Liziba Station: Swallow The Train in Chongqing
Liziba Station Highlights
Most tourists rush to Liziba Station, snap the famous “train-through-building” shot from the viewing platform, and leave thinking they’ve “done” the place.
In just a 10–15-minute radius, Liziba hides some of Chongqing’s wildest contrasts: a monorail piercing apartments, secret wartime ruins, medicinal chicken hotpot, a former secret banknote factory turned hipster paradise, and hilltop parks with insane city views.
Skip the tourist trap checklist. Spend half a day here instead — this is the REAL Liziba most visitors never see.
Liziba Station Operating Hours
Open Today until 11:13 PM
Operating Hours
| Monday | 6:32 AM – 11:13 PM |
| Tuesday | 6:32 AM – 11:13 PM |
| Wednesday | 6:32 AM – 11:13 PM |
| Thursday | 6:32 AM – 11:13 PM |
| Friday | 6:32 AM – 11:13 PM |
| Saturday | 6:32 AM – 11:49 PM |
| Sunday | 6:32 AM – 11:49 PM |
Information is provided for reference only. Do not solely rely on this.
Getting to Liziba Station
Line 2
Metro Line 2 is the best way to explore Liziba and its surrounding areas. Driving is not recommended, as this is a touristy spot and parking may be limited.
- Take Metro Line 2
- Get off at Liziba Station
- Take exit 1
- Walk down the escalators
- Head towards the viewing platform
Fun Questions About Liziba Station
Who came up with this crazy idea?
It was a team decision in 1999.
The train company and the building company didn’t want to fight over the land, so they decided to be neighbours and share the same spot.
A German engineer in France even ran computer tests to prove it was safe!
Did they build the apartment building first or the train station first?
Neither one went first—they started on the same day in 2000!
The two construction teams worked side by side at the same time, like building two Lego sets that fit perfectly together.
That’s why everything lines up so well, and they saved a ton of money and space.
Does the train really go straight through people’s apartments?
No!
It only passes between the 6th and 7th floors.
The platform is inside the building, but apartments are on the other floors—no train in anyone’s kitchen!
Do the residents hear the train all day? Is it super noisy?
Surprisingly quiet!
Rubber tires and special springs keep the noise lower than street traffic—usually under 60 decibels.
Can people feel the building shake when the train goes by?
Almost zero shaking.
The station and building are completely separate with a 20 cm gap, and the tracks sit on their own tall pillars.
Why did they build it this way? Was there no space?
Yep! Chongqing is super hilly, so they got creative and built both at once to save land and money—plus it gave homes to 400 families.
How long is the part where the train goes through the building?
132 meters—longer than a soccer field!
Do people who live there get free metro rides?
Nope, they pay like everyone else, but they have the best view in town!
Is Liziba the only station in the world like this?
In China, it’s the first and most famous. A few others exist (Japan, Germany), but none look this dramatic.
How many families actually live above the train tracks?
Around 400 households live in the 19-story building.
The station only takes up floors 6 and 7, so everyone else lives peacefully above or below the tracks.
Was this the very first time China ever built homes on top of a train station?
Yes! Liziba was the first high-rise residential building in the whole country, built together with a monorail station on top of it. It started a new trend.
How much money did the city save by doing it this way?
About 30 million yuan (roughly $4–5 million USD today) because they didn’t have to buy extra land or tear anything down.
Does the building use the same pillars as the train tracks?
No! The train sits on just 6 huge independent pillars (38 meters tall). The apartment building has its own 90+ separate pillars (69 meters tall). They never touch.
How far apart are the train tracks from the building walls?
There’s a 20-centimetre (about 8-inch) safety gap all around so vibrations can’t travel into the apartments.
When did the first train actually run through the building?
The station opened in 2004, and the first trains began running through in 2004, though the full Line 2 only finished in 2006.
Best Photo Spots for Liziba Station
Looking for the best photo spot for Liziba station? Make sure to check out the following places.
Official Viewing Platform
This purpose-built viewing deck is where 90% of the viral TikTok/Reels videos are shot. You get a perfect front-on view of the train emerging from the building.
Public toilets are directly underneath the platform.
Xindugang Trail Lansheng Pavilion
Climb up to the Lansheng pavilion on the Xindugang hiking trail (15 min walk from the station).
From this elevated position, you can frame the entire scene: the tracks, the station, the building the train disappears into, and even the crowded viewing platform below.
Perfect for sunset or blue-hour shots.
Station Library
Enter the building that the train passes through and head to the public library on the 6th floor (free entry).
The windows offer a dramatic worm’s-eye view of the train whooshing directly above you. Far fewer tourists know about this spot, so you’ll often have it to yourself.
Nearby Community Police Station
The small police station right next to the tracks has an elevated platform that gives one of the most striking compositions: the sleek silver monorail sliding past crumbling old brick apartments covered in hanging plants and laundry.
The juxtaposition of futuristic and retro Chongqing is unbeatable here.
Things to Do at Liziba Station
Viewing
Witness one of the world’s most mind-blowing feats of urban engineering: a light-rail monorail that slices straight through a 19-storey apartment building — a jaw-dropping testament to Chongqing’s genius in turning impossible city space into everyday reality.
Shopping
Wander through the bustling multi-level maze of shops, street-food stalls, and hidden local flavours tucked directly beneath the elevated tracks — a lively underground world that most tourists never discover while the monorail glides silently overhead.
Drone
Flying drones here is heavily restricted for safety and privacy reasons.
You must obtain prior permission from local authorities (usually the rail transit police or district management office) — this is rarely granted.
Even if approved, keep your drone well clear of the monorail tracks, the train itself, residential balconies, and all visitors.
Most photographers who want aerial shots simply use the elevated Xindugang Trail or nearby rooftops instead — it’s safer, legal, and still delivers spectacular results.
Other Things to Do Around Liziba Station
Discover Liziba Anti-Japanese War Relics Park
After Chongqing became China’s wartime capital (陪都) in 1938, this quiet hillside was chosen to house some of the most critical institutions of the Nationalist government.
Today, the Liziba Anti-Japanese War Relics Park — Chongqing’s very first park dedicated to war-era heritage — preserves five clusters of original 1930s–1940s buildings, including:
- The Military Senate of the Nationalist Government
- The Traffic Bank Gold Vault
- Former residences and offices of high-ranking officials and diplomats
These weathered stone and brick structures, half-swallowed by banyan trees and vines, stand as silent witnesses to the political, economic, cultural, military, diplomatic, and financial history of wartime Chongqing.
Entrance: Free
Try The Hotpot Styled Chicken Stew
While you’re here, don’t miss the dish that locals swear by: Liangshan Medicinal Chicken — a unique hotpot-style chicken stew that blends Chongqing’s spicy soul with traditional Chinese herbal medicine.
Hike Chongqing’s Narrow Alleys
Right behind Liziba Station, a network of steep hillside paths and staircases climbs through quiet residential neighbourhoods up toward the lush E’ling Park.
Walk Around Erchang Creative Park
Erchang was built in 1937 as the Central Bank of China’s top-secret printing plant, this sprawling complex once produced banknotes, revenue stamps, postage stamps, bonds, and classified government documents for the entire country during the Anti-Japanese War.
After 1949, it became the Chongqing No.2 Printing Factory — for decades the undisputed king of colour printing in southwest China.
From the 1950s to the 1970s, almost every colourful wrapper, poster, or packaging you saw in Chongqing markets rolled off presses right here.
The factory eventually closed, but the majestic red-brick buildings, huge factory halls, and old smokestacks have been reborn as one of Chongqing’s coolest creative parks.
Hike the E’Ling Park Lookout Tower
Head to E'Ling Park for an escape with cool plant species and a lookout tower that dishes out mind-blowing views of the entire city.
See the Ancient Stone Inscriptions at Fotuguan Park
Fotuguan Park is a historic mountain pass and fortress gateway. It earned its name from ancient cliffside Buddha carvings and stone inscriptions.
Guarding the land entrance to old Chongqing, this dramatic stronghold is surrounded by sheer cliffs on three sides — a natural fortress and a prized strategic point throughout history, witnessing countless battles.
Chongqing is full of such legendary passes; the most famous counterpart is undoubtedly Diaoyucheng Fortress (钓鱼城) in Hechuan.
Inside Fotuguan Park, lace up your shoes and tackle the thrilling mid-mountain cliff trail with an amazing city view of Liangjiang New Area and walk the heart-pounding 460-meter elevated skywalk.
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