Yangtze River Cableway and Jiefangbei
长江索道与解放碑 · Yuzhong District, Chongqing, China
Ride the Yangtze River Cableway, opened in 1987, high above the river for views of the tower blocks on both banks of this mountain city; then head to Jiefangbei in Yuzhong District, a city landmark renamed from the Monument to the Victory of the War of Resistance.
Know before you go
- Jumping the queue
- rocking the car or leaning out of its windows
- climbing the base or carving anything on the monument
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Stories & people
Stories & people
History
The birth of the river cableway
Construction of the Yangtze River Cableway began on 20 March 1986, and it opened on 24 October 1987, with two cars shuttling passengers back and forth high above the Yangtze. In December 2009 it was listed in the second group of Chongqing municipal cultural heritage sites.
History
From Spirit Fortress to victory monument
In November 1940 a wooden "Spirit Fortress" was put up on this spot; it was taken down in October 1946. On 31 October that year, Chongqing's mayor Zhang Dulun laid the foundation stone for a new monument, which was completed in 1947 as the Monument to the Victory of the War of Resistance.
History
Renamed Jiefangbei
On 1 October 1950 the Southwest Military and Administrative Committee revised the monument's inscription and design, and it was renamed the Chongqing People's Liberation Monument, or Jiefangbei for short, with the name inscribed by Liu Bocheng. It thus commemorates both the victory in the War of Resistance and the liberation of Chongqing.
Culture
Culture & customs
Background
The Yangtze River Cableway's north station stands at 151 Xinhua Road in Yuzhong District, Chongqing, and its south station at Shangxin Street (Longmenhao) in Nan'an District. The cableway runs 1,166 metres, an aerial gondola system with 2 cars carrying 81 passengers each; it opened on 24 October 1987 and was listed in the second group of Chongqing municipal cultural heritage sites in 2009. Once a way for residents to cross the river, it is now also a popular way for visitors to take in the mountain city's terrain. Jiefangbei stands where Minzu Road, Minquan Road and Zourong Road meet in Yuzhong District, surrounded by the Jiefangbei shopping district and pedestrian street. The monument is 24 metres tall, an octagonal reinforced-concrete pillar with a helmet-shaped roof; below the viewing platform a clock faces each of the four sides, and between the clock faces are reliefs of war heroes, soldiers, and workers and farmers, while inside, a cantilevered spiral staircase of 140 steps leads up to the viewing platform. Originally called the Monument to the Victory of the War of Resistance, it was listed as a Chongqing municipal cultural heritage site in 1987, a key Sichuan provincial cultural heritage site in 1991 and a national key cultural heritage site in 2013.
Local customs
- Ride the cableway across the river and back for views of the river and the tower blocks, and ride it at night for the lights
- take photos in Jiefangbei Square and look closely at the reliefs on the monument
- browse the pedestrian street and the Bayi Road food street
- Hongya Cave and Chaotianmen are close by if you want to continue.
Etiquette & taboos
Etiquette & taboos
Don’t DON'T
- Jumping the queue
- rocking the car or leaning out of its windows
- climbing the base or carving anything on the monument
Locals appreciate DO
- Queue in an orderly way for the cableway
- keep a respectful manner before the monument
- keep your belongings safe in the shopping district
Plan your visit
Practical info
Travel tips
- Cableway fares and operating hours are as officially announced
- queues can be long on holidays, so try to avoid peak times. Jiefangbei Square is open all day, and access to the viewing platform inside the monument is as officially announced.
- The cableway's north station is near Xiaoshizi Metro Station, and Jiefangbei is near Linjiangmen and Jiaochangkou Metro Stations
- you can walk or take the metro between the two. Both are good to visit in all four seasons: spring and autumn have pleasant weather, summer is hot and best enjoyed after dusk for the night views, and winter brings more mist over the river.
Photos
Photos
rheins · CC BY 3.0
HoweyYuan · CC BY-SA 4.0
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