Cyberpunk Chongqing: How a philosophy of coexistence shaped this surreal city

CHONGQING, China, Feb. 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- This report is from Chongqing.China.com.cn: When searching for Chongqing online, the most common keywords are "mountain city," "magical," and "cyberpunk." But are these visually striking descriptors merely spectacles, or do they also serve practical purposes? With this question in mind, foreign vlogger Jason was recently invited to visit Yuzhong District,Chongqing, to experience firsthand the city's surreal architecture and uncover the unique philosophy of symbiosis that defines this "8D Magical City."

E'ling Trestle: Making Way for the Landscape

Jason's first stop was the E'ling Trestle, which officially opened to the public on November 12, 2025. Stretching 460 meters, the steel-structured walkway is built along natural cliffs, resembling a ribbon that connects nearly 30 cultural landmarks. While it appears to be a striking visual landmark, it is in fact an "aerial corridor." Each carefully engineered curve navigates around rail transit lines below and high-voltage cables above. At its highest point—28 meters above ground—the unobstructed view of the Jialing River stands as a testament to the ingenuity behind the project.

Liziba Station: A Monorail Running Through a Residential Building

At Liziba Station, Jason visited China's first straddle-type monorail station integrated with a residential and commercial building. Completed in 2004, the station was designed with complete structural separation between the rail columns and the building's support columns, minimizing vibration as trains pass through the structure. Sun Caifu, a resident who has lived there for 20 years, responded calmly when Jason tested the noise levels in his home: "It's not very loud." After boarding the train himself, Jason remarked, "We're passing right through a building, yet you can hardly feel it."

Bai Xiang Ju: A 24-Story Building Without Elevators

Bai Xiang Ju, a 24-story residential complex without elevators, left Jason thoroughly "lost." Built along the mountainside, the six interconnected buildings span a vertical height difference of up to 38 meters. Designers took advantage of the terrain by creating entrances on the 1st, 10th, and 15th floors, linked by elevated walkways. Xie Lei, a shop owner originally from another province, chose to settle here after visiting Chongqing more than a decade ago. "I was drawn by the food, the scenery, and the people," he said. When Jason asked how to reach the ground floor, Xie replied with a smile: "There are more than ten 'first floors' here—which one are you looking for?"

Underground Ring Road: From Air-Raid Shelters to Urban Arteries

One of the most "unbelievable" moments for Jason was riding in what he described as an "elevator taxi." Local driver Chen Dalin drove his vehicle into an elevator, descended to an underground garage, and entered the city's underground ring road. "These were air-raid shelters built during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression," Chen explained. "After renovation, they were connected into a loop. During rush hour, when traffic is congested above ground, it flows smoothly down here." As the car navigated the winding route, Jason exclaimed, "With all these turns, it feels like riding in a Ferrari."

Yangtze River Cableway and Crown Escalator: Turning Terrain into Opportunity

From the Yangtze River Cableway—operating for over 30 years and known as the first aerial corridor across the Yangtze River—to the Crown Escalator, the longest escalator in China and the second longest in Asia, Yuzhong has transformed mountainous constraints into spatial advantages, maximizing every inch of land. The 13-story stilted buildings of Hongyadong break traditional limits of faux-ancient architecture, converting dramatic cliffside elevation into structural support and earning the nickname "Cliffside City of China."

Hongyadong: Dancing with Nature

"Being in Yuzhong feels like stepping into a magical world," Jason concluded at the end of his tour. "But more than the spectacle, what truly moves me is the wisdom of the people here. They do not seek to conquer the mountains and rivers—they have learned to dance with them. The magic here is not a cold, futuristic illusion; it is warm, lived-in life that grows from the land itself."

This is Yuzhong—a city where humanity and nature coexist in harmony, telling China's story to the world.

SOURCE Chongqing.China.com.cn