Shopping: Raffles City Chongqing can provide one-stop shopping and local specialties and snacks on the first floor.

Dining: Pipa Yuan Hotpot, the Guinness world record holder as the world's largest hotpot diner, is a giant eatery set on a hill with about 900 tables. Restaurant Les Champs Libres, despite its fancy French name, is a beautifully decorated establishment boasting authentic traditional Chongqing home-cooked dishes, frequently visited by many local foodies. A full meal costs about $15 a person.

Nightlife: River Terrace at Regent Hotel, Other River on quiet Ziwei Road, bars and nightclubs on the buzzing No 9 Street.

Where to stay: Chongqing has a wide range of accommodation choices from luxury hotels to humble guesthouses. It is suggested to stay in downtown around Jiefangbei in Yuzhong district.

Getting around: It is easy to reach a major scenic spot by metro. Taxis start at 10 yuan ($1.4) for the first 3 kilometers. Chongqing has built the world's largest rail transit network in a mountainous area operating a 500-km line. The city has the deepest subway station in China — Hongyan Village Station of Line 9 — with its train platform located 116 meters underground. It is one of the deepest in the world, taking about 10 minutes and eight escalators to reach the platform from the entrance.