Roads built atop residential towers, trains travelling through blocks of flats and skyscrapers where finding the ground floor feels like a neverending mission.
No, this isn’t the setting of a futuristic sci-fi city.
Welcome to Chongqing, where urban planning resembles a game of Tetris.
Located in southwest China, this sprawling metropolis is nestled in a hilly mountainous region at the intersection of the Yangtze and Jialing rivers.
Known for its maze of multilevel buildings, neon-lit skyscrapers and futuristic architecture, Chongqing resembles the dystopian landscape of Blade Runner, earning it the nickname ‘cyberpunk city’.
This concrete labyrinth has fascinated tourists from all over the world and has recently become a sensation on TikTok, after resident Jackson Lu (@journeyofjackson), shared just how unique and difficult it is to navigate the city.
In a video that has amassed over 31 million views, Jackson explains why commuting in Chongqing can be such a challenge.
He begins by filming his descent from his 18th-story apartment, which has no elevator. Surprisingly, it doesn’t take as long as you might expect as the ‘ground floor is on the 12th floor’.
Walking over a bridge walkway, he reveals several apartments below. ‘They have to climb up, and sunlight is like a luxury to them,’ he says.
Jackson then makes his way to the subway station, which ‘feels like a Fallout Shelter’, before riding around the city on an elevated monorail that ‘feels like a rollercoaster ride’ and passes directly through residential buildings.
Finally, he reaches the city square. ‘Solid ground at last, right?’. Nope – he’s actually on the 22nd floor of his office building.
He then reveals a stomach-churning view of the drop below him, capturing the cars and heavy traffic by the riverside.
After work, he opts for a ‘relaxing’ bus ride home, which takes him on an overpass that’s ‘20 stories up in the sky’.
Chongqing served as a wartime capital during World War II, after the invasion of mainland China by Imperial Japan between 1937 and 1946. It became the political, economic and cultural centre of the country.
The city became a refuge for civilians fleeing conflict, soldiers, military staff, and government officials, which contributed to its growing population density.
In 1997 Chongqing was established as a municipality, granting it greater administrative autonomy and leading to rapid urbanization.
Today, the population of the core districts is around 20 times larger than it was before the war.
It’s now home to over 30 million people, making it one of the largest and most densely populated cities in the world.
The demand for space, driven by explosive economic growth and urbanisation led to a construction boom, resulting in the city’s skyline shooting upward, particularly in the last decade.
The city boasts 298 skyscrapers over 100 metres tall and 26 buildings exceeding 200 metres, ranking 15th worldwide for the number of skyscrapers and sixth in mainland China. To put that into context, there are currently just 12 towers in London that exceed 200m.
Due to this unique layout, many people, especially tourists, struggle to find the ground floor.
There are even outdoor escalators that tourists can pay for to connect them to different levels of the city.
In another video, that has been viewed 15 million times, Jackson films himself attempting to find the ground floor in Chongqing, discovering more and more levels until he eventually finds the bottom. He claims: ‘We never really know what floor we’re on.’
The city’s transport system is also incredibly unique, most notably the Liziba Station, part of Chongqing Rail Transit 2. The station can be found between the sixth and eighth floors of a 19-storey building including several apartments.
While it may appear like poor planning, the station and block of apartments were planned and built together as one structure.
The high-rise is composed of two separate areas: seven storeys on the lower part of the building are part of the station and the other 11 floors make up the residential area.
To make life easier for the residents, the building is equipped with noise reduction systems to isolate the sound made by the train passing through.
Jackson’s TikTok videos have received thousands of comments, with viewers baffled by the never-ending maze.
One wrote: ‘The whole city feels like an optical illusion’, and others claimed they would be ‘constantly lost’.
One local chimed in: ‘For those asking how Google Maps works, it doesn’t. I still get lost in my own city.’
Despite not being as well-known as cities like Beijing or Shanghai, Chongqing’s unique design has made it a popular tourist attraction.
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Aside from marvelling at the city’s architecture, tourists can explore its historic Ciqikou Ancient Town, enjoy the various street food options and even take a boat ride along the Yangtze River – the third longest river in the world.
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