Yangtze River Cableway

A red gondola of the Yangtze River Cableway crossing the river

The Yangtze River Cableway (长江索道) is one of Chongqing's most beloved sights — a working aerial ropeway that carries passengers in stubby red-and-yellow gondolas straight across the Yangtze, roughly 1,166 metres from the Yuzhong peninsula to the Nan'an district on the far bank. Opened in 1987, it was originally built as ordinary public transport for a city carved up by rivers and cliffs, long before the bridges and metro lines existed. Today the bridges have taken over the commuting, and the cableway has become a ride people queue for purely to enjoy the view.

The ride and the view

The crossing takes only a few minutes, but in that short hop you get a sweeping, unobstructed panorama you can't get anywhere else: the dense towers of the Yuzhong peninsula on one side, the muddy sweep of the Yangtze below, and the green slopes of Nan'an rising ahead. Try to ride at dusk, when the city lights flick on and the river turns to liquid neon — it is widely considered one of the best skyline views in China. The cabins are basic and often packed, so position yourself by a window early.

Cableway gondola gliding over the Chongqing skyline

Tickets and how to ride

The two stations are the Xinhua Road Station on the Yuzhong (downtown) side, a short walk from Xiaoshizi metro, and the Shangxinjie Station on the Nan'an side. A one-way ticket costs around ¥20 and a round trip about ¥30; you can pay at the counter or, in low season, with a transit QR pass. Queues at the downtown station can be long on weekends and holidays — sometimes over an hour — so buy a timed ticket online in advance if you can, or start from the quieter Nan'an side.

Combine it with a walk

Most visitors ride one way and explore the far bank on foot. From the Nan'an station you can walk to the Longmenhao Old Street, a restored cluster of Republican-era lanes and cafés, or continue to viewpoints looking back at the skyline. On the downtown side, the cableway pairs naturally with a visit to Hongya Cave and the Jiefangbei district, both within walking distance.

Red cableway gondola above the river with mountains behind

Best time to ride

Operating hours run roughly 7:30am to 10pm. Early morning is quietest; sunset and the first hour after dark are the most spectacular but also the busiest. Avoid the midday weekend crush. The whole experience, including a short walk on the far bank, takes about an hour to ninety minutes.