Chongqing is two cities stacked on top of each other. The Yangtze and Jialing rivers cut a peninsula, and the land rises from the water in steep ridges and terraces, so the historic city was connected by stone stairways, stepped lanes and cliff paths rather than by streets. The Shancheng trails, meaning mountain city paths, are a recent project to sign and restore those old routes and link them into a walkable network.
What the trails are like
They are not wilderness trails. They run through the city, but along the historic footpaths rather than the roads, climbing between the river level and the upper districts. You will pass old residential blocks, lane houses crowded onto the slopes, small temples, teahouses, workshops, vegetable plots on the terraces and the remains of old city gates. The paving is stone and concrete, much of it worn smooth, and the sections are steep: this is a city where a walk of two kilometres can involve several hundred steps.
Why walking is worth it
Because Chongqing grew upwards rather than outwards, the pedestrian routes give access to parts of the city that the roads miss entirely. The lanes above the Yangtze hold old courtyard housing and small workshops, and the walkways that cross the ridges give views down onto the river, the bridges and the towers that the city is famous for. It is also the only way to understand how Chongqing fits together: the monorail lines, the cable car, the long escalators and the funicular all exist because the terrain made ordinary streets impractical.
The climbs and the oddities
Look out for the public escalators and the long flights of steps built as public infrastructure; a few of them are extraordinary, including a covered escalator running a couple of hundred metres up the side of a hill. Cable cars, ferries and the hillside lifts are all part of the same pedestrian transport system. Because everything is vertical, a short walk can be a serious climb, and the effort explains a great deal about the city and its food - hot, oily cooking and constant snacking are not accidents.
Practical notes
Wear shoes with good grip and expect to sweat; the summer heat and humidity make the climbs heavy work. Carry water, and plan a route that allows you to descend by a different means - metro, cable car or taxi - rather than retracing your steps uphill. Wayfinding signage is in Chinese with some English, and a phone map is useful because the lanes do not always follow the map exactly. The most rewarding sections run between the riverside districts and the upper old town, and they are best in the early morning or late afternoon.
