Renee, where to next?

Conquering fears in one of China’s mega cities

It never ceases to amaze me how different each city in China is. Landing in Chongqing felt like some place I have never been. Lush green mountains greet you as you begin your journey up the sprawling hills. It is a mega city different from all the rest. Located away from the coast line but lined by the meandering Yangtze River. I explored the city center for two days. Let’s do a day by day run down of what I got up to.

We arrived in Chongqing and we checked into our hotel which was located right next to the Raffles City Mall. Food was the first thing on the todo list. Walking over to Raffles City was just a sight to behold. The architecture is phenomenal and just like me everyone was trying to get a great picture with the iconic building.

Space Lab

Our first stop was Space Lab. This restaurant had such a creative concept that is suitable for anyone be it kids or adults. Your food is delivered to you by a remote controlled car that drives over head and parks right in front your table to deliver.

Our appetizer was roasted corn with Parmesan cheese. I’ve never had that before but I love cheese and corn so why not try them together? It did not disappoint. We had the pork ribs, which came with a serving of tomato sauce spaghetti. After a plane right I generally am in the mood for a burger, so I got fancy burger with a fried egg, bacon and grilled onions. The pork ribs fell right off the bone and it came with a pepper sauce that I absolutely loved and even added to my burger. The burger was juicy and absolutely flavorful.

The first night was dedicated to seeing Chongqing’s most iconic sight Hongya Cave. We stayed very central so it was walkable from our hotel. On the way to Hongya Cave we had to stop at the iconic twin river bridge. A bridge that runs between Yangtze River and Jialing River and also accommodates the Chongqing metro that runs beneath the bridge. The bridge offers a spectacular view and many people walk along the bridge to take pictures daily.

Hongya Cave

Hongya Cave is a sightseeing dream. We arrived on top and had to walk several floors down to get to the ground floor. Chongqing is hilly and even when you think you’re on the ground floor it’s highly likely you are not. We walked through the Hongya Cave building which had different shops where you could eat or even have a photoshoot dressed in traditional Chongqing attire. The streets are lined with photographers ready to give you the perfect shot also.

On a holiday the streets are packed and this holiday was no different. many people even take the time to walk under the bridge to get the perfect view of the buildings alight. Or take a cruise around the city to see the buildings during the light show. Hongya Cave has free admission and the lights go off at exactly 11 p.m. It is a must see when you visit Chongqing.

Yolo

Dinner time led us to a restaurant and bar called YOLO. Located on a strip lined with clubs and bars, the location is perfect for those who want to have a long night out drinking and dancing. We ordered roasted chicken some spaghetti and potato wedges. The food was just okay in my opinion but the cocktails were better. The ambiance was also very relaxed.

Sky Walk

Day two began with a terrifying experience walking on top of the Raffles City Mall building. Sky Walk Chongqing is an experience made available for those thrill seekers who literally like to walk on the edge. There are three different experiences available: the glass floor walk, a swing of the building and the sky walk. After being coerced into the sky walk we paid 190RMB ( USD $27) per person and it gave us access to the sky walk and the glass floor walk.

I’m afraid of heights and I really didn’t want to do any of this. The glass floor was not that crazy for me because I experienced the glass bridge in Sanya. In all honesty I wish I was braver and able to fully appreciate the experience. Because it’s not every day you get the opportunity to walk onto of a skyscraper. But in between the tears and anxiety I did what I could and I’m thankful for the opportunity to have done it.

Guotai Art Center

One of the most unique buildings you will see in Chongqing is the Guotai Art Center. The architecture is like no other I’ve seen. The building serves as an art museum and a performance theater. We didn’t go inside we just admired it from the outside.

We then walked over to the Luohan Temple to have a look while on our way to another skyscraper adventure.

Jiefangbei Red staircase

Another great viewpoint walking distance from the temple is Jiefangbei. It’s create for pictures and you have a 360° view of the city. Entrance fee is 68RMB (USD $10).

Location: Xinhua Road, Jiefangbei, Yuzhong District 201, United International Building

Liziba Station

Next we moved on to the Liziba Metro Station. Where a metro line runs through a residential building. The train stops at a station on the sixth floor of the building; above and below are apartments and even food shops. At this time it seems the residences are unoccupied. The area is very nice and quaint. Up the street up a hill there are several coffee shops and small restaurants with great views of the river. Perfect for sunset or just to relax after a walk.

Kong 17

After all that walking we decided to grab a bite to eat at Kong 17. This wasn’t the easiest place to find, but eventually we did. It’s best to call so they can direct you.

It’s small cozy restaurant located on the 17th floor of a residential building. They even have a adesignated spot to take pictures. The location is perfect for a sunset dinner with a views overlooking the river and even Hongya Cave.

We order some refreshing drinks to stave off the heat and humidity. Then we ordered some pasta. I loved the creamy pasta, it was one of the best creamy pasta I’ve had in China. It wasn’t bland like most I’ve had and I enjoyed it thoroughly. The beef sauce pasta similarly didn’t disappoint. It was flavorful and filled with beef. I saw the desert on the menu and had to try it. That blueberry cheesecake was light and delectable. With a blueberry compote filling that balance out the sweetness of the cheesecake with its tartness.

It was such a great spot to relax after all that walking and the views were the icing on the cake for me. Chongqing is a city of not only hills but numerous grey high rise buildings. Many of which are older, but give the city a lot of character in my opinion.

Hotpot

Traditionally Chongqing is known for its spicy hotpot. On our last day we decided however, to try a hotpot restaurant that we saw was newly opened in the Raffles City Mall. I didn’t know what type of hotpot it was I just saw it and decided to try it. After researching I found out it was actually traditional Beijing hotpot. I really laughed at this. Because why did I go to Chongqing and ended up eating Beijing style hotpot? LOL! Nonetheless I enjoyed it.

This style focuses on thinly sliced Mongolian beef and lamb that’s cooked in a copper with a light broth containing: goji berries, scallions and ginger. You make your own dipping sauce at their sauce bar. The base of the sauce is usually a sesame based sauce called Zhīmajiàng.

To me it was sweeter than the sesame sauces I’ve tried before. I enjoyed it and added some dried shrimp, garlic, scallions, oyster sauce and vinegar to my own dipping sauce. The dried shrimp and vinegar really helped to balance the sweetness of the sesame sauce. I would definitely try this style of hotpot again.

Hotel – Rigel Avant

We stayed at the Rigel Avant. A contemporary hotel smack in the of every thing you’d want to see from city center. All I can say is I loved this hotel. The staff were welcoming and extremely accommodating. As a foreigner in China you tend to appreciate this when you stay at a hotel than is not from and interns chain.

The hotel is not located in a building by itself. But instead occupies the all the floors from 44 upwards. Below are other hotels that occupy various different floors. Chongqing had what I would say was a contrasting hotel landscape, then any other city I visited. When looking for hotels we saw that most didn’t offer breakfast and a lot had smaller rooms. More so many were contemporary styled.

Our room at Rigel Avant included breakfast, daily fruits, and all the sodas and water that was stocked in the refrigerator. It is a small hotel and quiet intimate. The breakfast room transforms into a bar at nights like any other Chinese bar you can get on stage and the a shot at singing your favorite song.

My favorite thing about the hotel were the views. One side gave you a perfect view of the Raffle City Mall and the other gave you a view of almost the entire city and river. We even had an elevator that to took us right to our room. The room was spacious and I fell in love with the shower and bathtub. Not to mention the bed. It was one of the most comfortable beds I have ever slept in.

When checking out they even gave me a parting gift. It was so unexpected. Rigel Avant is a service oriented hotel that truly welcomes all no matter where you’re from. All I can is this is one hotel I would return to. Let’s see where to next!