Chongqing
Yangtze River Cableway
A red gondola of the Yangtze River Cableway crossing the river
Before the bridges and metro lines, the fastest way across the Yangtze in central Chongqing was a cable car. The Yangtze River Cableway (长江索道) opened in 1987 as ordinary public transport, hauling commuters in stubby red-and-yellow gondolas about 1,166 metres from the Yuzhong peninsula to Nan'an on the far bank. The bridges eventually took over the daily crossings, and the ropeway turned into something people queue for on purpose: a roughly four-minute ride with one of the best skyline views in the country.
The ride and the view
The crossing is short, but in those few minutes you get an unobstructed sweep you cannot get from ground level: the wall of towers on the Yuzhong peninsula behind you, the brown pull of the Yangtze underneath, and the green slopes of Nan'an rising ahead. Dusk is the payoff, when the towers light up and the river goes to neon. Cabins are basic and usually full, so work your way to a window before the doors close.
Cableway gondola gliding over the Chongqing skyline
Stations, tickets and skipping the queue
The two ends are Xinhua Road Station on the Yuzhong (downtown) side, a short walk from Xiaoshizi metro, and Shangxinjie Station on the Nan'an side. Fares are cheap: a small flat fare one way, a little more for a round trip, paid at the counter or with a transit QR pass. The catch is the line. At the downtown station on weekends and holidays it can run past an hour, so it pays to book a timed slot ahead or start from the quieter Nan'an side. If you want to lock in a time and skip the counter queue, you can pre-book a timed cableway ticket online.
Combine it with a walk
Most people ride one way and explore on foot. From the Nan'an station it is a short walk to Longmenhao Old Street, a restored cluster of Republican-era lanes and cafés, and to viewpoints that look back at the skyline. On the downtown side, the cableway sits within walking distance of Hongya Cave and Jiefangbei, so it slots easily into a half-day around the peninsula.
Red cableway gondola above the river with mountains behind
When to ride
Hours run roughly 8am to 10pm in the warmer months and close about an hour earlier in winter, with later closing on public holidays, so check the day's times before a late run. Early morning is quietest; sunset and the first hour of dark are the most spectacular and the most crowded. Skip the midday weekend crush. With a short walk on the far bank, the whole thing takes about an hour to ninety minutes.
Highlights
- 1987 working aerial ropeway crossing the Yangtze in red-and-yellow gondolas
- About 1,166 m crossing between the Yuzhong peninsula and Nan'an, roughly four minutes
- Sweeping skyline and river panorama, spectacular at dusk
- Walkable link to Longmenhao Old Street on the Nan'an bank
- Cheap flat fare and a quick ride, best paired with a timed online ticket to skip the queue
Travel Tips
Ride at dusk
Sunset and the first hour of darkness give the best city-lights view, but expect the longest queues then too.
Skip the queue
Book a timed ticket online ahead of time, or board from the quieter Shangxinjie (Nan'an) station instead of downtown.
Pair the trip
Combine the crossing with Hongya Cave and Jiefangbei on the downtown side, or Longmenhao Old Street on the far bank.
