Whether you are living in Chongqing or just visiting, it can be good to know as much about the city as possible.
Weather
Chongqing is located in the subtropical area. It is one of China's three furnace cities, along with Wuhan and Nanjing. They are called furnace cities because the summers here are very hot. The summer in Chongqing generally lasts from June to September, with temperatures reaching as high as 43 degrees Celcius or 110 degreed Fahrenheit. While you can visit Chongqing all year, the best time to visit is between September and December, then again from March to late May or Early June.
Transport
Chongqing has an abundance of transportation options available ranging from Rail Transit, long-distance buses, inter-city buses, an international airport and an army of taxis. Because of Chongqing's hilly terrain, there aren't many people who ride bikes, but there are also shared bikes available. Passenger ferries and Yangtze River Cableway will help you cross the rivers while avoiding the bridges. Find out more about the transportation options in Chongqing here.
Attractions and Sites
Chongqing has well over 200 attractions for locals and visitors to explore. Many of the tourist attractions in the city are easily accessible by public transport or by taxi. Tourist attractions in Chongqings outluing counties can usually be reached either by bus or by train. Explore all of Chongqing's attractions here.
Hotels and Accommodation
Most of the hotels in Chongqing are located around the city center, or within walking distance from public transportation hubs, such as rail transit stations or bus stations. They offer excellent service to tourists and you can find hotels and hostels of almost any star rating. While Chongqing gets very hot in summer, all hotels are equipped with air-conditioning to keep you comfortable and usually also has great restaurant services. Many of the 4- and 5-star hotels include pools, gyms, and spa treatments. Looking for your next place to stay, check out our hotel list here.
Restaurants
There are literally thousands of restaurants in Chongqing, spread out all over the city. Whether you want to try the local spicy Chongqing Cuisine or you want to stick to something more familiar, you will find it in Chongqing. There are, of course, lots of local restaurants serving all the local style foods as well as western restaurants. You can find almost every flavor and style in Chongqing. There are also a number of vegetarian, vegan, halal, and seafood restaurants across the city as well as fast-food chains.
Local food can vary in price from as little as $1 to $10 per food item, but local food is generally very cheap and Western Food is around the same price as in major European cities.
Shopping
Chongqing has several large shopping areas with large shopping malls and pedestrian streets where you can relax. The shopping malls carry international name brand shops as well as local national brands. Many of the malls also have play areas suitable for families traveling with children, and even activities such as Archery, Bowling, Go-Karts can be found in some of the larger malls. Notable shopping areas are Shapingba Pedestrian Street, Guanyinqiao and Jiefangbei.
Nightlife
When the night comes. the city does not simply go to sleep. You can enjoy the magnificent views of the city skyline from a number of observation decks, especially in Jiefangbei, Nanbin Road or from the Yikeshu observation post. Restaurants and malls are generally open until 10 pm every day, and if you are looking for a place to dance and have a drink, 9th Street near Guanyinqiao has risen to fame in recent years boasting a large selection of bars, dance clubs, and even some 24-hour coffee shops. Want to know what else to do in Chongqing after dark? Click here.
Medical Treatment
Chongqing has a number of hospitals catering to foreign nationals that are able to provide interpreter services by appointment. Chongqing also offers some bilingual in/outpatient services.
Most major hotels that offer serviced apartments also offer 24-hour on-call service with Chinese doctors.
The following is a list of medical facilities in Chongqing medical care and services in English to foreigners.
First Attached Hospital of Chongqing Medical University
- Address: 1, Youyi Road, Yuanjiagang, Yuzhong District, Chongqing
- Contact: +86-23-68816534
- Emergency: +86-23-69012330
No.3 People’s Hospital of Chongqing
- Address: 104, Pipashan Zhengjie, Yuzhong District, Chongqing
- Contact: +86-23-63515394
Chongqing Emergency Medical Center
- Address: 1, Jiankang Road, Yuzhong District, Chongqing
- Contact: +86-23-63862747
Global Doctor Chongqing Clinic
- Address: Room701, Business Tower, Hilton Chongqing, 139, Zhongshan 3rd Road, Yuzhong District, Chongqing
- Contact: +86-23-62038999