Hongyadong: Chongqing's Stilted Night Icon
What to see at Hongyadong, Chongqing's 11-story stilted building complex lit up in gold every night above the Jialing River.
Hongyadong: The Building Everyone Photographs
Hongyadong is an 11-story complex of stilted buildings (diaojiaolou) rebuilt on the site of an ancient Bayu-era riverside settlement, clinging to a cliff where the Jialing and Yangtze rivers nearly meet. Its architecture — layered wooden structures on stilts, cascading down the hillside — is a real, if modernized, revival of the traditional building style once common along Chongqing's steep riverbanks, and it's become the single most photographed building in the city.
Every evening the whole structure lights up in warm gold, an effect widely compared to the bathhouse in Spirited Away, drawing huge crowds to the viewing platforms across the river and on the Qiansimen Bridge for photos.
Visiting Hongyadong
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Best Time to Visit | After dark, once the lights turn on — typically shortly after sunset |
| Cost | Free to enter and walk through |
| Nearest Metro | Jiaochangkou (Line 1, 6) or Xiaoshizi (Line 1, 6) |
| Best Photo Spot | Qiansimen Bridge or the far bank of the Jialing River, for the full facade |
What Else Is Nearby
Inside the complex, floors are packed with shops, snack stalls and restaurants across multiple levels connected by escalators and walkways, making it easy to spend an hour just browsing between levels. Jiefangbei, Chongqing's central shopping district and Liberation Monument, sits a short walk uphill, making Hongyadong a natural evening stop after a day in the CBD. The Qiansimen Bridge itself, one of several dramatic double-deck bridges crossing the Jialing, is worth a stop for the view alone.
Cross to the far bank of the Jialing River (or onto Qiansimen Bridge) for the classic full-facade photo — from directly in front of the building, you can only see one section at a time.
