Nestled among the towering hills of southwestern China lies Chongqing – one of the country’s largest and most dystopian cities, which also produces more than half of the world’s laptops.
Boasting a population of 32 million people, and stretching across 31,815 square miles, Chongqing is considered to be one of the world’s most surveilled cities.
Earlier this year, authorities installed 27,900 surveillance cameras and 245 sensors as part of a comprehensive ‘grid’ surveillance plan to keep tabs on its residents, Radio Free Asia reported.
For years, the city has been part of the ‘Sharp Eyes’ pilot scheme to tackle crime, with the city’s surveillance system closely monitoring every aspect of its inhabitants’ in an attempt to minimise dissent.
Neighbourhood committees tasked with monitoring the activities of Chongqing’s locals have been likened to some of the world’s most significant intelligence networks.
Critics have long warned that such widespread surveillance in the Chinese megacity violates citizens’ rights to privacy – but despite this, chances of westerners knowing much about Chongqing are relatively low.
Situated in southeast China near the source of the Yangtze River, Chongqing has a rich history that stretches back over 3,000 years.
But it is only in the past forty years that it has been transformed from a small village to the megacity it is today.
The futuristic Chinese city of Chongqing is known to be one of the most surveilled in the world
Situated in southeast China near the source of the Yangtze River, Chongqing has a rich history that stretches back over 3,000 years
It is also known for producing more than half of the world’s laptops
The city was placed on the global stage after computer hardware company HP set up its base for laptop production there in 2009
Dubbed China’s ‘Cyberpunk city’, Chongqing has also emerged as a major hub for laptop production and the overall electronic information industry.
The city was placed on the global stage after computer hardware company HP set up its base for laptop production there in 2009.
Other information companies have since followed suit, with firms like Foxconn, Quanta Computer, Lenovo and Asus, setting up successful operations in the Chinese megacity.
Driven by big data and artificial intelligence development, Chongqing has become an emblem of the fastest urban revolution on the planet.
The sky-high futuristic city – filled with giant buildings, multi-level highways and a metro system that barrels through residential buildings – has sparked intrigue on social media in recent years, however.
With trains that whizz through apartment blocks and makeshift towns located inside skyscrapers, Chongqing is being touted as the most futuristic city in the world – but also the most dizzying.
‘In Chongqing, we never know which floor we’re on,’ said TikToker Hugh Chongqing in a video that has amassed a staggering 3.2 million likes.
‘It looks like I’m on normal square: the street is over there. But if we go there [to the edge] now we’re on the 22nd floor.
The sky-high futuristic city has sparked intrigue on social media in recent years
Dubbed China’s ‘Cyberpunk city’, Chongqing has also emerged as a major hub for laptop production and the overall electronic information industry
For years, the city has been part of the ‘Sharp Eyes’ pilot scheme to tackle crime , with the city’s surveillance system closely monitoring every aspect of its inhabitants’ in an attempt to minimise dissent
The city is enshrouded by a thick layer of fog for over 100 days of the year
With trains that whizz through apartment blocks and makeshift towns located inside skyscrapers, Chongqing is being touted as the most futuristic city in the world – but also the most dizzying
TikToker Hugh Chongqing shared a video showing just how confusing it can be to visit the city
The city has sparked intrigue in recent years after videos showing its mind-boggling layout emerged on social media platforms
The city is also so built up, that it now has its own microclimate
Driven by big data and artificial intelligence development, Chongqing has become an emblem of the fastest urban revolution on the planet
view of the U-shaped overpass near the confluence of the Wujiang River and the Yangtze River, with the Shibangou Yangtze River Bridge visible in the distance, on October 15, 2024 in Chongqing, China
‘But if we use the elevator on the square, it says we’re on the 12th floor. Then we take the elevator to the eighth floor, walk through this garage, and then we will be on the street. Go inside the building on the right, it says we’re on the 13th floor.’
The video shows just how confusing it can be to visit Chongqing, and highlights how map apps will take you to where you’re going – only for you to realise you’re ten storeys too low or high.
But the gigantic megacity – which covers an area the size of Austria – is so dense that swathes of its population are reported to be living in darkness.
The entirety of the city is built on multiple levels, and as local influencer Jackson Lu explained in a TikTok video – ‘sunlight is a luxury’ for those living in Chongqing’s lower floors.
But the gigantic megacity – which covers an area the size of Austria – is so dense that swathes of its population are reported to be living in darkness
Passengers stand on an escalator at Hongtudi Subway Station which is 60 meters underground, of Line 6, in Chongqing Deepest subway station, Hongtudi, which is 60 meters underground, of Line 6, in Chongqing, China
The city is also so built up, that it now has its own microclimate – bringing about humidity and sweltering temperatures of up to 40C degrees
Sky bridge called Crystal located in Chongqing, which stretched 984 feet in length
Citizens visit the Zhongshuge Bookstore on January 29, 2019 in Chongqing, China
Darkness for the city’s inhabitants is exacerbated by the fact it is enshrouded by a thick layer of fog for over 100 days of the year.
Travel influencer Janet Newenham, who visited the city recently, also described seeing underground bunkers – which were built during WW2 – everywhere.
The city is also so built up, that it now has its own microclimate – bringing about humidity and sweltering temperatures of up to 40C degrees.
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