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Two Mad Explorers revisit Chongqing after an earlier trip during Labor Day was overwhelmed by crowds. This time they explore the city's layered buildings, streets and alleys, describing navigation as maze-like and comparing it to a video game. From Qiansimen Bridge they see Hongyadong and recall getting lost there for six hours on their prior visit. They also discuss Chongqing's misty atmosphere and its history of more than 5,000 air raids during World War II. The trip includes spicy beef and pork belly, with the hosts contrasting Chongqing's heat with sweeter food in southern provinces. They visit Fuyin Church, where Easter rehearsals are taking place; though it is closed to the public, a church member lets them in through a back entrance. They also see a century-old church. The video ends with a Chongqing meal in a modern shopping mall. The explorers describe the city as busy and complex, with many levels, food and historical sites.
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Chongqing's streets, views and history
Two Mad Explorers return to Chongqing after a previous visit during Labor Day was overwhelmed by crowds. This time they explore its multi-level buildings, streets and alleys, which they compare to navigating a video game. They recall getting lost for six hours at Hongyadong on their earlier trip. From Qiansimen Bridge they see Hongyadong and discuss the misty atmosphere they have noticed on both visits. The video describes Chongqing as a city of about 32 million people in and around it. The hosts also talk about its World War II history, saying it suffered more than 5,000 air raids and extensive destruction before becoming the modern city they see today.
Churches and Chongqing food
The explorers try spicy beef and pork belly and compare Chongqing's heat with sweeter flavors they associate with southern provinces. They describe navigating the layered city as challenging and say it can be easy to lose one's way among the streets and levels. Their return visit gives them more time to explore than their crowded Labor Day trip, including a stop at Fuyin Church during Easter rehearsals. The church is closed to ordinary visitors, but a member lets them enter through a back entrance. They watch preparations for Easter and respond to the church interior and the community gathered there.
They also visit a nearby century-old church, which adds another historical stop to the day. The episode then moves to a modern shopping mall, where they find a restaurant serving Chongqing food and share their reactions to the meal. The visitors connect the city's present-day streets, regional dishes and church history with the wartime story discussed during the walk. Their account remains a personal look at the places they reach on this visit, including the bridge view, two churches and the restaurant, rather than a complete guide to the whole city.
The hosts describe Chongqing as energetic and densely built, with neighborhoods stacked at different elevations. They contrast the current visit with their earlier trip, when crowds made it difficult to explore, and explain that this time they can move between the bridge, streets and churches more freely. At Fuyin Church, the Easter rehearsal is underway; the building is not open to the public, so their entry depends on the church member who welcomes them from the back. They also note a century-old church nearby. At the mall, a final meal brings their walk back to the city's present-day food scene. The visit combines a discussion of more than 5,000 wartime air raids with views, local dishes and the travelers' impressions of a complex urban landscape.
Their return also lets them pause at Qiansimen Bridge and revisit Hongyadong, a place where they remember losing their way for six hours before. They discuss the city’s mist and the scale of its layered streets, then connect its modern growth to the destruction caused by wartime bombing. At Fuyin Church, the Easter rehearsal shapes the visit: the church is closed to ordinary visitors, but a member lets them in through a back entrance. They see the preparation inside and later visit a separate church described as a century old. The day ends in a shopping mall restaurant, where they try local dishes and compare Chongqing’s spicy flavors with food from southern provinces.
FAQs (From the traveler's perspective)
- Q: What was it like navigating Chongqing?
- A: The streets felt like a video game, with many different levels. It was a little scary at first, but the explorers got used to finding their way around.
- Q: What's the food like in Chongqing?
- A: They describe it as very spicy, with mala and chili, and also mention pork belly and other dishes they enjoyed.
- Q: What was the most surprising thing you found?
- A: They mention seeing very few homeless people in a city they describe as having 30 million people, as well as finding beautiful churches.
- Q: What was your experience at the church like?
- A: They saw Easter rehearsals and found the church beautiful. The visit was moving because they could see the community preparing together.
- Q: What's the best way to get around Chongqing?
- A: Be ready to walk, and use maps, escalators and stairs to navigate the city’s many different levels.
