Baixiangju (白象居) is not a typical place of interest for most tourists. However, we read about it before the trip and found it quite interesting. The architectural uniqueness of Baixiangju boils down to a brilliant, mind-bending solution to a classic Chongqing problem, which is how to build a massive residential complex on a near-vertical cliffside without using elevators.
We began on the high-altitude pavements of Xinhua Road, not far from the northern terminal of the Yangtze River Cableway. To find Baixiangju, we had to actively abandon the level street and followed the terrain downward.
We turned off the main road, navigating a steep, winding downhill path. As we walked, the ground seemed to slip away. The walk down felt like a slow descent back into 1990s Chongqing as the air got quieter, the smells turned to rich blend of household cooking oil, and the slick stone paths demanded careful footing.
Soon we arrived at the entrance of Baixiangju (白象居). This is where Chongqing's geographical mind-tricks began. When we looked at the entrance from this side, the building looked like a standard, unassuming 10-story apartment block. But stepped through the threshold, and we realized we had actually just walked onto the 15th floor. The remaining 14 stories of the building dropped straight down the cliffside beneath our feet, completely hidden from the street above.
Because there is no lift, the entire architecture relies on pure human power and brilliant engineering. The complex is made up of six interconnected towers tied together by open-air sky bridges and zigzag corridors. The architectural layout ensures residents never have to climb more than eight flights of stairs to get home, because the building features three separate ground levels (the 1st, 10th, and 15th floors) that connect to completely different streets on the hillside. We entered the stairwell, climbed down the raw, concrete scissor-style staircases. The corridors were narrow and filled with the intimate textures of everyday life.
We navigated our way to the open corridor connecting Buildings 3 and 4 on the 9th floor, which is the most famous vantage point in the complex. Standing on this concrete sky bridge, the view is spectacular. Directly ahead of us, framed by the industrial, moss-flecked edges of the apartment towers, the bright orange cabins of the Yangtze River Cableway glided silently across the sky. Because the cables are strung right next to the complex, the cable cars passed so close to the corridors that we could clearly see the passengers inside looking back out at us. A car passes roughly every 5 to 10 minutes, offering a perfect, cinematic rhythm to the urban scenery.
Spanning the Yangtze River is the brilliant orange steelwork of the Dongshuimen Bridge, with city traffic buzzing across its upper deck and metro trains roaring silently through its underbelly.
We had to be mindful that this is an active, living residential community, not an amusement park. It is important that we kept our voice down, do not block the walkways, and respect the privacy of the families living here.
Below was another view of the cableway along the main road.
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