The People’s Auditorium in Chongqing: Tickets, Metro & Photo Spots
The People’s Auditorium in Chongqing is one of the city’s most recognizable landmarks. It faces the Three Gorges Museum across People’s Square, and because its exterior resembles the Temple of Heaven in Beijing, it is often called Chongqing’s “Little Temple of Heaven.”
If you are short on time, the simplest way to see it is to stand in front of the Three Gorges Museum entrance and take a wide photo of the auditorium across People’s Square. That is the classic photo most visitors take here. If you want to take a closer look, you can also buy a ticket and head inside.
Getting there
On this visit, I started from Central Park and took Metro Line 10 to Zengjiayan Station. From Exit 3, it is about a 400-meter walk to the auditorium.
Zengjiayan Station is a transfer station for Lines 2 and 10, so you can also get there by taking Line 2.
Opening hours and tickets
Opening hours: 8:00 am to 6:00 pm. Last entry is at 5:30 pm.
Tickets are 8 RMB per person. Students and visitors aged 60 to 65 pay half price. Children under 6 and visitors aged 65 or above can enter for free.
Keep in mind that Chongqing People’s Auditorium also hosts performances, meetings, and other events, so the opening hours and areas open to visitors may change temporarily.
My route
I visited the Three Gorges Museum first, then went to Chongqing People’s Auditorium afterward. I think this order works better. You spend the first half looking at exhibitions and the second half looking at the architecture, so the pacing feels more natural. It also helps because the auditorium may feel a bit too thin as a standalone stop.
After leaving the museum, stop at the museum entrance first for a full view of the auditorium. This is the best angle for photographing the main building, and it is also where it feels most like Chongqing’s “Little Temple of Heaven.”
Once inside, the most impressive part is the large dome, which is about 46 meters in diameter. Its shape is similar to the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests at Beijing’s Temple of Heaven, but the auditorium is built on a larger scale.
If you are tired after visiting the museum, you can do what I did and find a seat inside to rest for a while. A short nap would not feel out of place here either.
On the second and third floors, the visit mostly follows the corridors. Along the way, you can learn about the auditorium’s construction history, architectural features, and some of the important meetings and performances that have taken place here.
The fourth floor is the top level of the auditorium and connects to an outdoor area. From there, you can look out over People’s Square and the Three Gorges Museum. The view is not especially impressive, so if you are short on time, you can skip this part.
