Day Nineteen
The goal today was to visit the "Three Gorges Museum.", and it started with this amazing breakfast that I found in the shopping mall where my hotel was located.
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-nineteen/PXL_20231121_033444124-720.jpg)
These are glutinous rice balls filled with red beans or peanuts, delicious!
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-nineteen/R0001174-720.jpg)
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-nineteen/R0001175-720.jpg)
I read somewhere about a new viewing platform that's been constructed recently at one of the metro stops along the way to the museum, so I decided to check it out for a nice view of the city.
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-nineteen/R0001180-720.jpg)
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-nineteen/R0001191-720.jpg)
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-nineteen/R0001178-720.jpg)
It took a lot of stairs, all the escalators were turned off, but it was a nice view indeed.
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-nineteen/R0001188-720.jpg)
There are no tourists here, just some locals wandering about or doing their morning exercises.
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-nineteen/R0001185-720.jpg)
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-nineteen/R0001183-720.jpg)
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-nineteen/R0001184-720.jpg)
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-nineteen/DSC01759-720.jpg)
From this viewpoint, I could see a pagoda in the distance and thought it would be fun to see what the views from there would be.
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-nineteen/R0001181-720.jpg)
It turns out the pagoda is right above the metro station of the monorail that runs through a building. There's another station nearby that I took instead to avoid the crowds.
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-nineteen/R0001193-720.jpg)
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-nineteen/R0001194-720.jpg)
The pagoda is located in a park where lots of locals gather for lunch. All the eateries in the neighborhood were packed, so I opted to delay lunch for a bit and climb the pagoda first.
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-nineteen/R0001196-720.jpg)
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-nineteen/R0001197-720.jpg)
The views are really nice, and it was not too busy.
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-nineteen/R0001198-720.jpg)
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-nineteen/DSC01791-720.jpg)
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-nineteen/R0001201-720.jpg)
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-nineteen/DSC01799-720.jpg)
Content with the views, I headed down and decided to follow the road down the mountain.
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-nineteen/R0001202-720.jpg)
This led me to a new and hip art area that I think is a converted factory. There were tons of people taking selfies of every little corner.
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-nineteen/R0001203-720.jpg)
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-nineteen/R0001204-720.jpg)
There was a food court, perfect for lunch! With some help from neighboring stall owners, I managed to get some delicious flat-rice noodles with vegetables.
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-nineteen/PXL_20231121_111500740-720.jpg)
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-nineteen/R0001205-720.jpg)
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-nineteen/R0001206-720.jpg)
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-nineteen/R0001207-720.jpg)
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-nineteen/R0001208-720.jpg)
With fresh energy, I made my way down the rest of the mountain, only to realize it was now past four o'clock.
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-nineteen/R0001213-720.jpg)
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-nineteen/R0001216-720.jpg)
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-nineteen/R0001215-720.jpg)
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-nineteen/R0001217-720.jpg)
This meant no Three Gorges Museum for me (fun fact: it would never work because it was a Monday, and the museum was closed). It did lead me past this parachute training tower.
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-nineteen/R0001220-720.jpg)
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-nineteen/R0001222-720.jpg)
(Chongqing was the capital of free China, during the Japanese occupation. They trained their armies here).
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-nineteen/R0001224-720.jpg)
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-nineteen/R0001226-720.jpg)
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-nineteen/R0001227-720.jpg)
At the pagoda, I had seen another pagoda on the other side of the river. It was a bit remote, but it seemed like a nice theme of the day, so I headed to a nearby metro station and embarked on a long walk up another mountain. (That's the theme of Chongqing, walking up and down mountains).
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-nineteen/DSC01806-720.jpg)
I arrived at the park with the pagoda at dusk, and since it was free, I explored every floor.
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-nineteen/R0001230-720.jpg)
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-nineteen/DSC01822-720.jpg)
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-nineteen/DSC01828-720.jpg)
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-nineteen/DSC01830-720.jpg)
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-nineteen/DSC01833-720.jpg)
Back outside, I noticed a large group of people loitering around. I had some packed sandwiches from a coffee place I stopped at on the way and decided this was a nice place to get some early dinner.
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-nineteen/DSC01809-720.jpg)
At some point, the lights were turned on, and the pagoda was lit up beautifully. I'm Glad I waited around!
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-nineteen/DSC01864-720.jpg)
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-nineteen/DSC01918-720.jpg)
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-nineteen/DSC01922-720.jpg)
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-nineteen/DSC01891-720.jpg)
After a long way back down the mountain to the nearest metro station, I remembered Chongqing is home to the deepest metro station in the world. It was only two stops away, so... why not?!
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-nineteen/DSC01932-720.jpg)
It took almost fifteen minutes to take the numerous escalators to the exit. Once at the top, the exit was in the literal middle of nowhere, next to a thoroughfare without anything around.
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-nineteen/R0001237-720.jpg)
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-nineteen/R0001239-720.jpg)
I didn't want to spend 15 minutes going back down again, so instead, I opted to walk for 40 minutes to another metro line.
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-nineteen/R0001240-720.jpg)
(Don't ask me for the logic behind this; I mostly did it because taking the escalators back down and transferring to the correct line to my hotel would have taken about as long).
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-nineteen/R0001241-720.jpg)
After about 30 minutes, I reached civilization again and found a restaurant still open at ten in the evening selling dumplings. Time for a second dinner!
![](https://cdn.matsimitsu.dev/trips/china-2023/day-nineteen/PXL_20231120_122901919-720.jpg)
After the dumplings, I took the direct metro back to the hotel for some rest.