Chongqing Eling Park

Chongqing Eling Park

Chongqing Eling Park is a national AAA-level tourist attraction.

Eling Park is situated on Changjiang 1st Road, Yuzhong District. Originally called "E Xiang Ling" (Goose Neck Ridge), the area sits on a steep, narrow mountain ridge wedged between the Yangtze and Jialing Rivers flowing from north to south. Its shape resembles a goose's neck, hence the name. This is the closest point where the two rivers embrace the Chongqing Peninsula. Legend has it that Li Yan, governor of the Shu Han Kingdom during the Three Kingdoms period, once planned to cut through the high cliffs here to connect the two rivers. Backed by the mountain city of Chongqing, Eling stands tall and commands a westward view over the two rivers, offering sweeping vistas of the area’s majestic, rugged, vast, and beautiful natural scenery.

Eling Park is located at the highest point of the Chongqing Peninsula. The Lookout Tower (also known as the Two Rivers Pavilion) rises majestically, and from its heights, visitors can take in the full panorama of the two rivers. At night, the sight of the illuminated cityscape makes it an even more exceptional destination. The Banyan Lake Rope Bridge is the park’s most iconic attraction and a fine example of traditional Chinese garden design. In 1960, artist Zhu Xuanxian created the artwork "Dripping Greenery at Banyan Lake," inspired by this very scene. The piece is vivid and evocative, capturing the serene, cool, and peaceful world that the rope bridge offers to those escaping the intense summer heat of Chongqing—known as one of China’s “furnace cities.” This artwork was selected for inclusion in the 1960 publication "Modern Chinese Woodcuts."

Originally known as the Lixian Garden, also called the Yiyuan Garden, Eling Park was the villa of Li Yaoting, a wealthy businessman and the first president of the Chongqing Chamber of Commerce during the late Qing Dynasty. Between 1909 and 1911, during the Xuantong reign, father and son salt merchants Li Yaoting from En’an, Yunnan, were captivated by the beauty of Eling and built a garden here, naming it “Lixian Garden,” also referred to as “Yiyuan Garden.” It is the earliest private garden in Chongqing. A friend of the Li family, Qing official Zhao Xi, inscribed the name "Eling" on a stone tablet that was erected in the garden. Soon after its completion, the garden was praised as having “the finest pavilions, terraces, pools, and towers.” The poem "Inscription on Lixian Garden’s Pavilions and Terraces" by Song Yuren, a Jinshi scholar from the Guangxu era, includes the lines: “The ethereal voice descends from the Wind-Riding Terrace, / A corner of the mountain pavilion opens to the rain-filled ravine. / A refreshing breeze floats westward as the white colt of time speeds by, / The river flows eastward with the tide returning from the sea. / Below the treetops, a solitary pavilion stands out, / While the sound of waves echoes mournfully through the valleys.” These lines offer a vivid depiction of the garden’s scenery.

During the Anti-Japanese War, Chiang Kai-shek and his wife lived in the “Flying Pavilion” within the garden for half a year; the British ambassador, Carl, also resided in the “Flying Pavilion” for five years; and the Australian Embassy was once located here. After the liberation of Chongqing in 1949, the site served as the headquarters of the Southwest Military Region. Comrades Deng Xiaoping, Liu Bocheng, He Long, and Li Da all lived here at various times. With Deng Xiaoping’s support, the property was handed over to the Chongqing Municipal Government in March 1958. In that same year, the municipal government expanded and renovated the former Lixian Garden site, constructing new pavilions and towers, planting a wide variety of trees, flowers, and plants, and renaming the site "Eling Park." The park features attractions such as the Rope Bridge, Tiger Platform, Scenic Overlook Platform, Bonsai Garden, and the Lookout Tower (Two Rivers Pavilion). Perched at the highest point of the Chongqing Peninsula, the Lookout Tower (Two Rivers Pavilion) rises high, offering panoramic views of the two rivers. At night, the illuminated cityscape creates a truly spectacular scene.

Starting October 2005, the park became free and open to the public.

In January 2008, the park merged with the former Fotuguan Park, increasing its area to over 400 acres. It is one of the best spots to enjoy the views of the two rivers and the Chongqing city nightscape, particularly famous for the ancient “Fotu Night Rain” scene, one of the Twelve Scenic Spots of Old Chongqing. The park is now divided into two main areas: Fotuguan and Eling. The ancient mountain pass and the private garden complement each other—majestic and rugged yet elegant and refined, each with its own distinctive charm, making it a model of Chongqing garden artistry. Through a thousand years of history, the site has preserved many precious cultural and historical relics, with countless inscriptions and poems. Famous attractions such as the Eling Stele, Banyan Lake Rope Bridge, Tiger Platform, Flying Pavilion, Tongxuan Pavilion, Fotuguan Cliff Carvings, Scenic Overlook Platform, Bonsai Garden, and the Lookout Tower (Two Rivers Pavilion) still retain their historic charm.

Address: No. 176, Eling Zheng Street, Yuzhong District, Chongqing

Type: Urban Park

Recommended Visit Duration: 2–3 hours

Tel: 023-68908606

Opening Hours:

8:00-22:30

Ticket Information:

Free admission.