As someone who grew up in Hong Kong’s concrete jungle and spent years navigating London’s streets, I thought I understood cities. Yet nothing prepared me for Chongqing.
Locals call this the “8D city”, a metropolis of overlapping levels where the ground floor of one building might simultaneously be the 10th floor of another building. After five days, I understood why.
Chongqing defies conventional city planning, shaped instead by mountains and rivers.
As I stepped out of Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport, my first breath carried the scent of rain and earth. A line of official taxis painted in cheerful canary yellow awaited. Nicknamed “Yellow Ferraris” for their drivers’ speed and agility on twisting roads, they weave confidently through packed traffic, often beating the estimates on Gaode Maps (also known as Amap).
My first glimpse of Chongqing’s architectural marvel came quickly: Liziba station, where the monorail passes directly through the eighth floor of a residential building. Even knowing the photos, seeing it in person felt surreal – like stepping into a Christopher Nolan film. Contrary to myth, the station and building were designed together, an integrated feat of engineering.
I was staying at the Park Inn by Radisson Hongya Cave Monument for Liberation, in the Yuzhong district. Hongya Cave is not a cave but a sprawling “stilt building” complex comprising retail spaces, markets and hotels, and is one of the most popular attractions in the city. My 37th-floor hotel room offered sweeping views, but the vertical living came with hidden costs.