This relatively unknown city is roughly the same size as Austria.
Usually when people discuss major cities and colossal urban landscapes, the likes of New York, Tokyo and Shanghai are quick to get a mention.
What if we told you there’s one particular city so big and vast that it is roughly the size of Austria; yet, most people haven’t even heard of it.
With multi-level highways, trains that casually slice through residential buildings, and a skyline studded with brightly lit skyscrapers, Chongqing in south western China looks like something from a dystopian film.
A YouTuber by the name of PPPeter took on the task of uncovering this hidden gym of a city, and revealing its wonders to his one million subscribers.
“Getting lost is just part of the fun,” said PPPeter as he navigated through the city’s “layers.”
He explained that what may seem like solid ground could actually be the 20th floor of an office or residential building.
“The story of this Chinese megacity starts and also kind of ends in 1997,” the YouTuber said in his video. “Back then Chongqing was just a big city somewhere in South Western China.”
“To boost the economy and make administration smoother Chinese government added three districts of Fuling, Wanxian, and Quanjiang to Chongqing,” he continued. “This step made Chongqing the biggest city proper in the world with a population of 32,000,000 people and the area of 82,403km², which is about the size Austria.”
Another content creator named Jackson Lu also showed the internet what it’s like to live in the megacity.
“Why is commuting to work in Chongqing so hard?” he began his video.
@journeyofjackson Why is commuting to work in Chongqing so hard? #chongqing #重庆 #chinatravel #cyberpunk ♬ original sound – Jackson Lu
“So I start by heading down my 18-story apartment with no elevator, but thankfully, I only need to go down a few stories because the ground floor is on the 12th floor,” he told his viewers.
“Then comes the subway that looks like a roller coaster ride, and the train casually goes through a residential building,” he added.
Jackson often calls Chongqing “the most cyberpunk dystopian city in the world” on social media.
Viewers were stunned to see the marvelous—but also confusing—infrastructure of the unique city.
“I can’t decide if it’s cool or terrifying,” one said, while another described it as “so dystopian but so cool at the same time.”
Another added: “I feel this is a perfect set for a dystopian movie.”
So, if Ridley Scott decides to make another Blade Runner sequel, Chongqing is the place to go.
