Chongqing’s Nature-Focused “Wellness Tourism” Surges This National Day Holiday | Reporter’s Diary

Chongqing - Beyond traditional scenic spots, a growing number of travelers are opting for nature-immersed wellness trips during this year's National Day Holiday. Leveraging its rich natural resources and scenic landscapes, Chongqing has seen a sharp rise in visitor flows at its outdoor destinations.

On October 1, the first day of the 7-day holiday, Carol Yang, a white-collar professional in her 30s, set off early with two friends for a hike in Jinyun Mountain. Located in Beibei District, this national nature reserve sits about 35 kilometers from Chongqing's central urban area and has a 19-kilometer dedicated hiking trail network. For Carol Yang, an office worker who spends most weekdays at her desk, the long public holiday offers a perfect window to stay active and reconnect with nature. Even under intermittent light rain, the mountain's trails remained dotted with hikers of all ages — children, young adults and middle-aged visitors all turned out in lightweight hiking shoes and outdoor sportswear.

As one of the few high-quality hiking mountains in Chongqing's central metropolitan area reachable by metro, Jinyun Mountain has long been a favorite among local outdoor enthusiasts. Molly Zhao, another resident, has scheduled a night hike on the mountain during the holiday. 

Back in 2023, university students in Chongqing sparked a viral trend of night hiking Jinyun Mountain to watch the sunrise on social media. In August 2025, Beibei District officially launched the "Jinyun Night Exploration" program. This formal nighttime cultural tourism experience includes guided mountain tours and group sunrise viewing at Lion Peak, supported by dedicated shuttle buses for downhill trips, illuminated safety markers and other public services. The district also hosted an official mass night hiking event in January 2026, cementing night hiking on Jinyun Mountain as a mature and highly popular outdoor activity.

Official data backs the rising popularity of city walks, hiking, and mountain climbing among Chinese urban residents. The China Outdoor Sports Industry Development Report (2024–2025) released by the General Administration of Sport of China in October 2025 shows that the number of people participating in outdoor sports in the country has exceeded 400 million, with the sector expanding rapidly as a core growth engine for the broader sports economy. 

The 25–34 age group makes up the largest consumer base, while first-tier and new first-tier cities lead outdoor consumption. Night hiking, nighttime walking tours and other "night economy" outdoor formats have emerged as new drivers of consumer spending. 

These activities remove traditional barriers related to venue access, expensive equipment and technical skill requirements, extending accessible exercise spaces to urban parks, riverside greenways and suburban mountains, and providing a much-needed outlet for desk-bound urban residents to stay fit and relieve daily stress.

To capitalize on this wellness tourism boom during this year's National Day holiday, multiple districts and counties in Chongqing have rolled out a diverse lineup of outdoor activities. 

The Chongqing Municipal Bureau of Sports has released 10 curated high-quality outdoor routes covering hiking, mountain cycling, camping and other formats. In Banan District, free public welfare hiking guidance sessions are hosted at Shengdeng Mountain Original Forest Park, where certified social sports instructors offer free training on scientific hiking techniques, outdoor safety knowledge and wild emergency response skills. Liangjiang New Area has opened stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking and motorboat experiences at Mingyue Lake, while Fengjie County has launched an autumn foliage hiking route to the top of Three Gorges Summit in Wushan. Wellness tourism is poised to drive growth in Chongqing's tourism sector during this year's National Day Golden Week.‌