Trail gives visitors sightseeing chances
The French Benevolence Hall is one of the sights that residents and visitors to Chongqing can enjoy when they take the Mountain City No 3 Walking Trail, also known as Route 3, on the Yuzhong Peninsula
Among the oldest Western structures in the city, the hall used to be a charity hospital and was built by the French in 1902.
In 1944, it was transformed into a wartime Chinese traditional medicine hospital. Now, though, the beautifully designed building is almost in ruins, and amid the remote splendor of the site visitors are left to ponder over happier, grander times.
Several buildings from World War II can be seen along the trail.
At Kang Jian Hall, which was built in 1941, many modern
dramas were staged to inspire locals who were facing imminent invasion by the Japanese.
Government officials, warlords and landlords moved to Chongqing during wartime, building homes in the city, and most of them copied Western-style houses. This is best illustrated by Hou Lu, a house that used to belong to a warlord.
There is also a small traditional hotpot area along the trail, which is only open in the evenings. The kitchen is indoors and two tables are placed on the roadside. Diners can enjoy stunning nighttime views of the city as they tuck into their meals.
Near one end of the trail, a quaint cafe stands under a tree to offer visitors a peaceful area to stop and rest.