Ciqikou Ancient Town

Why it's worth it

The Ming-Qing porcelain port that shipped 'Little Chongqing' its living — a hillside knot of stone lanes above the Jialing, now part living neighbourhood, part open-air snack market: chili strings, mahua fryers, teahouse opera.

Don't miss

• Chen Mahua's twisted dough sticks frying in the window queues — buy hot, eat immediately
• A teahouse with Sichuan opera face-changing shows on the hour
• The back lanes above the main drag, where the port's real grid survives the souvenir tide

Getting there

Line 1 to Ciqikou station, Exit 2; the old town entrance is a five-minute walk.

Tips

• Weekday mornings are local; weekend afternoons are a river of people — choose deliberately
• The main street climbs to the temple viewpoint; take it for the roofscape over the river
• Mahua vendors offer samples everywhere; the queue at the original Chen store moves fast