Chongqing Subway: Fares, Payment and the Liziba Monorail

By Kevin Fan — Chief Traveler at RelaxInChina

Chongqing Rail Transit combines conventional metro lines with elevated monorail through a steep, layered city. The system is usually the clearest way to reach central districts, major railway stations, Jiangbei Airport and the famous train-through-building view at Liziba.

The fare changed in July 2025, so older summaries that quote a flat maximum of ¥10 are no longer reliable. Current city policy keeps a ¥2 starting fare but extends the upper bands by distance. Check the live fare and last train for the exact origin and destination before setting out.

Current Chongqing rail fare

The official fare mechanism effective from 30 July 2025 applies to the listed urban rail lines, with some suburban railways excluded. It uses the shortest eligible route when more than one path exists.

This table does not cover separately priced suburban services. Use the ticket machine, station display or official journey planner for the trip-specific amount.

Chongqing also sells one-, three- and five-day passes. The municipal government listed them at ¥18, ¥45 and ¥70 respectively, valid for 24, 72 and 120 hours after activation. Pass conditions, sales channels and network exclusions matter: confirm the current screen before buying instead of assuming every rail service is included.

Choose a payment method with a fallback

Visitors can use a single-journey ticket, an eligible transit card or a supported mobile transit code. A normal merchant-payment QR is not the same as a transit QR.

Single-journey ticket

Select the destination on a station machine or ask at the service counter. This is the safest fallback when a phone, wallet or foreign card fails. Keep small-value cash or another accepted method; machine and counter options can differ by station.

Mobile transit code

Alipay and WeChat show city-specific transport services for eligible accounts. Set the city to Chongqing, read the operator terms and activate the rail code before standing at the gate. An overseas card linked to a wallet does not guarantee that every transit product will accept that card or account.

Prepare the wallet with the Alipay guide for foreign visitors, but keep a single-ticket fallback until the first entry and exit have both worked.

Day pass

A pass makes sense only when the included trips would cost more than the pass and the planned lines are covered. Official 2025 guidance says physical one- and three-day passes could be bought at network ticket booths, with cash, QR payment and several bank-card brands supported; the five-day physical pass had narrower payment options. Treat those as dated official conditions and verify the current booth notice.

Read the network by destination

Do not try to memorise the whole map. Search the exact Chinese destination, note the interchange stations and save the last route while data is working.

• Jiangbei Airport: confirm the terminal as well as the airport. The route differs for T2 and T3, and late-night service changes the decision.
• Chongqing North: the North Square and South Square are connected but not interchangeable when time is tight. Match the station name on the railway booking.
• Chongqing West: allow time for the walk between rail and metro areas.
• Central sights: Jiefangbei, Chaotianmen, Hongyadong and Liziba sit at different elevations. A short map distance can still include stairs, escalators or a long uphill connection.

If the rail leg connects to a national train, confirm the railway station and departure gate in the 12306 guide for foreign passengers.

Liziba: see the train through the building

Liziba is on Line 2. Chongqing’s municipal visitor page describes it as a straddle-monorail station built together with a commercial-residential building, with the station occupying part of the structure. The public viewing platform below the station provides the familiar exterior view.

Use the marked walking route and crossing rather than stepping into the road for a photograph. The area can be crowded, and an official June 2026 notice said the station was entering another phase of upgrading. Temporary access, exits and crowd controls may therefore differ from older maps.

For the clearest sequence:

1. Ride Line 2 to Liziba.
2. Follow current signs for the viewing platform.
3. Stay within the marked pedestrian route and platform.
4. Photograph from the public area, then decide whether to continue on Line 2 for river views.

The platform is a viewing place, not proof of a fixed opening schedule. Check same-day notices if construction or a major holiday affects access.

Operating hours and last trains

There is no safe network-wide “open until 11 pm” promise. First and last departures vary by line, direction, station, day and temporary operating plan. The last train at an interchange may leave earlier than expected for the connection you need.

Read the station’s first/last-train panel or a current official channel on the travel day. For an airport or national-rail connection, build a road-transport fallback rather than planning around the final possible train.

Accessibility, luggage and station security

Large interchanges can involve long corridors and substantial vertical movement. Travellers with large luggage or limited mobility should allow more transfer time and ask staff for the accessible route; the nearest stairs are not always the best route.

Bags pass through security at entry. Keep liquids and electronics easy to show, follow staff instructions and do not rely on an unofficial prohibited-items list copied from another city.

When deciding between rail and a flight for the next city, compare the whole transfer rather than only timetable duration in the China train versus flying guide.

Frequently asked questions

Is Chongqing’s “subway” also a monorail?

Yes. Chongqing Rail Transit includes conventional metro and straddle-monorail services. Line 2, which serves Liziba, is a monorail.

Can a foreign visitor pay with Alipay?

An eligible Alipay account may activate Chongqing’s transit code, but account and funding-source acceptance can vary. Set it up in advance and keep a single-journey ticket fallback.

What is the minimum fare?

The current urban rail fare starts at ¥2 for the first distance band. Longer journeys rise under the official distance table, and separately priced suburban services may differ.

Is the Liziba viewing platform free?

The municipal visitor page presents it as a public viewing platform and does not list admission. Access arrangements can change during upgrades or crowd-control periods, so follow current on-site notices.

Official references and verification note

• Chongqing Development and Reform Commission: fare mechanism effective 30 July 2025
• Chongqing government: one-, three- and five-day passes
• Chongqing government: Liziba station and viewing platform
• Chongqing government: Liziba upgrade notice, June 2026

Fares, payment options and access notices were checked on 30 August 2026. Verify the exact fare, last train and any temporary Liziba controls in a current official channel on the day of travel.

Image credits

• Featured image: Chongqing Rail Transit Line 2 at Liziba. Image by Chen Hualin, via Wikimedia Commons. — CC BY-SA 4.0.
• First inline image: Rail view near Jianqiao Station in Chongqing. Image by MNXANL, via Wikimedia Commons. — CC BY-SA 4.0.
• Second inline image: Interior of a Chongqing Rail Transit Line 5 train. Image by Tim Wu, via Wikimedia Commons. — CC BY-SA 4.0.