Top 11 Beautiful Ancient Towns for Your Trip to Chongqing

Most tourists use Chongqing as their base and undertake trips to these ancient towns to connect with their past, Chinese culture, and values. Many of these towns encourage such visits and even provide free transport links to the ancient towns. Avoid the weekends since it does get crowded with the locals too undertaking these trips. Almost all of them have cheap and budgeted accommodations that cost around 100 RBD per night and lots of tea houses. The buses run from the bus station next to the main bus station at Caiyuanba. So, let us start on our list of ancient towns handpicked for your vacation.

The Zhongshan Ancient Town is among our list of ancient towns in Chongqing and has a past that dates back 1000 years of the Qing and Ming dynasties. The tickets for visiting this town lying Southwest of the Kunshan City of Suzhou in Jiangsu are 100 RBD, and transportation is available in the form of frequent buses Hangzhou-2 hrs, Shanghai-1.5 hrs, and Suzhou-1 hr. Also called the Water Town, Longdongchang, or Sanhechang, it comprises about 3 streets of an ancient trading and commercial wharf of the Jiangjin District of Chongqing’s southern mountainous area.

You can expect to spend an hour or so discovering the barely 3m wide cobbled streets of Huangzhongba, Gaoshengqiao, and Longdong, the unique stilt architecture, quaint pubs which still use earthen pots for serving wine. The unique horizontal connections of beams between adjacent houses offering shelter, the many lakes and river spots caused by the river flowing through town, and the many bridges that have earned it the sobriquet of the Eastern Venice. The Zhongshan Ancient Town is a typical mountain ancient town with well-preserved buildings and passionate people. Zhongshan Ancient Town was named one of the "Top Ten Famous Ancient Towns."

The Longtan Ancient Town is a gem among the ancient towns in Chongqing. With an ancient history of being dated back over 1,700 years, the town lies at the foothills of the Fulong Mountain, which sits in Youyang Tujia-Miao Autonomous County.

There is another interesting feature of how the town got its name. The ancient town lies between two caves, which each have a dark hot pool of water. Geographically these resemble the flaming eyes of the dragon while the strip of the city lying in-between resembles the dragon’s nose. Get a look at this green jade-like city where the street’s cobblestones have been polished and weathered into glistening jade-colored smooth surfaces. You can also visit the ancient temples, dock areas, bridges that have stood the test of time, ancient trees that have survived, and wells that still form an important source of the town’s water system.

Pianyan is another of the ancient towns in Chongqing well worth a visit and is located 87 km from Chongqing CBD in the Beibei District. The ancient town visit should take you up to 2 hours to admire the architecture, ancient artistic buildings, and how the river forms the base of all activity in this once famous business town. It is also close to Baisha, another ancient town, and is easy to get to Sichuan for more ancient town visits. From Beibei bus route #963 will take you there, and the hotel near the entrance to town is a good place to stay in if you wish to discover more.

Near mountains and waters built the Pianyan Ancient Town, showing an ancient architectural style after long years of ups and downs. The waters are very clear and clean to the deepest while old trees with luxuriant foliage, providing a natural shed from sunshine. The town is small and good, presenting you a landscape rich in poetic and artistic conception.

The Gongtan Old Town at the confluence of the Wujiang and Apeng Rivers in Youyang County is also a must-visit among the ancient towns in Chongqing. Taking 2-3 hours to explore this city spawned the surname of ‘Gong’ for many families that originated from here. The original ancient town was relocated to its present location due to the dam construction. Expect to see some of the best-preserved simple home courtyards, anti-fire sealed walls, pile-supported stilt houses, ancient arts still in use, the stone-paved street, and the typical interconnection of all houses. There are no street lights, and the place is still maintained as it once was. At night, the town is illuminated by a few beautiful lanterns under the eaves, as well as dim lights diffused from stilted houses. The whole countryside is permeated in a nostalgic and mysterious atmosphere.

If we talk about the food, they are of unique flavors over here. Here you will get to eat the balls made of truffles and meat. The Gongtan Ancient Town is full of regional characteristics. Do visit the Wujiang Gallery to get a feel of the beautiful past of this wondrous ancient town. Enjoy the cloudy mist at the river banks during the sunrise times and be transported to another time!

Another of the ancient towns in Chongqing is the Wanling Ancient Town, located in the Chongqing Rongchang District, dating back to the Ming dynasty. Fables speak of Zeng Ao, a monk who built the temple and started cultivation on the other river bank. It is claimed he poured water into a six-stoned hole using the clamshell, and the shell appeared to pop out of the river. Hence the name Six-hole or Lukong River! Wanling town was renamed as the Lukong ancient town after this story made the rounds.

The ancient and simplistic town is well preserved and well connected with transportation from Chongqing utilizing buses. The entry to the town is not charged and is for free. The Chinese also encourage their modern-day hipsters to learn about their ancestry and folklore by visiting these old towns and traditional practices. So, don't go to these places over a weekend as they are bound to get crowded and may not be in a position to house the crowds. A weekday trip is best, and if possible do spend a night at the old town of Wanling just strolling around, shopping for hand-made arts and crafts, sitting on the banks of the river, and just rejuvenating yourself in the fresh mountain air.

Longxing Ancient Town located in Chongqing's southeast Yubei District is one among the cultural, historical and economic ancient towns in Chongqing. Its location is the banks of the Yulin River which is one of the Yangtze River tributaries. The place is home to some of the strongest cultural bases where ancient traditions, practices, and cultures are still practiced in earnest. A recent phenomenon seen in this ancient town is that it is being used in many TV serials, movies, and advertisements that only serve to increase its interest in foreigners and tourists alike. In terms of industrial resources, the Longxing ancient town is very rich and is rated among the top 100 wealthy towns in Chongqing.

Go ahead and gawk at the several centuries-old temples, restored buildings and ancestral halls in the main street, the ancient practices of dough making by masters at the art or look in on the Sichuan Opera shows in the tiny halls on small stages performed by the locals as you go back in time and Chinese history.

The Laitan Ancient Town is one of the tiniest of ancient towns in Chongqing. Just 2.7 sq km in area, the Laitan Ancient Town lies about an hour away or 28 km to the northeast of Chongqing in the Hechuan District. The town dates back to the Song Dynasty who ruled in the time frame of 960 to 1279. It was then a well-fortressed town with two levels catering to the military forces and local farmers who lived in the beautiful mountainous area. The Jiufeng Mountain is the base of the upper section, which is perched atop dangerous cliffs and stands guarded by tall high walls as was the norm then. The lower village terraces were for the farmers and are also walled in by half-a-meter stone slabs forming an impenetrable fortress. Within the village are the over 400 houses, which were also used by the Qing dynasty. The narrow alleys and roads are cobbled and probably used carts and horses to transport things around in the harsh terrain, which is full of ups and downs. The views are superb, and you get a feeling of having traveled back to ancient times. Put your stress away and enjoy the sedate and rustic feel of the Latian ancient town’s fortress to the fullest.

People always say: “If you weren't on Ciqikou, you weren't in Chongqing.” Ciqikou Old Town is one of the famous ancient towns in Chongqing with a rich history of more than 1,000 years of the Song, Ming, and Qing dynasties times, taking about 3-4 hours to discover. The entry is free! Besides being just 14 km away the town called the Little Chongqing area is well connected by buses and the Transit Line #1to Ciqikou Station. If you want to acquire the blue and white ceramics typical of the Ming dynasty, this is the place to buy them from. Its name itself transcribes as Porcelain Port in Chinese. The 1.5 sq km port town is well preserved and offers a lot more in terms of the Sichuan Opera and folklore, figurines of dough, compressed oil crop techniques, candies, and silk reeling too. Here you can find unique souvenirs and foods to bring home.

Chongqing has many ancient towns and Hong’ an is famous among the ancient towns in Chongqing because of its cultural and historical ancestry and the fact that it is located a mere 46 km southeast of Xiushan Tujia-Miao Autonomous County. It shares borders with the Guizhou and Hunan provinces and is also called the gateway to Chongqing Southeast. What you can expect to see here are ancient buildings with some innovative and unique shapes found in clusters along the river banks, the minority village of the Tujia ethnic community, clear river waters, dense forests spreading upwards to the mountain, and some breathtakingly scenic views. This town also has Steel Wire Ferries, and it is considered as most classical sight. Here in this town, you will find many ancient architectures with ancient flavors. The local people here are very virtuous and warm-hearted.

The Baisha old town dates back to the Naxi settlements and is the home of the Governors belonging to the Mu family. It has the remnants of the Ming, Tang, Song, and Yuan dynasties and is well-preserved. While entry is free and you can visit between 8 am and 6 pm, the Baisha or Lijiang Murals charge you 30 RBD for their appreciation. The little village once a thriving village saw the translocation by the Ming dynasty to Dayan Town nearby after which it remained as a religious center of worship. Do visit the Liuli, Dabaoji and Wenchang Palaces, the Fuguo Buddhist Temple, and the famed murals at these sites too get a peek into the handcraftsmanship of yore. Taxis cost you 40 RBD to travel from Chongqing, and the place can also be accessed by bus line#6 from Qixing Street. The bus fare is just 2 RBD. There are also the remnants of the old town of Shue and another of those ancient towns in Chongqing that you can easily cycle or bike down to.

One of the serene and tranquil ancient towns in Chongqing lies by the Fujiang River. The Anju Ancient Town was once a busy business and trading center of fame some 1,500 years ago. Located in Chongqing’s northern mountainous parts the city lives on in a time capsule of sorts. The locals and their residential houses built into the time-weathered cliffs are well preserved since they were originally built for such cliff-terraces. Even the old and time-worn streets have evolved gracefully with their many bends, turns, and pavilions, temples, and houses built on either side of them. Traditions and culture appear to be in slow-motion as the ever-friendly natives carry on with their time-honored ways and means of living a simple, rustic life. The tranquillity and silence you find here are very different from the modern-day strains of life.

Discover the simple pleasures of life here with the simple traditional meals, visits to the sights and temples filled with stories of the past and be transported to the older Chinese times. The cultural heritage and natural scenery are beautiful over here. If you visit here, you will get to feel the taste of life and sense of history as well. Everything is great and comfortable here.

In parting, we have just gone on a tour of the ancient towns in Chongqing. No one should miss the opportunity of taking a peek into the past through a vacation-visit to these above-mentioned ancient towns. They are stunningly beautiful, and most are extremely simple and carry on with the simple traditions, and cultural bequeaths of the past, even in modern times. And this is rightly so that we may never forget our origins and how we have evolved to modern times. We hope you make use of our list and make the trip to these ancient towns. See you soon in Chongqing and its surrounding ancient towns!