Guide to the Yangtze River Cableway
Back when Chongqing had far fewer bridges across the river, the Yangtze River Cableway was an important way to get between Nan’an and Yuzhong, much like taking a city bus today.
When I first started working in 2013, I would occasionally take the cableway from Yuzhong across the river to Nan’an. Back then, the fare was the same as a bus ticket, and a one-way ride cost just 2 yuan. Today, people mainly ride the cableway for the experience rather than as everyday transportation, and the fare is more than ten times what it used to be.
I rode it again this time as a visitor, and I still think it makes the most sense to use it as transportation between Nan’an and Yuzhong, rather than as a standalone attraction.
Getting there & station locations
The Yangtze River Cableway has two stations: the North Station and the South Station.
The North Station is in Yuzhong District, close to Jiefangbei, and this is where most visitors tend to board.
Take Metro Line 1 or Line 6 to Xiaoshizi Station (小什字站) and use Exit 5B.
Once you come out, don’t keep walking straight ahead. The entrance is about 10 meters behind you and off to the right, so turn back and walk toward it.
The South Station is near Shangxinjie in Nan’an District. The closest metro stop is Shangxinjie Station (上新街站) on Line 6 or the Loop Line, about a 550-meter walk from Exit 2.
Tickets & opening hours
Current fares are:
|
One way |
30 yuan |
|---|---|
|
Round trip |
50 yuan |
Tickets can be bought through the WeChat Mini Program by searching for “长江索道” on WeChat. You can also buy them through Trip.com, at the same price.
Operating hours are:
|
March 1 to November 30 |
08:00 to 22:00 |
|---|---|
|
December 1 to the end of February |
08:00 to 21:00 |
|
Public holidays |
07:30 to 22:30 |
Note: The cableway normally closes for one or two days of maintenance each month, and service may also be suspended in bad weather. I check the official updates every day, so if the cableway is closed, I will update this page as soon as possible.
Maintenance Notice
The Yangtze River Cableway will stop operating on September 23, 2026, for monthly maintenance and will resume operations at 8:00 on September 24.
How to ride and plan your route
This time, I took the cableway from the North Station to the South Station, arriving at around 5:30 p.m. on a Saturday. The wait was about half an hour, even though the ride across the river itself took only a few minutes.
After reaching the South Station, I went over to check the waiting area. There was no line at all.
The reason is straightforward. The North Station is right by Jiefangbei, one of the busiest areas for visitors in Chongqing, so it is usually much busier than the South Station at the same time of day.
So if you are staying in Yuzhong, I’d recommend riding from the South Station to the North Station rather than the other way around. You can pair the Yangtze River Cableway with Longmenhao & Xiahaoli Old Streets.
Take Metro Line 6 or the Loop Line to Shangxinjie Station (上新街站). Visit Longmenhao during the day, then head to Xiahaoli around dusk for the night views. After that, walk to Nanbin Road and continue for about 600 meters to the South Station (长江索道南站), then take the cableway across to Yuzhong.
If you follow that order, you’ll usually be boarding after dark. I didn’t take the cableway at night on this visit, but once the high-rises and bridges on both sides of the river are lit up and their lights reflect on the water, I’m sure the nighttime view would be more interesting than what I saw during the day.
The two photos below show what I mean. Both were taken from roughly the same viewpoint as the cableway approaches the South Station. The daytime photo is from my visit this time, while the night photo comes from the cableway’s official website.
One more thing: where you are in the boarding order matters.
I ended up near the back of my boarding group. By the time I stepped inside, every window spot had already been taken, so I had to stand in the middle of the cabin. I couldn’t see much of the view, and taking photos was difficult too.
Ideally, you want to be either near the front or the very last person to enter. If you’re near the front, you can get to the windows first. If you’re last in, once the doors close, you can still stand by the windows next to the doors.
So if you find yourself near the very back of a boarding group, slow down a little and let a few people behind you go ahead so you can try to board last. Don’t end up like I did, a few places from the back with every window spot already taken.
