Nanshan half day: how to do One Tree, Laojun Cave and Huangjueya, and which viewpoint in Chongqing is best

Quick answer

Checked September 2026.

To see all of Chongqing at once, go to Nanshan (South Mountain) on the south bank of the Yangtze. Look down from the One Tree Viewing Platform, or from Nantianmen at Laojun Cave, and the whole Yuzhong peninsula lies between the two rivers. You cannot get this angle from the Yuzhong peninsula itself. There is no metro on Nanshan. From Jiefangbei it is about 20–30 minutes by car across the river and up the hill when traffic is light. One Tree, Laojun Cave and Huangjueya Old Street are close together, so you can do all three in half a day. By day you see the lie of the land; around sunset you watch the city light up bit by bit. On a day of thick fog the long views are lost, so switch to a viewpoint in the city.

• One Tree Viewing Platform is paid and open about 9:00–22:30. Laojun Cave is free and open about 8:00–17:00. Huangjueya Old Street is an open street with no ticket. For paid sights, go by the scenic area's notice on the day for the price. We book them for you at the actual price.
• If you only want to see the two rivers meet and don't want to go up the mountain, go to the Raffles City Exploration Deck or Eling Park. If you only want the Hongya Cave night view, go to Qiansimen Bridge. There is a comparison table below.

We can put Nanshan into your private trip. Tell us your dates, how many of you there are, and whether you want to go in the morning or towards evening. We set the order by that day's sunset and opening times, and the car comes to pick you up with a licensed English-speaking guide. We can plan half a day too, and quote for your time slot. WhatsApp us

What are the best viewpoints in Chongqing, and how do you choose?

It depends on what you want to see. For the whole mountain city, with the Yuzhong peninsula, both rivers and a row of bridges in one frame, go to One Tree or Laojun Cave on Nanshan. That is the panorama looking back from the far bank. To stand right above the point where the two rivers meet, go to the Raffles City Exploration Deck. For a free view close by in the city, go to Eling Park. To photograph Hongya Cave, go to Qiansimen Bridge. For most first-time visitors, one high point by day and one riverside spot at night is enough.

Table 1: How to choose a viewpoint in Chongqing (Checked September 2026)

For tickets, entrances and opening times at each, see our guides to the Raffles City Exploration Deck, Liziba, the Yangtze River Cableway, Hongya Cave and Chongqing attraction bookings and passports. For how to link several riverside spots into one evening, see our Chongqing night views guide.

Where is Nanshan, and how long does it take from the city centre?

Nanshan is in Nan'an District on the south bank of the Yangtze, facing the Yuzhong peninsula across the river. The One Tree Viewing Platform is halfway up Zhenwu Mountain, at more than 500 m above sea level. There is no metro station on Nanshan, so people usually go up by taxi or car. From Jiefangbei it takes about 20–30 minutes when traffic is light. On weekend and public holiday evenings there are many more cars going up, and it is a lot slower.

Nanshan is not one sight but a whole mountain. One Tree, Laojun Cave and Huangjueya Old Street are on the side facing the city, only a kilometre or two apart. Nanshan Botanical Garden and the Anti-Japanese War Relics Museum are also on the mountain, a bit further in. In March 2026 a new four-storey car park building opened next to One Tree, with 132 spaces (Nan'an District Government, 13 March 2026). There is a temporary ticket and ticket-check point on the fourth floor, and a dedicated passage takes you straight into the viewing platform, with no road to cross.

You can get there by public transport too, but you first take the metro to the south bank, then change to a bus up the mountain, and on public holidays you queue as well. For a first visit with only half a day, we suggest going up by car. For which sights the metro reaches, see our Chongqing metro guide.

Nanshan One Tree Viewing Platform: what do you see, and should you go by day or towards evening?

One Tree is about the panorama. The Yangtze curves past below you, and the Yuzhong peninsula sits between the two rivers like a ship, with Chaotianmen as its bow. By day you can see the land and the bridges clearly, towards evening you get the sunset, and after dark the lights. The best time is to arrive an hour before sunset, so you see all three: daylight, sunset and the lights. Allow about an hour and a half there.

The name comes from a century-old huangjue tree in the viewing garden. The huangjue is Chongqing's city tree. The garden is made up of the viewing platform at the front and the viewing pavilion behind it. The main platform opened in 1997 and covers 1,200 square metres. The pavilion was built in 2002: six floors, 28.8 m high, and shaped like a radar. It has long been seen as the place to see Chongqing at night. When the Chongqing Municipal Commission of Culture and Tourism launched its "Night Chongqing" brand in 2025, it also named it as the place to look down on the city's finest night views.

Coming by day is still worth it. Chongqing gets a lot of fog through the year. During the autumn rain in September 2026, the official photos from Nan'an District were taken from One Tree, looking out as light fog drifted over the towers and bridges. On a foggy day you see Chongqing as the "fog city"; on a clear day you see the lie of the land. In summer, Chongqing's local media also list One Tree as a good place for the sunset: the sun goes down along the Yangtze and the river turns gold.

One Tree is open until about 22:30 (no entry after 22:00). Whether you leave after the sunset or stay until all the lights are on is up to you. The car is yours until 23:00, and the guide stays with you for the whole agreed route. For how to carry on into the evening, see our Chongqing night views guide.

Is Laojun Cave worth visiting, and how many steps are there?

Yes, especially if you want the panorama without the crowds. Laojun Cave (Laojundong) is a Taoist temple, known as "the first Taoist temple of eastern Sichuan", built into the hillside. From the Nantianmen viewing platform at the very top you can look across to the Yuzhong peninsula and the Yangtze bridge, and it is especially good at sunset. There is no ticket, and it is open about 8:00–17:00. The price you pay is the steps: the halls are built up the slope level by level, and from the gate to Nantianmen is a long climb on stone steps.

The temple was first called Tushan Ancient Cave, and is also known as Taiji Palace. It was founded at the end of the Sui and the start of the Tang dynasty, and rebuilt in 1480 under the Ming. It is protected as a Chongqing municipal cultural relic. The temple faces north. Its halls are built into the hill and figures are carved into the rock, and the buildings wind up the slope in the shape of the Chinese character xuan. There are Ming dynasty carvings on the cliff. This is a working temple: keep quiet in the halls, and don't point your camera at the statues or at the Taoist priests at their daily rites.

If you can't manage many steps, the guide plans around your energy and pace. Just go up to the level where you feel comfortable, and take the last stretch to Nantianmen as you see fit. Laojun Cave closes at 17:00, so on an afternoon route come here first, then go to One Tree to wait for the sunset.

What is there to see on Huangjueya Old Street?

Huangjueya Old Street is on Chongwen Road on Nanshan. It is 600 m long and keeps 175 buildings, old Bayu-style homes and the former homes of well-known people, and it is one of the oldest streets in Chongqing's main city (Nan'an District Government). In the Tang and Song dynasties it was a resting place for porters and mule caravans on the old road between Sichuan and Guizhou, and later it became a post station and a market street. Today it is an open street with no ticket. A walk round with something to eat takes about 45 minutes to an hour.

From 2016, Nan'an District restored the old street with care. There was no large-scale demolition: most of the old houses were repaired as they were, and the original residents stayed. In 2020 it was named one of "Chongqing's most beautiful streets", and in 2021 it was among Chongqing's first municipal leisure streets.

Places worth a stop:

• Sanmao's former home: the Taiwanese writer Sanmao lived here as a small child. It shows her books, photos and manuscripts, along with original postcards from Western Sahara and a map of the small town where she lived with José. She later lived in Western Sahara with José, her Spanish husband, and wrote Stories of the Sahara.
• Guizhou Guild Hall: at the entrance to the old street. When it is lit up at night, locals call it "little Hongya Cave".
• Former homes of Li Kui'an and Yan Yangchu: the restoration kept as much as possible of the original stone blocks, brick walls and carved wooden windows.
• Huangge Ancient Trail: a stone-step path that climbs from around Shangxinjie at the foot of the hill up to Huangjueya. It dates back to the Tang and Song dynasties, with old huangge trees and tea stalls along the way, and it passes Laojun Cave and Wenfeng Pagoda.

How do you plan half a day on Nanshan? Two routes, hour by hour

It depends on whether you are free in the morning or the afternoon. Morning version: leave the hotel around 9, go to One Tree first, then Laojun Cave, and finish with lunch at Huangjueya, back in the city a little after 1 pm. Afternoon version: Laojun Cave first (it closes at 17:00), then Huangjueya, and last of all One Tree for the sunset and the lights. The afternoon version is the better show, but the times need to move with the season, because sunset is two hours apart between summer and winter.

Table 2: Two ways to spend half a day on Nanshan (starting from Jiefangbei)

In spring and autumn (March to May, September to October) sunset is between 18:25 and 19:40, so move the afternoon version half an hour to an hour earlier or later. The times in the table are a sample plan. On the day we adjust to your pace, and the guide sorts it out on the spot.

What time is best? When is sunset, and what if it is foggy?

For the sunset and the lights, get to One Tree an hour before sunset. In Chongqing the sun sets at about 20:00 in June and July, about 18:00 in November and December, and between 18:25 and 19:40 in spring and autumn. Fog hides the long views, but the river and the bridges close by are still there. On a day when the fog is so thick you can't see the buildings on the far bank, we move Nanshan to another day and switch to viewpoints close by in the city.

Table 3: Rough sunset times in Chongqing by month (Beijing time, on the 15th)

It gets dark 20 to 30 minutes after sunset, and that is when the city's lights come on, one patch after another. In winter there is more fog and less sun, so the long views are down to luck: see Chongqing in winter. For which month of the year is the most comfortable, see the best time to visit Chongqing.

What else can you see on Nanshan on the way?

There are three more options near One Tree. Add one, depending on what interests you, and that is enough: for history, the Anti-Japanese War Relics Museum; for flowers in spring, Nanshan Botanical Garden; for local food, a meal of spring water chicken or hotpot before you come down. All three are on this part of Nanshan, and each one adds an hour to an hour and a half.

• Chongqing Anti-Japanese War Relics Museum (Huangshan): a national 4A scenic area. It is the group of sites from the years when Chongqing was the wartime capital, with 15 historic sites kept, including Yunxiu Building, Chiang Kai-shek's residence. The buildings are well kept. Paid. Open 9:00–18:00 from 5 March to 15 October, and 9:00–17:30 from 16 October to 4 March. Ticket sales stop an hour before closing, so it fits the morning version, not after Laojun Cave in the afternoon. If you are interested in Second World War history, it is worth an hour and a half on its own.
• Chongqing Nanshan Botanical Garden: a national 4A scenic area, open 9:00–17:30, paid. The official way to book is through its WeChat official account. In winter and spring there are flower shows of plum blossom, cherry blossom, camellias and more.
• Wenfeng Pagoda: a six-sided, pavilion-style pagoda built in 1851 on top of Wenfeng Hill, about 1 km by footpath from Huangjueya Old Street. On the way you pass Guangyi Middle School and the site of the former German Embassy. Since its restoration you can no longer go inside; you can only see it from below.
• Spring water chicken and hotpot: the Nanshan area is known for spring water chicken, and locals often come down after a climb for a meal. If you can't eat spicy food, tell us beforehand and the guide will help you pick a place and order. For how to order hotpot, see your first Chongqing hotpot.

Where do people get stuck on a Nanshan trip? (Checked September 2026)

There are four common snags: no metro on Nanshan, traffic going up on weekend evenings, Laojun Cave closing at 17:00, and fog hiding the long views. The first three you can avoid by planning ahead. For the fourth, the only answer is to change the day.

• No metro station: after the metro to the south bank you still need a bus up the mountain. With only half a day, going up by car is the easiest.
• Busy roads up the mountain on weekend and holiday evenings: in the traffic police's holiday travel tips, Longhuang Road and Chongwen Road on Nanshan are named as roads that jam easily. On public holidays we set off earlier.
• Laojun Cave closes at 17:00: on an afternoon route, go to Laojun Cave first, then to One Tree for the sunset. Do it the other way round and you won't get in.
• No entry to One Tree after 22:00: if you want to stay for the night view, get in before 22:00.
• Fog: fog blocks the long views, but you can still see the river and the bridges close by. If it is so thick you can't see the far bank, go up another day.
• Lots of steps at Laojun Cave: if your knees are not good, the guide plans around your energy. Just go up to the level where you feel comfortable, and take Nantianmen as you see fit.
• Laojun Cave is a place of worship: keep quiet in the halls, and don't point your camera at the statues or at the Taoist priests at their daily rites. The temple offers fortune sticks and readings. If you don't want them, you can simply ignore them.

What can you combine with Nanshan on the same day?

The easiest match is the Yangtze River Cableway: spend the morning in Yuzhong, cross the river by cableway in the afternoon, and the car picks you up on the south bank and takes you up Nanshan for the sunset at One Tree. The other way is Nanshan in the morning, then back to Yuzhong in the afternoon for Liziba and Hongya Cave. Ciqikou is in the west of the city and Nanshan is to the south-east, in opposite directions, so we don't suggest putting them in the same half day.

• Cableway + Nanshan: the cableway crosses from Yuzhong and lands on the south bank, just the side you need. Our cableway guide also suggests crossing one way and carrying on from the south bank. The cableway closes for maintenance about one day a month; if you hit that day, we cross by car instead. See the Yangtze River Cableway.
• Nanshan + Baixiangju / the 8D buildings: see the 8D buildings and Baixiangju in Yuzhong in the morning, then cross the river to Nanshan in the afternoon. You get the mountain city up close, then the mountain city from afar. See the 8D buildings.
• Nanshan + Two Rivers night cruise: after the sunset at One Tree, come down to the pier for the night cruise and see it all again from the water. See the Two Rivers night cruise.
• Only one day, and you want the classic city route: our city day runs in this order: Yangtze River Cableway → Baixiangju → Shancheng Lane (lunch) → Liziba → Eling No. 2 Factory → Ciqikou → Hongya Cave at night. Nanshan is not part of it. To add Nanshan, we suggest keeping a separate half day.
• For how to plan two or three days, see our Chongqing 2-day private tour and 3 days in Chongqing.

With older travellers, children, or worried about steps: how do you do Nanshan?

One Tree suits you best: the car park building that opened next to it in 2026 has a dedicated passage straight into the viewing platform, with no road to cross. Laojun Cave is the stop with the most steps. If you can't manage them, just see the gate, or spend longer at One Tree instead. Huangjueya Old Street is a walk along one street. How far you walk at each of the three and where you rest, the guide plans around your energy and pace.

With children, One Tree lets them see at a glance what "mountain city" means: two rivers, a peninsula, and bridges and buildings piled up the hills. With older travellers, put Nanshan in the morning or towards evening, away from the heat in the middle of the day. For more, see our senior-friendly tour and Chongqing with kids.

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