As lovely spring days gradually overtake the cool winter days in SW China Chongqing, flowers bloom, and nature comes alive again. You may feel it more intensely when you see those blooming purple-leafed plum flowers at Fotuguan Station along with Chongqing Rail Transit (CRT) Line 2. It means that "the train bound for spring" is "pulling in" again. Many tourists have been attracted to here to enjoy pretty flowers and have an outing.

What new exciting places near the popular site are worth a visit? Here are some recommendations from Yuzhong District!

"Healthy Tour," an all-for-one quality tourist line in Chongqing's "Mother Town" Yuzhong District, is a typical example of multifaceted eco-tourism featured by green mountain and water scenery. With a length of about seven kilometers, it connects more than 30 scenic spots such as Liziba Park, which is known as the Relics of the War of Resistance, CRT Liziba Station that runs through a residential building, Three-layer Road, which twists up on the mountainside, Testbed 2 that is remodeled from a mint, Eling Park and Fotuguan Park which are steeped in cultural richness, and Half-hill Scarpline Trail that is perched beside a cliff.

The CRT train runs through a gorgeous sea of flowers in early spring as if it was "bound for spring." So it is an excellent place to enjoy blooming flowers, go on an outing, or take some walk, and also a great route for tourists to explore the culture of Chongqing's "mother town" and get a commanding view of Chongqing's natural beauty.

Liziba Observation Platform

It is China's first elevated station built in conjunction with a commercial and residential building. As time goes by, a beautiful scene has formed with those CRT trains that whistle through beautiful mountains and rivers every day.

Maybe because it is raw and unspoiled and plays an important role in Chongqing life, local people are inspired to discover and commercialize its uniqueness. Thus, the Liziba Observation Platform has been created as a product of curiosity and a landmark of Chongqing.

Liziba Station, an overhead side platform station on Chongqing Rail Transit Line (CRT) 2. (iChongqing file photo)

Three-layer Road

Three-layer Road is a walkway from Liziba fork road to Testbed 2 that is lined by a dazzling array of heritage sites. It is a vivid reflection of Chongqing's diplomatic, military, cultural, political, and other kinds of history and a key carrier of Chongqing's historic and cultural resources during China's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.

Three-layer Road Walkway. (Photo provided to iChongqing)

As you walk up along the beautiful and tranquil Three-layer Road, General Stilwell Museum, Flying Tigers Exhibition Hall and other heritage sites will strike the eye. At the moment, stories about World War II will flash through your mind in spite of yourself.

General Stilwell Museum, designed by "Taofuji Construction Firm" headed by Tao Guilin, a major Chinese builder of the modern times, adopts an international brick-concrete structure with two floors and one ground base. Surrounded by beautiful mountain and water scenery, it enjoys a remarkably commanding view. It is not only a symbol of Chinese and American people's concerted efforts and friendly engagement during World War II but also a major channel of China's people-to-people exchanges with foreign countries.

Flying Tigers Exhibition Hall. (Photo/ Yuzhong District)

Flying Tigers Exhibition Hall, as the former office of the original United States Flying Tigers, houses the materials, photos, and physical objects related to the Flying Tigers. It has reproduced the history of the Chinese and American people's concerted efforts during World War II and also witnessed the eventful history.

Testbed 2 cultural creativity park

As you walk up till the end of the Three-layer Road, you will arrive at Testbed 2, which is hailed as Chongqing's most representative cultural creativity park.

At first, it was a mint of the central bank. In the 1970s, it was changed into Chongqing No.2 Printing Factory. Later, well-known British designer Will Alsop remodeled it into Testbed 2.

Testbed 2 manages to retain the original framework while putting a modern artistic spin on those old buildings, giving rise to a perfect mix of the old and the new. As space and layer bring out the best in each other, diverse activities are gathered under one roof, making Testbed 2 a class of its own.

Testbed 2 cultural creativity park. (Photo/ Yuzhong District)

Eling Park

Eling Park is one of Chongqing's earliest private gardens. Formerly known as "Yiyuan" or "Liyuan," it used to be a villa of a rich businessman called Li Yaoting, the first president of Chongqing's chamber of commerce. It was initially built during the reign of Emperor Xuantong of the late Qing Dynasty.

Notably, the exquisite and unique architectural sights from different historical periods include the flying pavilion, tiger terrace, tung pavilion, bonsai park, Shisheng Bridge, and Kansheng Tower (Liangjiang Pavilion), well preserved in the park. As you stroll around, you can feel the historical and cultural richness.

Among others, the seven-story Kansheng Tower is the highest in the park. Every story is scenic, and the top story can offer a commanding view of the Jialing River and the Yangtze River. Moreover, when night falls, it will become a great place to enjoy the city's bright lights.

Kansheng Tower in Eling Park. (Photo provided to iChongqing)

Flower viewing: Camellia, white magnolia, purple magnolia, Chinese flowering apple, spring azalea, and Chinese redbud.