A Photography Guide to Chongqing

Chongqing is arguably the biggest city you’ve never heard of, with around 30 million people living in the city and surrounding suburbs. The city is also full of fantastic photography spots that haven’t flooded the Instagram realm (yet), so is a great place to stop for a few days on your next China trip if you’re looking to make your work stand out from the crowd. There are honestly too many photography spots to name, but I have listed a few of my favourites below - enjoy!

Zhongshuge bookstore

Thanks to the Zhongshuge bookstore chain, China now has its fair share of spectacular bookstores and libraries, with the Chongqing store being one of the companies newest. The bookstore opens at 10am sharp, and I’d recommend getting here at 10 on the dot to be the first inside. The main room with mirrored ceilings is fantastic for photographs, but the staff don’t like the use of DSLRs inside so be quick and discreet. A wide angle lens is a must here as the room is so vast. Afterwards, grab a coffee in the mall and get the subway (station is just outside the mall) to your next destination!

Zhongshuge library from above

Cable car

The Chongqing cable car is one of the more well-known tourist excursions in the city, and serves as a fast way to get from the south side of the river into the city centre for commuters and tourists alike. The cable line crosses over the Yangtze river, so is a great place to take photos early morning or late afternoon when the light is soft. Shooting from the cable car station on the south side makes for a great photo with the mind boggling skyline as a backdrop, as well as from the Dongshuimen bridge. From there, accompanied by a zoom lens, you can line up a fantastic photo with the temple, cable car and gold Sheraton hotel peaks in the background.

The cable car shot from the bridge

Hongyadong

The hugely popular tourist spot of Hongyadong has been a favourite in Chongqing for decades, and dates back over 2,300 years. The area used to be a military fortress, and is now a stilt building complex on the banks of the river and a great place to experience the Bayu ethnic minority of China. The architecture of Hongyadong looks wonderful in photos, and with a wide angle lens you can shoot some interesting angles from under the bridge below.

Hongyadong as the sun sets

Wulong National Park

Take a short 2-hour bus ride out of the city and you will arrive in Wulong, arguably my favourite place to visit in the Chongqing province. The countryside area is known for its incredible karst landscapes, and became famous in the Transformers movie. There is a temple at the bottom of a huge karst cave which was one of the first photographs I took in China, and it’s a great location for a day trip out of the city. There are a few other scenic places to visit in the area too, such as Fairy Mountain, so if you have longer it’s well worth the overnight trip.

The beautiful landscape of Wulong

As Chongqing is so close to my heart, I’d love to hear from anyone who makes it there and if anyone has any other recommendations for photography. Oh, and don’t forget to try the hotpot!