Guanyinqiao 观音桥

Welcome, everyone! You've arrived at Guanyinqiao — the beating heart of Chongqing's modern urban culture. Today we'll follow a classic route through the district: Guanyinqiao Pedestrian Plaza → Naked-Eye 3D Screen → Guanyinqiao City Landmark Sculpture → Beicheng Tianjie → Jiujie Night-Life Strip. Along the way, you'll see exactly how this city blends futuristic technology with the warmth of everyday street life.

We're standing right now in Guanyinqiao Pedestrian Plaza. Covering tens of thousands of square meters, this is one of the largest and most successful pedestrian precincts in western China. Take a look around — the entire plaza has been designed as a giant open living room for the city. The wide, level granite paving lets thousands of people stroll comfortably in every direction without a car in sight. The central fountain is synced to music, and bands of landscaped greenery ring the square, carving out a lively green space right in the middle of a skyline of skyscrapers. This layout tells you something important about Chongqing's urban planning philosophy: even as it builds a high-density, forward-looking metropolis, it never loses sight of open, human-centered public space.

Now, let's walk along the pedestrian street toward the central intersection. Raise your eyes toward the massive curved building wall in front of you. You're looking at the famous Guanyinqiao naked-eye 3D LED screen.

This ultra-high-definition digital display covers more than 3,000 square meters, making it one of the largest screens of its kind in Asia. For international visitors, what makes it truly extraordinary is the naked-eye 3D technology. No special glasses needed — simply stand at the intersection where we are now, which is the optimal viewing angle, and the imagery on the screen appears to burst right through the building and fly straight toward you. Whether it's a sci-fi spacecraft hurtling through a futuristic cityscape or an oversized giant panda lumbering your way, it all looks startlingly real. This screen is far more than a commercial advertising platform — it's a dynamic digital canvas that projects Chongqing's image as a next-generation global tech and fashion city. After dark, when the screen fully lights up the urban canyon around it, this is one of the best spots in the city to shoot dramatic night photography.

Let's keep moving along the central axis of the pedestrian street. Just ahead, you'll see the iconic Guanyinqiao city landmark sculpture.

Take a moment to really look at it. This work of abstract art is forged from high-quality polished stainless steel, its sharp, tension-filled lines cutting upward into the sky with precision. Designed by one of China's leading contemporary artists, the form suggests an eagle launching into flight, or perhaps a wave breaking free of every constraint. The metallic surface catches the shifting daylight during the day and reflects the city's layered neon glow at night. The sculpture embodies Chongqing's spirit of resilience and forward momentum — a city that truly emerged from deep mountain terrain and kept climbing toward the future. Spatially, it anchors the visual center of the pedestrian street, neatly dividing the surrounding commercial zones and giving first-time visitors an immediate point of orientation.

From the sculpture, walk north and you'll arrive at Beicheng Tianjie.

If you want a real window into contemporary Chinese urban life, this is a stop you cannot skip. Beicheng Tianjie opened in the early 21st century and was a pioneer in bringing the concept of the experiential open-block shopping district to Chongqing. The design features expansive glass curtain walls, multi-level sky walkways, and sunken plazas that give the whole complex a sleek, modern openness. As you stroll along the outdoor walkways, you'll find international fashion labels, independent designer boutiques, and specialty coffee shops side by side. But pay as much attention to the people around you as to the shops. This block is widely recognized as Chongqing's birthplace of street style — local young people come here to showcase the cutting edge of what they're wearing, and street photographers gather to capture the city's fashion pulse. It's one of the most vivid places anywhere to feel China's booming consumer culture and contemporary urban aesthetic in person.

For the last stop of today's tour, walk a short distance east to reach our final destination: Guanyinqiao Jiujie.

If the pedestrian plaza represents Guanyinqiao by day, Jiujie defines Chongqing by night. This is the most celebrated nighttime economy hub in the entire mountain city — a dense stretch of trend-forward bars, live music venues, international gastropubs, and round-the-clock traditional hot pot restaurants that have been serving the city for generations, all packed together along a single strip. Look at how the buildings are organized here: the venues stack vertically floor by floor, with entertainment layered upward through the building levels — a classic example of how Chongqing turns its 3D, mountain-city topography into usable urban space. This is where you'll find Chongqing locals at their most authentic, their most spirited, and their most generous. Before you wrap up today's tour, find a seat, order a drink, try some of the numbing-spicy street snacks, and let the mountain city's night pull you in. Enjoy your evening here!