Chongqing with Kids
A train through a building, a cableway over the river & a city that keeps them wide-eyed

This is the image that made Chongqing famous, and the one kids react to most — Metro Line 2 runs straight through a real 19-storey apartment block at Liziba. The station sits inside the building, with residents still living on the floors above and below. There's a free viewing platform outside where you can wait and photograph the train surging into the tower, then you can ride the train through the building yourself. It's a genuine thrill and it costs nothing to watch.

Another big hit with kids — a cable car gliding across the Yangtze in the middle of the city, from the Yuzhong side to Nan'an. It started life as everyday transport back when there were few bridges; now it's a view-with-altitude that has children glued to the windows — floating above cargo boats, skyscrapers rising on both banks, the whole crossing about five minutes. Kids who love heights, trains and cable cars are in their element. Head back by cable car again or by metro.

Good news for families — Chongqing has a downtown zoo with more than 20 giant pandas, one of the largest panda groups of any zoo in China. The panda house is roomy and shaded; go in the morning (08:30–10:30) and you'll catch them munching bamboo and playing, since they tend to nap in the afternoon. There are also red pandas, tigers, monkeys and 4,000+ animals. Best of all, Metro Line 2 runs to the gate, entry is just ¥25, and kids under 1.2m are free. It's a great-value half day with no long trek out of town.

A large science museum on the bank of the Jialing River near Chongqing North railway station — with eight exhibition zones covering space, transport, disaster prevention, everyday life and a dedicated kids' area. Everything is hands-on: kids press buttons, turn gears, test gravity and play their way through science. It's a brilliant indoor day when it's hot or raining, and entry is free. Plan for half a day to most of a day — children rarely want to leave.

For dino-mad kids this is heaven — the Chongqing Natural History Museum has 24 full dinosaur skeletons, including Sichuan-Chongqing finds like the long-necked Omeisaurus and the spiky-backed Tuojiangosaurus, displayed in a dramatic "Dinosaur World" hall. Alongside it are zones on animals, geology and the evolution of life. The building is modern and spacious, kids wander happily and come away having learned something, and entry is free. Another solid indoor day.

For the day you want the kids to ride everything — Happy Valley Chongqing is a big theme park of around 500,000 sq m, split into six zones with over 100 attractions, from coasters for older kids to a gentle younger-kids' zone. There's a dinosaur-themed area, an Old Chongqing area and daytime shows, so every age has its own thing. Next door is the Maya Beach water park, open in summer. Plan a full day.

A riverside old town on the Jialing where kids love to wander — stone lanes lined with old wooden shops, sweet stalls and toys. The highlight for children is the street food everywhere: fried twist pastries, skewered meatballs, spun-sugar animals, ice cream and dumplings. Kids can graze their way down the lane. There are old tea houses, street performances and river views, and it's free to enter — a relaxed afternoon-into-evening where the family eats and browses, with a step-back-in-time feel.

A large downtown museum facing the People's Auditorium that tells the story of the Yangtze, the Three Gorges and Chongqing's history — and what kids enjoy is the dome cinema with its wrap-around screen, plus exhibits with models, light and sound and a regional fossil/dinosaur section. The building is spacious and cool, entry is free, and it's central and easy to reach. Pair it with a walk across the square in front of the auditorium.

Chongqing is the home of hotpot, and the good news is kids can eat it — nearly every place offers a "yuanyang" (鸳鸯锅) split pot, with one side the famous red chilli-oil broth and the other a mild clear broth (pork-bone or mushroom) the kids can dip from happily. Order easy items — thin pork, meatballs, tofu, vegetables, mushrooms, noodles and egg. Gathering around the pot and cooking together is a fun family ritual, and the kids can do their own dipping. Just tell staff "not spicy" (búlà).

After a day of climbing up and down hills, kids need somewhere open to run — Eling Park (鹅岭) is an old hillside park with a viewing tower that looks out over the two rivers and the whole skyline, with shady, easy paths. The riverside parks (滨江公园) running along the Yangtze and Jialing give kids long promenades to run, cycle and watch the boats. By evening it cools off and the city lights look great. Both are free — a breather for kids and grown-ups alike.