Chongqing - Chongqing will roll out a mix of cultural, tourism, sports, and consumer events during the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays, while adding transport capacity and strengthening crowd management, tourism market oversight, and safety measures at popular destinations.
At a press conference on Sept. 23, the Chongqing Municipal Commission of Culture and Tourism Development said the city will launch 10 autumn travel routes and stage more than 130 performances, over 120 holiday events, 110 exhibitions and 150 public cultural events during the holiday period.
The lineup spans performances, traditional culture, food, and sports.
Holiday highlights will include the "Majestic Landscape, Dynamic Chongqing" drone light show and the historical stage production Chongqing·1949, while Mid-Autumn lantern fairs, hands-on intangible cultural heritage activities, and traditional Chinese-themed fairs will be held across Chongqing.
A drone light show is staged in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, Aug. 23, 2025. (Photo/Wang Quanchao, Xinhua)
Food will also be part of the holiday program.
The 18th China (Chongqing) Hotpot Food and Culture Carnival will open on the evening of Sept. 29 at Chongqing Hotpot Harbor in Dadukou District, with more than 270 hotpot tables planned at the venue. The carnival will run through the end of November, and no reservation is required.
A traditional Chongqing hotpot served at Chongqing 82 Old Hotpot Restaurant. (Photo/Zheng Ran)
Sports fans will have another option from Sept. 24. According to the Chongqing Administration of Sport, the CFA Team China International Football Competitions Chongqing 2026 will get underway that day.
China will play the Maldives, New Zealand, Palestine and Tajikistan, with the national team's matches staged at Chongqing Longxing Football Stadium. Other matches between the visiting teams will be held at Tonglianglong Stadium. Overseas visitors can purchase tickets through MAISEAT, Damai's global ticketing platform.
More than 30 sports events and sports-related consumer activities are planned across Chongqing during the holiday period.
According to the Chongqing Municipal Commission of Commerce, Chongqing will also organize more than 500 consumer promotion events during the holidays.
Commercial districts, riverside night markets, and cultural and creative neighborhoods will host markets, dining promotions, and nighttime performances, with some venues extending their business hours.
The city's transport authorities said Chongqing plans to operate more than 400 pairs of trains and about 1,000 flights each day.
Chongqing Rail Transit (Photo/Chongqing Railway Investment Group)
In the central urban area, more than 6,000 buses, over 320 trains on the city's urban rail network, and 66,000 taxis and ride-hailing vehicles will be available.
Transport services may be added, intervals shortened, and operating hours extended in response to passenger flows. Public transport will also remain available for travelers arriving late by train or air.
Transport officials said popular areas including Hongyadong, Liziba, and Ciqikou, as well as the Three Natural Bridges in Wulong and Baidi City in Fengjie, are expected to see concentrated visitor flows.
According to Chongqing traffic police under the Chongqing Municipal Public Security Bureau, officers will step up traffic management around popular attractions and adjust road arrangements as needed. Around Hongyadong and nearby Qiansimen Bridge, pedestrian and vehicle flows may be separated when crowds become heavy.
The Hongyadong. (Photo/Zheng Ran)
Tourism market enforcement will also be stepped up. The Chongqing culture and tourism commission said it has conducted 2,843 inspections of tourism-related businesses and opened 249 cases for investigation this year, targeting practices including unreasonably low-priced tours, forced shopping, false advertising and unauthorized itinerary changes.
Tourism complaints were down 12.3 percent year on year.
Weather may also affect holiday plans. The Chongqing Meteorological Observatory expects cooler temperatures and rain early in the National Day holiday, followed by generally cloudy conditions in the middle of the holiday and moderate to heavy rain across much of Chongqing later on.
Visitors heading to mountain areas, river valleys, or campsites are advised to monitor weather and geological hazard warnings.