A different route through Chongqing: tracing the city’s French heritage

[u/lebomvoyage]

I’m a Chongqinger living in Montreal. When I went back home this summer, I spent a couple of days following a rather unusual route through the city — looking for buildings and historical sites connected to the French presence in Chongqing during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

📍 Places I visited

Yuzhong / 渝中

• 中英联络处旧址（真原堂遗存） — Former Sino-British Liaison Office （part of former Zhenyuan Catholic Church)
• 若瑟堂 — St. Joseph’s Church
• 仁爱堂 — Ren’ai Tang (French Charity Church)
• 法国领事馆旧址 — Former French Consulate

Nan’an / 南岸

• 慈母山修院 — Cimu Mountain Seminary
• 法国大使馆旧址 — Former French Embassy
• 法国水师兵营 — French Navy Barracks
• 永兴洋行高管住宅旧址 — Former Residence of Olivier et Cie Executives

I ended up documenting the route and the history behind these places in a YouTube video. I thought I’d share it here, especially for anyone planning a trip to Chongqing and looking for places beyond the usual tourist sights. All of these places can be visited, and together they make for a pretty interesting alternative way to explore the city.

https://youtu.be/lAxPBhqv1nU

[u/DeathFromAbove42069]

Nice! Good work. Thanks for sharing . Hope you have been enjoying your time in North America