This area holds several historical sites related to the Revolutionary War between the KMT and Communist Party. The map shows the distances between each location. It is mostly uphill, but walkable. There are also minibuses and occasionally taxis that can take you between sites. For info about 白公馆, 渣滓洞 KMT prisons (also pictured on map) Go here. There are several other sites in this area besides the ones mentioned below. You can purchase an all-inclusive ticket for 40 RMB (Save a little bit of money).
1. Red Cliff Martyrs Memorial Museum
• Hong Yan Hun Chen Lie Guan 红岩魂陈列馆
• Admission 10 RMB
2. Chiang Kai Shek’s Hideout
• Jiang Jia Yuan Zi 蒋家院子
• Admission 5 RMB
3. Song Lin Execution Grounds
• Song Lin Po 松林坡
• Admission 10 RMB
Tours available (2.5 hours, 4 hours, 6 hours) Tour Info (Chinese only!)
Night Performances: For 30 RMB/person you can watch a reenactment of the historical events that took place in this area (in Chinese, but you can probably hire a tour guide/translator). 7:30 pm – 10:30 pm. A special bus picks you up near the square in front of the Memorial Museum (Lie Shi Ling Yuan Duo Gong Neng Ting: 烈士陵园多功能厅) and takes you to the prisons for the performances and back. Call for more details: (023) 6531-1761, (023) 6531-2300, (023) 63303457
Bus Tip: 烈士墓
Bai Gong Guan & Zha Zi Dong 白公馆, 渣滓洞
• Admission 10 RMB/each prison
These two sites were used by the KMT as political prisons during the civil war in the 1940s. About a month after the Communist victory, KMT spies set fire to the prisons and massacred most of the detainees. Most of the cells have been converted to memorialize victims of the massacre and describe events that took place during the war. Note: In July 2007, the Zha Zi Dong prison suffered serious damage from flooding in the area, it may be closed for reconstruction for some time.
Link to some 360 degree photos of the two prisons
Bus Tip: 白公馆 or 烈士墓 (then change buses)
Ci Qi Kou 瓷器口 lit. Porcelain Port
Free Admission; Open late
Located in the Northwest corner of town, near Ge Le Mountain. One of the better known tourist destinations in Chongqing. Traditional architecture has been preserved or recreated along these cobbled streets. Local artisans and craftspeople have set up shop here, which makes it a good place to see traditional papercuts and stamp engraving. (Tip: Souvenirs bought here are sold at artisan prices, for a better deal you may want to check out Hong Ya Dong, near Jiefangbei)
Sample fresh Ma Hua (麻花), sweet and crunchy twisted ropes of dough, straight out of the fryer. This is also a popular place for locals to come while away the afternoon sipping tea and playing cards by the river. If you are particularly adventurous you can give another local specialty, the Mao Xue Wang (毛血王) a try. It’s spicy and chock full of iron…
Explore the side alleys and paths down by the river to escape from the well-beaten tourist routes, along the way you may discover a rather amusing sculpture. Read More at TravelChinaGuide
Bus Tip: 瓷器口
Ge Le Shan Sen Lin Gong Yuan 歌乐山森林公园
• Admission 10 RMB
This park is located high above and far away from the noise and bluster of the busy Shapingba district. Spend a quiet afternoon strolling beneath the ancient pines and cedars. It’s good for your sanity. Just ask the patients at the nearby psychiatric ward. A cable car is available to take you up to the park and back down. The cable car station is just north of Sichuan Foreign Languages Institute (Chuan Wai; 川外)—shown on the area map of Gele Mountain & Ciqikou.
Bus Tip: 川外 or 烈士墓
Ping Ding Shan Gong Yuan 平顶山公园
• Free Admission
This is the only place where you can get a bird’s eye view of the west side of the city and the bustling shopping district of Three Gorges Plaza. Like many of the parks this is a popular place for the locals to gather. They while away the afternoon sipping tea and playing Mahjong, Go, Chinese chess (here it’s just called chess), and “Overthrow the Landlord.”
Bus Tip: 小龙坎 then walk or take a 5 RMB taxi
Sha Ping Gong Yuan 沙坪公园
• Free Admission
Just about a block or two away from Three Gorges Plaza, this park is a spot of green that has been preserved in a sea of concrete. Take a walk around the edge of the lake and along the winding paths and you will discover various sculptures of famous buildings around the world. For example, the Sydney Opera House sits upon the lakeshore and the Parthenon is crumbling away near the azaleas. Most of the buildings look ancient with neglect and the creeping plants seem ready to swallow a few of them right up, but that should probably be expected at a place with free admission.
Bus Tip: 沙客站(沙坪公园) or 沙坪坝
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