Economic Watch: How China's mountain city becomes the world's new must-see

CHONGQING, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- A skyscraper-sized basketball made of 5,000 drones lit up the night sky of southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, then morphed into NBA star Stephen Curry's signature "night-night" gesture with the words "Curry meets Chongqing."

Curry himself watched, wide-eyed. "That was crazy! That is probably my favorite," he laughed, back in the city after a decade.

Earlier this year, popular U.S. influencer IShowSpeed broadcast live in Chongqing to over 10 million viewers, yelling, "This city is actually a cyber city!"

Their clips -- a monorail slicing through apartment blocks, neon lights cascading from a cliff-face shopping mall, or a tiered ribbon of concrete loops and coils -- went viral worldwide on YouTube and TikTok. Chongqing's hashtag is now a passport stamp for Gen-Z globetrotters.

This summer, Chongqing's tourism boom has matched the city's soaring temperatures. In Yuzhong District, a hospital rooftop has become an internet sensation due to its unusual terrain.

"You think you're on the first floor, but when you look down, you realize you're actually on the 22nd floor. It's mind-blowing!" said Mauricio Baiocco, a tourist from Venezuela. "It's hard to ignore how vertical and how tall everything is, but I also love how Chongqing makes the most of its spaces."

In the first half of 2025, Chongqing welcomed over 330,000 inbound and outbound foreign travelers, a nearly 140 percent year-on-year surge, making up some 28.9 percent of all border crossings. Nearly 117,000 of these visitors entered visa-free or via transit visa exemptions, about 70 percent of the inbound foreign total.

Chongqing's distinctive urban landscape and emerging consumer scenes have encouraged foreign visitors to stay longer and enjoy more diverse experiences.

At Changjiahui, drone shows combined with riverside live concerts draw crowds of international tourists; at Liziba Station, many capture the iconic sight of a monorail passing through a residential building; and at the 250-meter-high horizontal skyscraper, or known as Raffles City Chongqing, tourists experience skywalks with panoramic views of the city at night.

"We thought it was going to be crazy here, but we were surprised by Chongqing because it's so different from cities like Shanghai and Beijing. The Pipayuan hotpot restaurant was really impressive," said Javi and Sandra, tourists from Spain. Built into the hillside, the sprawling restaurant allows thousands to dine while overlooking the city, turning this hotpot into a one-of-a-kind immersive experience.

Chongqing is now breaking new ground on the international tourism map. While foreign visitors once favored traditional destinations such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, more are turning their eyes to western cities like Chongqing and Chengdu. With its striking landscapes, vibrant local life and strong social media presence, Chongqing stands out among them, according to industry insiders.

Local policy turbocharges the tourism surge. In Jiefangbei commercial block, Chongqing's foreign-tourist hotspot, bilingual service stations, signs and menus now line every corner. At the same time, cards from abroad can be swiped and used to withdraw cash or pay without a hiccup.

On Aug. 12, the city unveiled its first one-stop instant tax-refund hub at Raffles City Chongqing. "The whole refund process took less than ten minutes. It was very smooth, and I could continue shopping right away," said Lucia, a tourist from Italy.

Currently, Yuzhong District alone hosts 85 duty-free shops, six instant tax-refund stores and two centralized tax-refund hubs -- proof that the mountain city is rolling out the red carpet to the world. ■