Chongqing, a sprawling cyber-punk city

Forests of skyscrapers, surrounded by mountains: this is the megacity of Chongqing, in China. With an area of ​​82,000 km2, it is three times the size of Belgium.Driving in Chongqing is very complicated. If you miss an exit, you have to drive at least 5 km“, assures Li Juxiang, a taxi driver. One of its interchanges has five levels and 15 ramps, while one of its metro lines crosses a 19-story residential building.

For those who love concrete and graphic excess, Chongqing offers the best playground. Between the buildings, the aerial bridges are very popular for observing the city’s iconic cable car.It really feels like a city of the future. There’s the old cable car, and right behind it are modern skyscrapers. It’s really a cyberpunk city.”explains Li Jin Chuan, a professional photographer. In Chongqing, 2,219 buildings are more than 30 stories high. It has the longest escalator in Asia, with a 30-degree incline.

This megacity in western China, with an economic growth rate of 6.1% in 2023, more than the national level, is also becoming trendy and is now home to graffiti and murals, a rare occurrence in China. It now has 34 million inhabitants, compared to only 2 million in the 1940s.