Jiefangbei: Chongqing's Monument and the Start of the Peninsula Walk
Jiefangbei is the free pedestrian square at the heart of Chongqing's Yuzhong peninsula, built around a 1940s clock-tower monument. Half an hour is enough for the monument itself. Most people use it as the starting point for an evening walk: Bayi Road for snacks, then ten minutes downhill to Hongyadong as the lights come on at 19:30. The square never closes. Get there on metro Lines 1 and 6 (Xiaoshizi), Line 2 (Linjiangmen) or Lines 1 and 2 (Jiaochangkou). The rest of the city is in the Chongqing travel guide.
Why a war memorial sits in a shopping district
Chongqing was China's wartime capital during the war against Japan, and this crossroads, where Minzu Road, Minquan Road and Zourong Road meet, was its centre. In 1941 a wooden tower called the "Spiritual Fortress" went up here. It stood seven zhang and seven chi (about 26 metres), a number chosen to recall the 7 July 1937 incident that started the full-scale war.
After victory the wooden tower was taken down. On 31 October 1946 the foundation was laid for a concrete replacement, the War of Resistance Victory Merit Monument. It was completed on 10 October 1947. When the People's Liberation Army took Chongqing in November 1949, the inscription was changed: from 1 October 1950 it became the People's Liberation Monument, signed by Liu Bocheng. "Jiefangbei" is simply short for that name. It has been a national protected site since 2013.
What to look at
The monument is an octagonal column with a 24-metre shaft, a clock on four faces and a small viewing platform at the top. Inside, a spiral stair of 140 steps leads up to it, but don't count on the interior being open. Plan to see it from the square. Look for the reliefs between the clock faces, showing soldiers, workers and farmers, and the plaque with the monument's name.
Around it are the malls, department stores and screens of one of Chongqing's busiest commercial districts. The best photos come at blue hour, when the monument is lit and the towers behind it light up.
An evening route from here
| Time | Stop | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| About 17:30 | Jiefangbei square | Monument, photos, a coffee if it's hot |
| 18:00 | Bayi Road | Snacks, or a sit-down dinner nearby |
| 19:15 | Walk to Hongyadong | About ten minutes, to the 11th-floor entrance on Cangbai Road |
| 19:30 | Hongyadong lights on | Walk down through the building to the river |
| 20:30 | Qiansimen Bridge | The classic view back at Hongyadong |
If you'd rather see the river from above, swap in the Yangtze Cableway from Xinhua Road, near Xiaoshizi, before dinner. Queues there get long at sunset, so ride earlier in the day if you can.
Getting your bearings
Yuzhong is a ridge between the Yangtze to the south and the Jialing to the north, and Jiefangbei sits near the top of it. Signs point to Hongyadong and Chaotianmen. Map apps can get confused in multi-level malls, so if you're lost, come up to street level and follow the signs. Heading towards either river means going downhill, and you'll pay for it on the way back.
Who can skip lingering
If you've only one evening, give the monument a few minutes and push on to Hongyadong and the bridge. If it's raining, the covered malls around the square are a good place to wait it out.
The old town of Ciqikou is in Shapingba, a 30-minute metro ride west, and fits better on a morning. Keep Dazu and Wulong for full days of their own.
Frequently asked questions
Can you go inside the Jiefangbei monument?
The column has a 140-step spiral stair up to a small platform at 24 metres, but don't count on it being open to visitors. Plan to see it from the square.
What is inside the monument?
Records of the 1947 building say a "Victory Corridor" ran along the stair, with paintings of the war. A sealed pipe in the wall holds the original plans, newspapers, stamps and other items. A translation of the scroll that President Roosevelt sent to the people of Chongqing in 1943 was also carved inside.
Is Jiefangbei worth visiting?
As a monument, it's a short stop. As the start of an evening on the Yuzhong peninsula, it is the obvious place to begin.
Before you go
- The square is free and open at all hours. Observation decks in the surrounding towers sell their own tickets, so check hours on the day.
- National Day (1 to 7 October) and Spring Festival crowds are huge, and police may run one-way foot traffic around the square.
- In July and August the stone square is very hot in the afternoon, so come after 17:00.