sunset to catch both the dusk sky and the full city lights.

What is Longmenhao Old Street (龙门浩老街), and is it near the Yangtze Cableway?

Longmenhao Old Street (龙门浩老街) is a restored riverside lane complex on the Nan'an south bank, preserving Republic-era buildings that blend Western and traditional Ba-Yu architecture. Chongqing opened as an inland treaty port in 1891, so this side once had foreign consulates and banks; today around 18 historic structures survive, turned into a walking precinct with cafés, shops and across-river view points. It sits right beside the south landing of the Yangtze River Cableway — take Line 6 to Shangxinjie (上新街), use Exit 1 or 2 and walk about 160 metres. You can do it together with the cableway in one trip.

What should you eat on Nanbin Road, and is it a good place to stay?

Nanbin Road is a strip of riverside restaurants and bars with outdoor tables facing the Yuzhong skyline — you can eat Chongqing hotpot while watching the city lights across the water. There is hotpot, grilled fish, river-style food and riverside cafés; a meal per person runs roughly ¥60–150 (around ฿300–750) depending on the place. As a base, this side is quieter and the views are better than the city core, so it suits travellers who want to wake up to the river. There are 5-star hotels such as the Kempinski (凯宾斯基) right on Nanbin Road with rooms looking across the river to the skyline, and you can cross to the city-side sights by metro or cableway.

How long do you need for Nan'an, Nanbin Road and Nanshan, and who is it for?

This side is best from afternoon into the evening, and works well as a half-day loop (about 4 to 5 hours): walk Longmenhao Old Street in the afternoon, go up Yikeshu for sunset, then come down to Nanbin Road for dinner and the city lights. It suits people who love skyline and night photography, couples who want a riverside atmosphere, and anyone who wants to slow Chongqing down for a day — because Nan'an is calmer than the city centre, and you cross over to look at the city from the other side instead of being in the middle of it.

The full Chongqing guide

Where to stay, what to see, getting around, and everything to know before you go

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The full Yangtze Cableway guide

How to ride it, prices, the landings, and the best time to go — lands at Shangxinjie

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What to eat in Chongqing

Hotpot, xiaomian, grilled fish, jianghu cooking — with real restaurants and prices

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