If there was a relatively free yet notable destination in Chongqing that I’d recommend you visit, I’d definitely point you to Liziba Station. I’d already seen plenty of images and videos of this unique train stop but seeing the real deal still was pretty cool. While it was quite easy to get to, it was also very crowded. That said, you don’t need to pay anything to see the station and the trains passing through it so it’s no surprise why it’s popular among visitors to Chongqing (both local and foreign).
Liziba Station Chongqing: The Trains Here Go Through a Building!
It’s actually quite easy to get to Liziba Station Chongqing. From Jiefangbei (where the Chongqing Liberation Square is located), you can ride a cab and get to the station in no time as the distance is just around 5 kilometers. Really, the one major hurdle you’ll encounter is the crowd of people that’s expected to be there. I kid you not, there was already a crowd when I actually got there for my visit.
As with any crowd, expect there to be a lot of noise. The crowd noise along with the trains’ passing along and the vehicles on the street make for a chaotic medley that might turn off most people. That said, there were people that also seemed to enjoy themselves here despite the noise. Personally, I wasn’t a big fan of this aspect of the visit though I did just learn to disregard it rather quickly.
So this is what makes Liziba Station rather unique (just like Chongqing’s Chopstick Building). For some reason, the builders decided it was a great idea to have the rails and consequently, the trains, to pass through this building. When I first heard of this, my first thought was that it would really suck if that was a residential building.
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Considering how noisy a train is, you’d think they wouldn’t put the station in a residential building right? Well, they actually did! The apartment section of the building is from the 9th through 19th floors. You’ll find commercial spaces on the 1st up to 5th floors and the station itself occupies the 6th to 8th floors.
I was honestly quite confused when I learned about this. Reading up on the building, I found out that the station being integrated into it was actually planned from the very start. And you know what, I think that actually makes a lot of sense. I think it would be a nightmare to add the station with just your standard building foundation.
Anyway, it’s actually kind of crazy how the people here would raise their phones to take shots when a train goes through the station. Of course, since I was there I did the same thing too! Now, it was also here that I noticed something peculiar and this mainly had to do with the train’s noise.
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You know how I said earlier that it would suck to be a resident of the building because of how I thought it was going to be noisy? Well, apparently my assumption about the building was wrong. The train and the station are in fact not that noisy. Additionally, it’s been said that even inside the building, you actually won’t feel nor be bothered by the comings and goings of the train.
I tried looking this up and I found that the building has plenty of noise reduction technology to ensure the residents aren’t bothered by the station’s activities. The train itself makes use of rubber tires and pneumatic suspension systems. Together with the station’s noise dampening equipment, these features have made it so that residents actually don’t feel the vibrations of the trains or any noise they might cause.
And with this pic, my short yet memorable visit to Liziba Station ended. I will say, this is a great place to check out before you go to Hongyadong. Both are on the same road and from here, you can ride a cab and be at Hongyadong’s entrance in record time. Take note though that this is a popular tourist spot so expect a crowd or a good number of people to be there as well. Still, I think this is a great place to visit just for the unique and ingenious architecture alone.
Ever been to Liziba Station in Chongqing? If yes, what was your impression of the place? Make sure to share your thoughts with us down in the comments!
