Chongqing's Maze-Like Environment Powers Its Rise as a Megacity

From buildings stacked along hillsides to sprawling layered expressways, the Chinese municipality has turned geographical hurdles into engines of growth.

- Aw Cheng Wei

From the main entrance of Baixiangju, located along a busy road in Chongqing municipality, the residential compound's three buildings appear no taller than 15 storeys.

But step inside the greying compound built in the early 1990s and a different scene unfolds. Unit numbers show that the apartments closest to the main entrance are on the 11th floor, while those at the end of the corridor sit on level 16.

Look down from the linkway connecting the blocks to the entrance and the true height of the buildings is revealed — they rise about 25 storeys high. The lower floors, hidden by steep slopes, extend downhill and open out through different entrances and exits.

Welcome to one of Chongqing's most iconic examples of why the municipality is dubbed China's "8-D magical city", where navigating its buildings feels like stepping into a multidimensional maze.

With about three-quarters of Chongqing's land covered by mountains, its urban planners have had to build differently, creating a complex, multi-layered landscape that defies conventional logic but powers a thriving metropolis.

The city's evolution into a model for megacity governance offers lessons in adapting to geographical constraints, while also serving as a cautionary tale about the risks of heavy infrastructure investment and rising local government debt.

Singaporean Marcus Yeo, who visited Chongqing in June, told The Straits Times at Baixiangju in Yuzhong district that he was drawn to the city after watching Instagram videos of its buildings.

"I just couldn't comprehend what the city was like when I watched the videos. There are some really intriguing buildings here that have become mazes because of the varying heights of the slopes that they are constructed on," said the 33-year-old information technology consultant.