Liziba Monorail Station
李子坝站
A 'monorail through a building' sight, where Rail Line 2 passes through a 19-storey residential block. It is the most viral scene in Chongqing's '8D magical city' image.
Liziba Station sits on the Jialing River in Yuzhong District. It opened in 2004 with Rail Transit Line 2, a straddle-type monorail. The station is built on floors 6 to 8 of a 19-storey residential building, and the trains pass right through the building. Because the building and the track were designed together and use vibration and noise reduction technology, residents are barely affected. After short videos made it famous in 2017, authorities built a viewing platform below the building, where you can look up at the train passing through.
Key tips: a train comes every 3–5 minutes, and trains pass through the building in both directions. Stand slightly left of centre on the viewing platform to catch the train nose emerging from the building. You can also ride Line 2 yourself. Heading from Niujiaotuo towards Fotuguan, sit on the right-hand side of the train for a better view just before it enters the building. Admission is free.
Nearby extensions: after leaving the station, visit the Liziba Anti-Japanese War Relics Park (free, with a riverside path along the Jialing), the Three-Storey Road old street, or walk to E'ling Erchang Creative Park, the former No. 2 Printing Plant where the film 'Passing By Your Whole World' was shot. It has a rooftop with views over the two rivers.
Getting there: take Rail Line 2 directly to Liziba Station and exit through the viewing platform exit. Alternatively, take a taxi from Jiefangbei for about 15 minutes. The section of Line 2 from Niujiaotuo through Liziba and Fotuguan to Dapingdao runs along the Jialing River and the cliffs, making the ride a sightseeing route in itself. Sit at the front or back of the train. The viewing platform is crowded on holidays, but it is quietest between 8:00 and 9:00 in the morning.
Opening hours
Rail 06:30–23:00; viewing platform open all day
Nearby sights
- Eling Park & Eling Erchang
- Huangguan Escalator
- Fotuguan Park
- Three Gorges Museum
- Zhongshan 4th Road
- Chongqing Great Hall of the People
- Guanyinqiao Pedestrian Street
- Jiujie Nightlife District