INTRODUCTION
Located in Yuzhong District, towards the tip of Yuzhong peninsula, the Jiefangbei Central Business District, or the Jiefangbei Pedestrian Street, in many ways is the beating heart of Chongqing. The pedestrian street emanates outward from the Liberation Monument, an iconic clock tower, and spans an area of more than 36000 square meters. The Jiefangbei CBD is one of the most prosperous in all of western China.
The Jiefangbei Pedestrian street is home to numerous shopping malls, a myriad of restaurants and hotels, and nearby street houses a vast collection of street food stalls. It is also a vibrant nightlife center in Chongqing, one of several hot spots in the city that attract a lot of visitors in the evening as well, partly for the view but also for the many places to go and enjoy live music and good food.
BACKGROUND & HISTORY
In 1997, after becoming an independent municipality (separating from Sichuan Province), the Chongqing local government started building what was to become the first business pedestrian street in western China. Initially, the shopping area was around 24000 square meters, centered around the liberation monument, but the shopping square has seen expansions in 2000 and 2001 to its present size. Today, the Jiefangbei CBD is one of the core economic centers of Chongqing.
Plans have been unveiled to further expand the Jiefangbei Pedestrian street to connect all the way to Raffles City and Chaotianmen Square in the future, making it possible to walk from the Liberation Monument all the way to Chaotianmen along a single long pedestrian street with shops, malls, restaurants and bars on either side.
ATTRACTIONS
CHONGQING LIBERATION MONUMENT
The Jiefangbei clock tower is one of Chongqing's most iconic locations. The tower was built in remembrance of China's victory in the Sino-Japanese war. An interesting fact, at about 28 meters tall, only a few decades ago, the liberation monument was one of the tallest buildings in all of Chongqing. The monument is located in the middle of what is the modern-day pedestrian street and the 4 main roads converge at the monument.
SHOPPING
The Jiefangbei Pedestrian Street is a shopper's paradise. On top of the many malls located here, there are also a number of flagship stores from large international brands such as LV, Prada, Gucci, Armani, Zegna, and many more. But other local brands are now also set up here, and you can find large stores for brands such as Xiaomi and Huawei, as well as Adidas and Nike.
EATING
Near Jiefangbei Pedestrian Street you'll find 81st Street, or 八一路, along which you will be able to find a large selection of famous street foods in Chongqing. Along here, you can find anything from small fruity snacks to barbecues. Noodles, to hotpot, and all kinds of desserts in between. The street is also home to a couple of food courts that offer great food at very reasonable prices.