Travel in China
An 11-storey fortress of stilted houses stacked against a cliff above the Jialing River - glowing at night like the bathhouse of Spirited Away.
Hongyadong (Hongya Cave) is a 75-metre-high complex of traditional Diaojiaolou (stilted buildings) built into the cliff face above the Jialing River. The current structure, opened in 2006, recreates the architectural style of the old Bayu stilt-house districts that once covered Chongqing's hillsides - but at a scale and with a level of ornamentation that transforms it from architecture into spectacle.
The complex has 11 floors on two street levels: you can enter on the 1st floor from the riverside road, or on the 11th floor from Cangbai Road above - and both are 'ground level' thanks to the cliff behind.
Hongyadong's fame exploded on Chinese social media in 2018 when the night view of its illuminated facade was compared to the bathhouse in Miyazaki's Spirited Away. Today it is Chongqing's single most visited attraction - the golden stilt-house tiers reflected in the river with the Qiansimen Bridge behind are the defining image of the mountain city.
Highlights
The Night Illumination
The golden-lit stilt-house tiers reflected in the Jialing River - Chongqing's signature night view.
The 11th-Floor Ground Level
Enter on the 11th floor from the street and descend through 10 floors to the river.
The Riverside Viewing Platform
The best photos of the full facade are from the opposite riverbank.
The Vertical Bazaar
Shops, restaurants and teahouses stacked through 11 floors of cliff-face architecture.
The Qiansimen Bridge
The illuminated bridge behind Hongyadong - part of the classic night panorama.
The Spirited Away Comparison
The resemblance to Miyazaki's bathhouse - the reason this became a viral destination.
Photo Gallery
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