Hongya Cave (Hongyadong, 洪崖洞) is a group of cliffside buildings lit orange at night, and it is the picture most people associate with Chongqing. Wikipedia describes an 11-storey complex in the stilted-house style built against the cliff on the south bank of the Jialing river, in the Jiefangbei area. We found no official website for the complex that we could open. The entry and hours information therefore comes from travel sites and articles, which disagree in places, and this page compares them. We checked on 16 and 17 October 2026. For the city overview, see the Chongqing travel guide.
What it is
Wikipedia says the complex holds shops and hotels. The fourth floor is a food market with Sichuan-pepper spice stalls, and the top floor has a viewpoint over the Jialing river. The look has been compared to a building in the Japanese animation Spirited Away. The same page says the site is tied to the Hongyang Gate of the early Ming dynasty in the 14th century, that stilted houses on the riverbank were lived in until 1949, and that the local government demolished them from 2005 and built new buildings in the old style. We write this as Wikipedia states it and have not checked it with the authorities.
Entry, hours and booking: sources disagree
| Topic | What we found | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Entry fee | Free, no ticket needed | Ctrip |
| Opening hours | Open all year, all day | Ctrip |
| Lighting times | A Sina article we read through a search result says the lights go off at 23:00 and entry stops at 22:30. Another source gives lights from about 18:00 to 22:00 | Travel articles, not official |
| Advance booking | Some articles say a free booking through an official WeChat account is needed, especially on holidays. Others say it is not | Travel articles |
| Paid areas | One article says the "1980s street" on the 5th floor has a separate ticket, around CNY 29 or 33.5 depending on the source. Another says there is no official ticket | Travel articles and ticket sellers |
| Address | 88 Jialing Binjiang Road, Yuzhong District | Ctrip |
What does not fit: Ctrip says open all day, but other articles mention lighting hours and a stop on entry at night. Our reading, which is not official, is that the outside and riverside areas are probably open at all times, while shops and viewpoints inside keep their own hours. We did not check this with the local authority. If you go on a major holiday, check the booking question again with your hotel or a local operator.
Several articles we read through search results warn against buying a "fast pass" or "inside ticket" offered by people on the street, because they say these are not official. We have not checked this ourselves. If unsure, ask your hotel.
Getting there
We have not checked a metro route with the operator. What we could confirm from other sites: Accor's page for Mercure Chongqing Downtown says Hongya Cave is 200 m away (and gives a 10-minute walk in the same listing), and Mercure Jiefangbei Hongya Cave says its hotel is in the Hongya Cave business district. Wikivoyage says Line 1 is convenient for Jiefangbei and Chaotianmen, which are close by, and Wikipedia says Hongya Cave is in the Jiefangbei area. Open a map on your phone and check the real walk from the nearest station. The city is hilly, and routes can involve many stairs.
If you are coming from the north cableway station, the operator says it is on Xinhua Road in Yuzhong, the same district. See the cableway page. We did not measure the walk between them.
China Highlights, which is a personal account and not official, suggests Jiangtan Park on the opposite bank to see Hongya Cave and the bridge in one frame, with a 20-minute walk with stairs and uphill sections. It also says Qianximen Bridge does not light up until about 19:30.
When to go and how long
Most sources describe Hongya Cave as an evening sight, when the buildings are lit. We suggest going around dusk and staying 1 to 2 hours to walk and take photographs. If you want to see it by day and at night, allow two visits, or stay nearby. China Highlights says it is crowded on public holidays such as National Day (1 to 7 October), so a weekday is quieter. See where to stay in Chongqing for hotels we checked nearby.
Frequently asked questions
Do I pay to see Hongya Cave?
Ctrip says free, no ticket. Some articles mention a separate ticket for the 1980s street on the 5th floor, and the prices disagree.
What time does it open?
Ctrip says all year, all day. Other articles mention lighting times and a stop on entry at night. These do not match, so check before you go.
Do I need to book in advance?
The sources disagree. Some say a free booking through an official account is needed, especially on holidays. Others say not. We have not checked with the local authority.
When is it best to go?
Most sources talk about the evening, when the buildings are lit orange.
How do I get there from Jiefangbei?
Hongya Cave is in the Jiefangbei area per Wikipedia, and an Accor hotel there says it is 200 m away. Check the actual walk on a map. We did not measure it.
Is there a hotel near it?
Mercure Chongqing Jiefangbei Hongya Cave and Mercure Chongqing Downtown say they are close. See where to stay in Chongqing.
How old is it?
Wikipedia says the current buildings were rebuilt after the original stilted houses were demolished from 2005. The site's history goes back to the Hongyang Gate of the early Ming dynasty.
How this guide compares
We read China Highlights' Chongqing guide and Travel China Guide's Chongqing guide as English benchmarks. China Highlights is a first-person guide with practical tips on views and lighting. Travel China Guide describes Hongya Cave as an unmissable landmark. Neither lays out in one table which facts disagree, such as entry, hours and booking. This page does, and says we found no official site.
Links on this page and our earnings
The booking box opens a Klook search for Hongyadong to see tours that include this area. As of 17 October 2026 we have no registered affiliate link for these tours and earn nothing from them yet. We did not check whether any tour exists or its price. The site itself is free to see according to most sources, so you do not need to buy a ticket.
Official sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: Hongya Cave (location, structure, history; not official)
- Ctrip: Hongyadong page (entry, hours, address; not official)
- Sina: Hongyadong article (read via search result; not official)
- Wikivoyage: Chongqing
- Chongqing cableway operator: how to reach the north station
- Accor: Mercure Chongqing Downtown (distance to Hongya Cave per the hotel)
- China Highlights: Chongqing Travel Guide (benchmark)
- Travel China Guide: Chongqing city guide (benchmark)
Prices, schedules and entry rules change. Figures here are approximate as of 2026; always confirm on the official or operator page before you book. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
