Chongqing — Twenty years after the Chongqing World Trade Center became a landmark on the city's skyline, its rooftop has found a new purpose.

At 262 meters above the ground, Chongqing World Trade Center Sky Observation Deck 131 has become a venue for product launches, commercial exhibitions and live events, transforming an underused upper-floor space into a new stage for brands and consumers.

This summer, Eastroc Beverage brought a new product promotion to the observation deck and introduced a motorcycle-themed collaborative edition. Photographer Zhang Kunkun, invited to cover the event, documented the campaign from above the city as it drew widespread attention online.

“Two hundred and sixty-two meters is not simply the physical height of a building,” Zhang said. “It is part of Chongqing's identity — a view that allows people to see the city from a different perspective.”

The rooftop has hosted a series of high-profile events, including Barbie's first exhibition in southwestern China marking the brand's 65th anniversary and the debut of Changan Automobile's third-generation UNI-V.

Visitors take photos at the Chongqing World Trade Center Sky Observation Deck 131 in Jiefangbei, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, on Aug. 27. (Photo/Yin Shiyu)

For years, the top of the Chongqing World Trade Center struggled to find a lasting commercial purpose.

Zhang, who has photographed the building since 2015, said the space previously housed a Western restaurant and a coffee shop, but neither remained in operation.

Its panoramic views, however, made the location difficult to overlook.

In 2019, as Jiefangbei adjusted its commercial landscape and attracted more brands opening their first stores in the area, product launches and exhibitions became increasingly common. The venue's operator subsequently took over the rooftop and began redeveloping the space.

Rather than extensively rebuilding it, the operator retained much of the existing structure. The interior was left largely open, without a permanent function, allowing it to be adapted for exhibitions, launches and other events.

In 2024, Chongqing World Trade Center Sky Observation Deck 131 opened as Chongqing's first high-altitude fashion launch platform through a collaboration between the venue's operator and Upstream News.

The venue gained particular attention in July 2025, when Changan Automobile presented its third-generation UNI-V there.

The launch began long before the event itself.

The more than 1-ton vehicle was moved from the lower levels of the Chongqing World Trade Center to a platform on the 10th floor before specialized lifting equipment carried it to the rooftop, 262 meters above the ground.

The operation was livestreamed on platforms including Douyin and Xiaohongshu. Short videos of the event surpassed 50 million views within 48 hours, while total online exposure exceeded 200 million, according to the source.

A year earlier, Barbie's exhibition marking the brand's 65th anniversary had helped put the location on the map. The three-month exhibition attracted about 300,000 visits, according to Ye Xingyu, chairman of the venue's operator.

The strategy also attracted businesses seeking locations for product launches, internal exhibitions and music events. Revenue from exhibition planning reached 10 million yuan in 2025.

The rooftop's appeal now extends beyond photography.

An external sightseeing elevator takes visitors up the Chongqing World Trade Center during an 86-second journey, offering views of landmarks including Raffles City Chongqing, Chongqing's Great Hall of the People and Chongqing World Financial Center.

During peak periods, the site can receive more than 1,000 visitors a day.

The operator has also sought to turn visitor traffic into longer stays and experiential spending.

Last year, a rope-descent attraction was introduced, allowing participants wearing safety equipment to descend outside the building from a height equivalent to about 60 floors.

The attraction quickly spread across social media, with related discussions on Xiaohongshu surpassing 100,000, according to the source material.

Zheng Feifei, a visitor from outside Chongqing, said she came specifically for the experience.

“It is the sense of excitement that people are looking for, not simply a photograph,” she said.

This year, the operator plans to invest another 50 million yuan to upgrade the site's consumer facilities, introducing dining establishments, new brands and large-scale attractions.

The goal is to create a destination that combines high-altitude entertainment, dining, shopping, and exhibitions—giving new commercial life to one of Chongqing's most distinctive views.