Hello, I’m Lila Jiang, a China travel expert with over 10 years of experience. During these years, I’ve traveled extensively around the world. Next, we’ll explore the history and cultural heritage of Ciqikou Ancient Town. From ancient dock culture to traditional folk customs, from time-honored snacks to old courtyard architecture, we’ll help you understand the thousand-year story of this well-preserved ancient town in Chongqing.
Introduction
Quick Facts: Ciqikou Ancient Town
Location: Shapingba District, Western Chongqing
Built: Early Song Dynasty, over 1,000 years of history
Size: 1.19 sq.m core scenic area
Peak Season: April–October and Spring Festival
Key Tip: Free entry | Visit on weekdays to avoid crowds
Best Time to Visit: 9:00 am (quiet sightseeing) or 5:00 pm (sunset and ancient street night view)
Ciqikou Ancient Town is located in Shapingba District of Chongqing, a famous ancient town with a history of more than one thousand years dating back to the Song Dynasty. It once thrived as an important commercial dock on the Jialing River, known as “One Thousand-Year Ancient Town and One Hundred-Year Wharf”. Prosperous in shipping and trade in ancient times, it was a key transit hub for porcelain, tea, grain and salt transportation.
The town retains complete Ming and Qing architectural styles, with layered stilted houses, bluestone pavements and old courtyards. It perfectly combines mountain city landscape, river dock culture and Chongqing folk customs. Today, it is home to numerous time-honored brands, folk handicraft workshops and local specialty shops. It is one of the most representative must-visit attractions to experience original Chongqing culture and ancient town charm.
Tickets & Opening Hours
Ciqikou Ancient Town travel plan 2026 is easy to arrange—here’s all you need to know about entry policy and opening time.
Tickets: Free entry to the whole ancient town. Individual scenic spots such as Baolun Temple and old mansion exhibitions charge 10 RMB (~1.4 USD) per person. Free for children under 1.2 meters and seniors over 70 years old. No advance booking required for regular visit.
Payment for featured attractions: Alipay, WeChat Pay and international credit cards (Visa, Mastercard) are all accepted at scenic spot ticket counters.
Opening Hours: Ancient Town Main Street 8:00 am–10:00 pm; Shops and snack stalls open 9:00 am–9:30 pm all year round. Baolun Temple opens 8:30 am–5:00 pm daily. No regular closure, open normally on holidays.
Note for international travelers: There are tourist service centers at the main entrance of Ciqikou with English brochures and consultation service. You can buy combined tickets for small scenic spots on site with no cancellation fee.
Main Scenic Areas & Attractions
Ancient Town Main Street
The core pedestrian street of Ciqikou, paved with old bluestone slabs. Lined with ancient wooden buildings, time-honored snack shops, handicraft stores and teahouses. Walking along the street, you can feel the strong ancient town atmosphere, watch handmade sugar painting, straw weaving and folk artwork, and experience the slow life of old Chongqing.
Shazui Ancient Dock
Located by the Jialing River, the original old shipping dock of Ciqikou. It retains old stone steps and dock relics. Standing here, you can overlook the Jialing River scenery, watch passing ships, and imagine the busy shipping and merchant scenes of the ancient dock a hundred years ago. It is a perfect spot for sunset and river view photography.
Baolun Temple
An ancient Buddhist temple with a history of over 1,000 years, quiet and solemn. Built according to the mountain terrain, it has grand halls, ancient banyan trees and elegant pavilions. The temple preserves ancient stone carvings and Buddhist cultural relics, being a good place for leisure, prayer and escaping the hustle and bustle of the ancient street.
Old Courtyard Clusters
Scattered hidden traditional courtyards of Ming and Qing styles inside the ancient town. With wooden doors and windows, black tiles and white walls, and small courtyard layouts, they fully show the architectural characteristics of Chongqing mountain city. Some courtyards are open to the public, displaying old daily objects and restoring the living scene of local people in old times.
Folk Culture Street
Focuses on Chongqing intangible cultural heritage. You can watch Sichuan opera face-changing, folk music performances, hand-made tofu, fermented bean curd and sesame cake making. It gathers local folk artists and traditional workshops, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in authentic Bashu folk culture.
Transportation
Figuring out how to get to Ciqikou Ancient Town Chongqing is simple with our guide—we list the best subway, bus and taxi routes.
🚇Subway: Take Metro Line 1 to Ciqikou Station (Exit 2), walk 3 minutes directly to the main entrance of the ancient town. It is the most convenient and recommended way.
🚌Bus: Buses 202, 209, 215, 237 stop at Ciqikou Ancient Town Station. Walk 2–3 minutes to the scenic area entrance.
🚕Taxi: Tell the driver “Ciqikou Ancient Town, Shapingba District”. Local drivers are all familiar with this destination. The cost from Chongqing downtown is about 35–60 RMB (~4.9–8.3 USD).
If you take a taxi from Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport to Ciqikou Ancient Town, the cost is around 70–90 RMB (≈9.7–12.5 USD) and takes 40 minutes. From Chongqing West Railway Station, taxi fare is about 25–35 RMB (≈3.5–4.9 USD) within 20 minutes.
Experience & Activities
Guided Tours:
English-speaking guided tours are provided at the tourist service center. Book on site one day in advance.
Cost: 180–260 RMB (~25–36.1 USD) per group.
Audio Guides:
Rent at the main entrance tourist service center for 30 RMB (~4.2 USD) with passport deposit. It supports more than 30 languages including English.
Folk Culture Performances:
Sichuan opera face-changing, folk singing and traditional instrumental shows are held on weekends and holidays at the central square of the ancient town. Free with no booking needed; arrive early to get a good viewing position.
Practical Tips & Etiquette
- No loud noise or reckless running in the ancient street and temple areas.
- Do not carve or damage ancient buildings, stone slabs and cultural relics; fines will be imposed on intentional damage.
- Weekends and holidays are extremely crowded—try to arrange your visit on weekdays.
- Wear comfortable flat shoes for walking on uneven bluestone roads and mountain slopes.
- Follow the one-way visiting route in peak hours: enter from the main street entrance and exit near Shazui Dock.
- Luggage lockers are available at the main entrance tourist service center for free, and large luggage is not recommended to bring into the crowded ancient street. Free drinking water supply points are set near the central square, so you can bring your own reusable water bottle.
Food
Inside Ciqikou Ancient Town:
Local snack shops sell spicy tofu pudding (8 RMB/~1.1 USD), fried twist dough (15 RMB/~2.1 USD), glutinous rice cake and osmanthus syrup cake. Various affordable traditional snacks can be found everywhere along the street.
Nearby (within 1km):
“Ciqikou Chen’s Fried Twists”: The most famous time-honored brand, a pack for 20 RMB (~2.8 USD), perfect as souvenirs.
“Old Street Hot Pot Restaurant”: Authentic Chongqing spicy hot pot, meal for two around 220 RMB (~30.6 USD).
Local street food: Spicy duck blood jelly (12 RMB/~1.7 USD), brown sugar glutinous rice cake (10 RMB/~1.4 USD), all authentic Chongqing flavors.
With this guide, you’ll know the best time to visit Ciqikou Ancient Town and make the most of your ancient town and folk culture experience in Chongqing.
Lila Jiang
She is Lila Jiang, a 28-year-old girl.
With over 10 years in the travel industry, she’s chased wanderlust near and far;
what she loves most is diving into local cultures,
finding hidden gems, and connecting with people who bring journeys to life.
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