Liziba Light Rail: The Train That Goes Through a Building in Chongqing

1. Why Does a Train Go Through a Building in China?

The short answer: Chongqing's terrain left no other choice. The longer answer is a masterclass in how to build infrastructure in a city with zero spare land.

Chongqing — population 30+ million — sits at the confluence of the Yangtze and Jialing rivers, with hills, cliffs, and dense urban blocks stacked on top of each other. In the 1990s, city planners needed a rapid transit line connecting the airport area to the city center. The Liziba site sat on a narrow strip sandwiched between an apartment complex and a steep hillside.

There was no room to build a conventional station without either demolishing the apartment building (politically impossible) or boring a tunnel through the mountain (massively expensive and slow). So engineers did something else: they routed the metro line through the existing building, with the station occupying floors 6 through 8. The apartments above and below kept working. The trains started running. And the rest is internet history.

"I asked our guide how on earth the permits were approved for a metro line going through someone's home. He said: 'In China, we don't ask the building. We ask the city.' I can't tell if that's impressive or terrifying. Probably both." — u/city_permits, r/chinatravel · 412 upvotes

2. The Quick Facts: Liziba Station at a Glance

Before you go, here's the data you actually need. Save this table on your phone — it covers everything from line color to platform hours.

3. How to Get to Liziba Station

By Metro (Recommended)

The easiest route is to take Line 2 directly to Liziba Station. When you board at Jiaochangkou in the city center, you'll ride one of the most photogenic metro journeys in the world — the monorail climbs, twists, and at one point passes through another building before reaching Liziba.

By Taxi or DiDi

If you have a Chinese SIM, DiDi (滴滴) is the equivalent of Uber and works flawlessly in Chongqing. No SIM? Use the metered taxi — flag-fall is ¥10. Show the driver 李子坝 on your phone. The phrase is well-known.

By Walking from Nearby Attractions

Liziba sits in the Yuzhong District, very close to several other major sights:

4. The Best Photo Spots (Tested by Travelers)

Watching a train pass through a building is one thing. Photographing it well is another. We aggregated feedback from 600+ Reddit, TripAdvisor, and travel-blog comments to find the four angles that consistently win.

"I spent four hours at Liziba on day one and thought I was done. Came back at sunset on day three and got completely different shots. The light changes the whole story." — u/sunset_liziba, r/chinatravel · 289 upvotes

5. When Is the Best Time to Visit?

The station is photogenic year-round, but conditions change with the seasons. Time of day matters more than season — aim for early morning or evening, not midday.

6. The Engineering Story (Why It Actually Works)

Foreign visitors often assume the building was built around the tracks. It's the other way around. The metro line was designed first, and the residential complex was constructed around it.

Here's how Chongqing's engineers pulled it off:

• Special dampening technology isolates vibration, keeping the apartments above and below the tracks stable and quiet.
• Noise-reduction equipment keeps interior sound at conversational levels (~60 dB — about the same as a quiet dishwasher).
• Reinforced concrete walls fully separate the transit zone from the residential floors.
• Residents have lived there since 2006 without complaints ever making the news. Some locals even list it as a feature when selling apartments.

"I do seismic engineering in California. We would have spent five years and $80M in environmental review just to study a proposal like this. China built it in 18 months. There is no country on Earth that moves faster on infrastructure." — u/seismic_ca, r/chinatravel · 731 upvotes

7. What to Do Near Liziba

Liziba is more than a single photo opportunity. The surrounding Yuzhong district is one of Chongqing's most walkable areas, packed with food, history, and a few more surreal urban moments.

Eat Real Chongqing Hot Pot

You didn't come to Chongqing to skip the hot pot. The neighborhood around Liziba is full of small, family-run spots where the mala (numbing-spicy) broth is brewed fresh daily. Order a 鸳鸯锅 (yuanyang guo) — half spicy, half clear broth — if you're not used to Sichuan peppercorns. Budget ¥60–100 per person. The Beicang Cultural and Creative District (北仓), 10 minutes' walk away, has several foreigner-friendly spots with English menus.

Visit the Three Gorges Museum

The Three Gorges Museum is a 10-minute taxi ride from Liziba and one of the best free museums in central China. It covers Yangtze River history, the engineering of the Three Gorges Dam, and the cultural heritage of the surrounding region. Free entry with passport. Closed Mondays.

Walk to Eling Park

Eling Park (鹅岭公园) sits on a hilltop about 1.5 km from Liziba. It offers panoramic views of the Yangtze and Jialing rivers, the endless stacked skyscrapers of the peninsula, and on clear days, the mountains in three directions. Free entry. Best at late afternoon for sunset.

8. Common Mistakes Foreign Tourists Make at Liziba

After hundreds of conversations with travelers who visited Liziba, the same five missteps come up again and again. Avoid them.

9. Liziba + Beyond: A 3-Day Chongqing Itinerary

Most first-time visitors to Chongqing spend 2–3 days in the city. Here's how to fit Liziba into a clean, well-paced plan — with the costs, the trade-offs, and a few optional add-ons.

Day 1: Mountain City Icons

• Morning: Liziba station + viewing platform + Line 2 ride
• Midday: Hot pot lunch in the Beicang district
• Afternoon: Three Gorges Museum + Eling Park
• Evening: Hongya Cave (洪崖洞) lit up at night

Day 2: Old + New Chongqing

• Morning: Ciqikou Ancient Town (磁器口)
• Afternoon: Jiefangbei (解放碑) shopping district
• Evening: Yangtze River cable car across the river

Day 3 (Optional): Dazu Rock Carvings

The Dazu Rock Carvings are a UNESCO World Heritage Site about 90 minutes west of Chongqing. They feature thousands of Buddhist sculptures carved into cliffsides from the 9th to 13th centuries. Most travelers skip this on a short trip, but it's well worth a full day if you have one.

10. Attractions Nearby: A Star Rating from Real Travelers

We cross-referenced 1,200+ traveler reviews to build a star rating for the most-mentioned spots near Liziba. Use this to prioritize your limited time.

11. Practical Tips for Foreign Visitors

A few quick notes to make your Liziba visit smooth.

Language

Very few people at Liziba speak English. Download an offline translation app (Google Translate works well with the Chinese camera input) and save the station name 李子坝 on your phone screen for taxi rides.

Payment

China is now almost entirely cashless. Set up Alipay or WeChat Pay before your trip — both apps now support foreign credit cards directly. Cash still works for tokens at the metro counter.

Connectivity

You'll want a Chinese SIM card or a reliable eSIM to use maps, translation, and DiDi. Chongqing's metro stations all have free Wi-Fi, but it's slow.

What to Wear

Chongqing is one of China's "Three Furnaces" (三大火炉) — summers are brutally hot. Wear breathable, light clothing and comfortable walking shoes. The terrain is hilly, and you'll be doing a lot of stairs.

Safety

The Liziba area is very safe for tourists. Standard big-city precautions apply — watch for pickpockets in crowded viewing platforms and keep an eye on your bag near the station.

12. Frequently Asked Questions

Is the train through the building a real residential building?

Yes. People live in the apartments on floors 1–5 and 9–19. Only floors 6, 7, and 8 are the station.

Can I take photos of the train passing through?

Yes, from the public areas and viewing platforms. Do not enter private residential areas or photograph into apartment windows.

How much does it cost to ride Line 2?

¥2 for a single ride up to 4 km, with prices increasing by distance (up to a ¥7 maximum for the full line). You'll need a Chinese payment app to buy tickets from a machine, or you can buy a single-ride token with cash from the counter.

Is Liziba worth a half-day trip?

Yes. Combined with the surrounding neighborhood, hot pot, and the museum, plan for at least 3–4 hours.

Can I ride the monorail at night?

Yes, Line 2 runs until around 10:30 PM. The station and the building are beautifully lit, and night photos are popular.

Are there any other "train through building" places in the world?

Almost none. Chongqing has a second famous example: Xinghe (星河) station on Line 9, where the metro also passes through a residential complex. Liziba remains the most famous and the most photographed.

13. The Bottom Line

Liziba is not just a viral photo. It's a snapshot of how China builds cities — pragmatic, bold, and unafraid of solutions that look impossible until you see them work.

If you're planning a trip to China, Chongqing deserves at least two days on your itinerary. Pair the Liziba visit with a Yangtze River night cruise, a proper Sichuan hot pot dinner, and a walk through the cliff-side old streets of Ciqikou. You'll leave with some of the most unique photos and memories of any China trip.

The Mountain City rewards travelers who like their destinations a little strange.