What the Yangtze River Cableway is
The Yangtze River Cableway links 151 Xinhua Road in Yuzhong District with 4 Shangxin Street in Nan'an District. It is Chongqing's second cross-river cableway and the country's first large double-haul, double-traction, single-span reciprocating passenger cableway.
- Construction began in March 1986; it entered service on 24 October 1987.
- Total length 1,166 metres; each cabin carries 81 people including the operator.
- A one-way crossing takes about 3 minutes, at a maximum speed of 10 m/s.
- On 6 February 2018 it was rated a national 4A tourist attraction.
Why pair it with the night cruise
The two offer completely different dimensions of the city:
- Cableway: crossing the river, it shows in seconds the height difference between upper and lower city, the width of the river and the shape of the opposite hills.
- Cruise boat: moving along the water, it shows the facades on both banks, the bridge silhouettes and the lights reflected in the river.
One cuts across, the other runs along — together they give a complete sense of the mountain city's space.
Suggested route
A smooth arrangement: take the cableway across in the late afternoon → linger on the far bank or by the river → return to the wharf and board for the night sail. This way you move from height to water level as the light fades, which is when the light is most varied.
Things to note
- The cableway and the cruise have separate ticketing and queuing systems; plan time for each and do not assume one covers the other.
- Queues can be long in peak season — treat it as an attraction that requires waiting, not as transport.
- Operating schedules and maintenance plans change; check on-site notices before you go.
- Cabins get crowded; do not lean against the doors while taking photos.
