Continuing from my earlier
post, after climbing up hundreds of steps, we were at the same level as Qiansimen Bridge (千厮门大桥).
We arrived at Hongya Cave (洪崖洞) after a short walk from the bridge. When I first heard of this place prior to the trip, I really thought it's a real cave in the city....haha.....
In the middle of Urban Balcony Square stood a sculpture group. The theme sculpture is Memory of Mountain City created by Guoxuanchang. It is forged from brass, transforming the traditional stilted house into an exaggerated form but still remain authentic. This giant brass sculpture is about 13 meters high and 8 meters wide, just like a mountain towering towards the sky. To us, it seemed like a tower from some Ghibli's animation.
As we passed by a Mixue store, we could not resist the ice cream cone which costed only RMB2 (SGD0.40) per cone.
Most people know Hongya Cave (洪崖洞) as a glittering neon fortress from social media videos. However, visiting during the bright daylight hours revealed a completely different, deeply fascinating side of this landmark. Stripped of its glowing evening matrix, Hongya Cave stood out as a brilliant engineering tribute to traditional Bayu culture and the raw, vertical reality of Chongqing’s mountain geography.
By day, we could appreciate the sheer scale of this 11-story vertical village clinging precariously to the sandstone cliffs of the Yuzhong Peninsula. The structure is built entirely in the classic Diaojiaolou (吊脚楼) style, which is traditional wooden stilt houses that have allowed locals to live on the city's steep hillsides for centuries.
Exploring by day allowed us to take our time winding through the cavernous interior without battling the dense evening crowds. Each level revealed a unique pocket of local life
On the middle levels, there was a hidden natural cave and waterfall tucked behind the wooden boardwalks. The cool spray provided a refreshing break from the humid mountain air.
On the 1st Floor (Binjiang Road), we stepped right out to the edge of the Jialing River. Here, we could look up at the massive stone foundations holding the entire complex high in the air.
We would be back tonight to witness the nighttime spectacle.
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