Liziba Station Guide: How to See Chongqing’s Train Through a Building
Liziba is one of the easiest places to understand why Chongqing feels so different from most Chinese cities. In one short, walkable stretch, you get the Line 2 monorail, river views, steep slopes, old apartment blocks, narrow residential lanes, and viewing platforms all stacked on top of each other.
If you only want to watch two or three trains pass through the building from the main ground-level platform, 20 minutes is more than enough. But I’d set aside about two hours if you want to ride the monorail through Liziba, walk around the hillside alleys, and see the station from a few different angles.
Getting There
Take Chongqing Rail Transit Line 2 directly to Liziba Station and leave through Exit 3. This is the easiest way to get here, and it also gives you a much better first impression of the place.
I wouldn’t start by taking a taxi straight to the ground-level viewing platform. Yes, a cab gets you to the classic photo spot faster, but you’ll miss the part where Line 2 actually carries you into the building. Watching the monorail from outside is fun, but riding through Liziba first makes the whole experience feel more complete.
The Route I Took
I didn’t go straight down to the crowded main platform. From Exit 3, I first spent some time around the station and the nearby residential alleys, where the train feels much closer and the surroundings feel more local.
Then I walked up to Lansheng Pavilion (揽胜亭) for a wider view of Line 2 bending along the hillside beside the river. Only after seeing Liziba from above did I head down to the main viewing platform for the classic train-through-building shot.
To end the route, I took a short taxi ride to the opposite side of the Jialing River for the playful “eating the monorail” perspective. The whole route took me about two hours, without feeling rushed.
1.The Close-Up View Below Exit 3
Once you come out of Exit 3, don’t rush straight down to the big plaza. Your first useful angle is right below the station sign.
This is about as close to the track as you can get. When the train pulls in, you can really feel its size and momentum above you, especially from this lower angle. It is worth framing your shot before the train arrives, then waiting for the next one to roll into the station rather than trying to react at the last second.
2.The Alley Beside the Police Station
From the first spot, walk uphill for about 150 meters until you see a police station. Take the small lane beside it and you’ll reach a narrow, quiet alley.
This angle feels more local than the main viewing platform. You can catch the monorail peeking out between the apartment blocks, with Chongqing’s tallest skyscraper in the background. It is not a polished tourist viewpoint, but the lane, hillside, high-rises, and monorail all end up in the same frame. That mix is what I liked most about this spot.
3.Lansheng Pavilion
From the alley, Lansheng Pavilion（揽胜亭） is about 700 meters away, roughly a 12-minute walk.
This was the best wide angle I found around Liziba. From here, you can see Line 2 curving along the hillside, running beside the river, and heading toward the residential buildings. It gives you a much better sense of the full setting than the crowded platform below.
It is also much quieter. You don’t get the crowd and noise from the square downstairs, which makes it easier to just watch the trains and take your time with photos.
4.The Main Viewing Platform
To get the classic shot, I returned from Lansheng Pavilion and went down to the ground-level viewing platform through the small lane near Entrance/Exit 2.
There is usually an elevator there, but when I visited, it was under maintenance, so I had to take the stairs. I also saw escalators being built on-site, so this part of the route may become easier soon.
This is the angle most people come for: the monorail passing straight through the building. It can get crowded, but if it’s your first time at Liziba, it is still worth stopping here.
Photo tip：Line 2 trains come in different colors and wraps. If you care about photos, I’d wait a few minutes for one with a brighter wrap. It stands out better against the apartment building.
5.The “Eating the Monorail” Photo Spot Across the River
For this last spot, I took a taxi to the opposite side of the Jialing River and used Chongqing Municipal Education Working Committee as the destination. It is not a tourist attraction, just a useful map pin for this specific riverside angle. Once you get dropped off, the viewing spot is basically right across the road.
From across the river, Liziba faces you directly, so you can see the whole building and the monorail track clearly. The distance also makes it a good spot for forced-perspective photos, like pretending to hold the monorail in your hand or “eat” it in one bite.
It is more playful than the crowded platform downstairs, and you also get a fuller view of the building and the track at the same time.
Where to Go After Liziba
After Liziba, you can take the orange shuttle bus to TESTBED 2（鹅岭二厂）, which works well if you want cafés, small shops, and a repurposed old-factory setting.
Another option is to take Line 2 to Niujiaotuo, transfer to Line 3, and go to Lianglukou Station for the Huangguan Escalator（皇冠大扶梯）. This works nicely if you want to spend the same day experiencing more of Chongqing’s unusual transport system.
