I have a lull in my backpacking trip where I'm trying to meet up with somebody but going ahead to other cities will throw me off after so I'm thinking of going off route for 6 days in China (including flight days)
Beijing is more focused on historical stuff. Chongqing if you want a Blade Runner experience. Beijing has more variety of food. Chongqing is mainly just hotpot and some spicy noodles. If you love spicy food and want to eat it every meal, Chongqing is very satisfying. If you can't handle spicy food at all, you will be miserable.Another big thing is that Chongqing still isn't really geared towards international tourism. Most people speak little to no English. This can be fun if you really want to feel like you're in another part of the world, but might be tough if you're not used to figuring shit out on your own with zero assistance all in a language you presumably don't speak. Beijing gets lots of tourists and business travelers, so it's very easy to get around.I personally preferred Chongqing. But my first trip to China was Beijing and I'm kind of glad I did so. Beijing was a gentler introduction to the country and made me want to visit again. But Chongqing feels much more dramatic and has more of a wow factor, though I can see how some people would be very overwhelmed.
>>2878655Honestly I kind of want to feel lost in a new world. My backpacking trip has been four months I've seen enough history, done enough treking and nature, I feel like Chongqing will be more different than beijing from what I've been doing in SE Asia and will continue to do afterThe idea of just walking aimlessly is really appealing. Whereas Beijing there'll be pressure to go see the forbidden city and the wall and this and that. IDK I've loved the days on my trip in tiny villages in Laos so much. I feel like Chongqing can get the feeling of no pressure to do anything specific just take it in in the same way, even though of course the environment is different than a Laotian village lol>. But Chongqing feels much more dramatic and has more of a wow factor, though I can see how some people would be very overwhelmed.That's sort of what I'm looking for more than anything. Thanks for your help! I think that pretty much decides it for me :)
