Liziba Station: Chongqing's train through a building

At Liziba (李子坝), a working Line 2 monorail train glides directly through the middle of a 19-story residential apartment block. Riding inside the carriage gives you the surreal feeling of passing through living rooms, while standing on the ground viewing deck below gives you the world-famous postcard view of Chongqing's (重庆; Chongqing) mountain-city engineering.

Get both experiences: Inside the train and from the street

From inside the carriage, the monorail feels smooth and quiet as it enters the building. The public viewing platform below is free to enter, and you get the full perspective: the residential block above, the green cliffside below, and the silver train vanishing into the middle floors.

Both views take under an hour combined and cost nothing beyond regular transit fare. You do not need a tour ticket or special reservation. Check our metro and transport guide for easy transit card and mobile payment tips.

Liziba is an elevated straddle monorail running on quiet rubber tyres along concrete track beams.

Take Line 2 from downtown Jiefangbei

If you are starting near downtown Jiefangbei (解放碑), hop on Line 2 at Linjiangmen (临江门; Linjiangmen) station. Look for platform signs heading westbound toward Liziba and Yudong. Always verify your train direction on the overhead platform screens.

Two central transfer hubs make reaching Liziba easy from anywhere in town:

• Niujiaotuo (牛角沱; Niujiaotuo) connects Line 2 and Line 3 through a transfer passage beside the river.

• Daping (大坪; Daping) connects Line 1 and Line 2 on the upper ridge.

This stretch of Line 2 hugs the Jialing River cliffs, offering sweeping waterfront views and making it one of Chongqing's top photo spots.

To avoid peak rush crowds, visit in the late morning between 9:30 AM and 11:30 AM, or during the mid-afternoon before 4:30 PM.

Find the public viewing platform

Tap out of the metro ticket gates and follow directional signs marked Observation Platform (观景平台).

The viewing plaza sits directly below the station along Liziba Main Street (李子坝正街). The wide paved deck looks straight up at the track opening. The zebra crossing beside the platform has been removed. Use the crossing at the Jialing Xinlu (嘉陵新路) junction to reach the plaza.

The station is undergoing phased renovations through late 2026:

• Concourse Hall A upgrades are scheduled from 1 September to 31 October.

• Partial platform and access improvements continue through late autumn.

Because temporary construction walls may shift walkway paths, follow current on-site bilingual signs rather than outdated map exit numbers. Station attendants at the gates can point you toward the active staircase or lift.

Plan for 45 to 75 minutes in total. That gives you plenty of time to ride through the station, walk down to the plaza, and watch three or four trains pass in both directions.

Tips for taking the best photo

From within the viewing plaza, frame both the building opening and the curved monorail track. Take a wide-angle shot first to capture the scale before zooming in. Shooting a short 4K video or slow-motion clip often captures the train glide best.

Trains run every 3 to 6 minutes. Watch the first train pass to check your lighting and angle, then line up your camera for the next arrival.

Daylight hours between 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM provide the cleanest lighting against the apartment facade. At night, backlight from building windows and passing street traffic makes motion blur more common.

Combine with nearby hillside stops

Pair your Liziba visit with historical sites from our museums and history guide, or ride Line 2 deeper down the river.

If you want to explore the trendy Testbed 2 (贰厂; Erchang) arts district and hillside coffee shops on Eling hill above Liziba, catch a short taxi or hail a rideshare. Use the designated pickup area behind the Liziba metro bus stop (轨道李子坝公交站). Walking directly up the steep cliff staircases involves hundreds of vertical stone steps.

The ground viewing plaza is completely open to the elements, while the elevated station platforms and train carriages are covered. If rain rolls in, do the train ride first and keep your outdoor photo stop quick.

If you travel with strollers, luggage, or need step-free access, check with station staff for active elevators. The station renovation project also includes updated escalators and lifts. Ask staff which step-free route is open that day.