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Ciqikou Ancient Town

Ciqikou Ancient Town磁器口古镇

Ciqikou Ancient Town is the best-preserved Ming-and-Qing-era town in central Chongqing. Founded in the Song dynasty and nicknamed "Little Chongqing," it climbs a hillside above the Jialing River, its flagstone lanes lined with traditional Bayu dwellings, snack stalls, handicraft shops and Sichuan-opera teahouses — the single best place to taste the city's homegrown culture.

Chongqing · Visitor Guide2026-10-18

Quick Answer

Is Ciqikou Ancient Town worth visiting?

The best-preserved old town in central Chongqing, where traditional Bayu architecture meets the city's wharf heritage — and one of its most popular photo spots. Free to enter; allow 3-4 hours.

Quick facts

Ticket	Free (combo ticket for minor sights inside CNY 20)
Hours	Open all day (shops 09:00-20:00)
Recommended duration	3-4 hours
Best time to visit	Year-round; avoid public-holiday crowds
How to get there	Metro Line 1 to Ciqikou Station (Exit 1); buses 202, 220 and 808 to Ciqikou
English signage	Partial
Wheelchair accessible	Partial
Address	42 Ciqikou Main Street, Shapingba District, Chongqing
Type	Historic town / shopping streets
History	1,000+ years
Standing	Little Chongqing — a microcosm of the city's heritage

What to expect

Ciqikou Ancient Town sits on the bank of the Jialing River in Shapingba District. Founded in the Song dynasty (AD 960), it took its name — "Porcelain Wharf" — from the fine porcelain potted and shipped here. Under the Ming and Qing it thrived as a major river-and-land port on the Jialing, earning the nickname "Little Chongqing." Flagstone lanes, grey-brick tiled roofs, courtyard houses and stilted buildings step up the hillside in a distinctive tiered townscape.

Today Ciqikou is one of Chongqing's most-visited attractions. The main street runs about 1 km, flanked by nearly a hundred shops selling local specialties, handicrafts and street food — Chen's fried dough twists (mahua), Mao Xue Wang blood-curd stew, spicy chicken giblets, ciba rice cakes and hotpot base among them. Minor sights inside, including the Baoshan Palace Sichuan-opera teahouse and the Zhong Family Courtyard folk museum, can be visited on a combo ticket.

Plenty of original resident life survives here, which is what makes the town such a good window on Chongqing folk culture. Teahouses stage Sichuan-opera face-changing and Sichuan ballad singing, echoing the street life of old Chongqing. Come early or toward dusk for calm and thinner crowds; after dark the lantern-lit lanes take on a charm of their own.

How to get there

Metro Line 1 to Ciqikou Station Exit 1, then about a 3-minute walk to the town entrance. Buses 202, 220, 808 and 467 also stop at Ciqikou. Drivers can park in public lots outside the town (paid; spaces are scarce on holidays).

Best photo spots

The stone archway at the entrance and the main flagstone street
Stilted buildings stepping up the hillside
A Sichuan-opera show inside a teahouse
Quiet lanes in the little-visited back streets

Tips

Go early — before 09:00 — when the town is at its most lived-in and the lanes are empty for photos
On holidays, book ahead or set out at dawn; the crowds are otherwise overwhelming
For the famous Chen's mahua, look for the Chen Changyin time-honored brand — the town has many imitators
The back streets are quieter, and eateries favored by locals serve the more authentic food

Scams to avoid

Some "authentic Chongqing specialties" are mass-produced goods from Yiwu; buy from established time-honored shops
Face-changing shows vary widely in quality, and some push mandatory spending
Street vendors occasionally shortchange on weight; agree on prices before buying
Anyone offering to guide you or recommending other sights is a tout working for commissions

Frequently asked questions

Does Ciqikou charge admission?

The main streets are free to explore. Minor sights inside such as the Zhong Family Courtyard and Baoshan Palace require a combo ticket (CNY 20), which is optional.

Is Ciqikou far from Zhazidong and Baigongguan?

Not far — about 5 km from Zhazidong and 3 km from Baigongguan, a 15-20 minute drive; all three can be visited in one day.

What souvenirs are worth buying?

Chen's fried dough twists (look for the Chen Changyin brand), hotpot base, lucky-flavor fava beans and Hechuan peach slices; buy from proper shops.

Other things to do in Chongqing

Chongqing Zoo

A large southwest China zoo covering 43 hectares in Chongqing, home to 400-plus species and a leading giant panda base; 25 yuan peak, 20 yuan off-season, allow 3-4 hours.

Ciqikou Ancient Town

A 1,000-year-old Jialing River porcelain port turned pedestrian snack street in Chongqing's Shapingba District — free to enter, 2-3 hours to walk, and best at 08:30 on a weekday before the crowd.

Dazu Rock Carvings

50,000+ Buddhist, Taoist, and Confucian statues carved into Chongqing cliffsides between the 9th and 13th centuries.

Fengdu Ghost City

Fengdu Ghost City above the Yangtze in Chongqing, themed on the Chinese underworld; entry 80 yuan, open 08:00-17:30, allow 2-3 hours, blending Taoist, Buddhist and Confucian culture.

Hongyadong (Hongya Cave)

A 11-floor hillside complex of traditional Chinese stilted buildings rebuilt in 2006 on the site of a Ming-dynasty wall city gate.

Jiefangbei Pedestrian Street

Chongqing's central landmark, the 27.5 m Liberation Monument completed in 1940 as China's only surviving victory memorial of the War of Resistance; malls open 10:00-22:00.

Liziba Monorail Station

Chongqing Rail Transit Line 2 runs straight through floors 6-8 of a 19-storey apartment block at Liziba — a six-second spectacle you photograph from a free platform across the road.

Nanshan One Tree Viewing Platform

Chongqing's best night-view platform at about 400 m elevation, built in 1997; entry 30 yuan, open 09:00-22:30, reached by bus 384 from Shangxinjie metro station.

Three Gorges Museum

Chongqing's flagship museum, 42,000 sqm of galleries with 100,000+ relics; free with reservation, open 09:00-17:00, closed Mondays, 5 minutes on foot from Zengjiayan metro station.

Wulong Karst - Three Natural Bridges

A UNESCO World Natural Heritage site where three colossal natural bridges span a gorge — a filming location for Transformers: Age of Extinction. Entry CNY 125; allow 3-4 hours.

Yangtze River Cableway

A 1987 commuter cable car that still glides 1,166 m over the Yangtze between Yuzhong and Nan'an for about 20 yuan - the ride lasts under 5 minutes, but expect to queue an hour at peak.

Museums in Chongqing

Chongqing China Three Gorges Museum

Chongqing's flagship Three Gorges Museum, covering the Yangtze gorges civilization, the ancient Ba Kingdom and the wartime Nationalist-capital years; verified in 2026.