Chongqing's Liziba Station is on everyone's 'must-eat' list

On a sweltering afternoon in early June, the Liziba Observation Deck outside Liziba Station on Chongqing Rail Transit Line 2 transformed into a stage for an unusual spectacle. Throngs of international visitors stood in a line, mouths wide open — not for a taste of the city's famed cuisine, but to capture the perfect shot of a monorail train seemingly gliding into their mouths as it passes through a nearby 19-story building.

Dubbed the "disappearing monorail", the viral photo trend has ignited a wave of creativity among social media enthusiasts from abroad. In Southwest China's Chongqing, a city celebrated for its fiery hotpot and futuristic skyline, the monorail has become an unexpected must-see attraction for adventurous tourists.

"Kung Pao chicken might be nice, but I want to 'taste' Chongqing's monorail as well," said Norwegian soccer player Erling Haaland. During a recent visit to the city, Haaland shared a viral video of himself playfully "devouring" the iconic monorail. He revealed to local media that a fan had enthusiastically placed the Liziba monorail at the top of Chongqing's "must-eat" list.

Fueled by platforms like TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, the Liziba monorail has turned into an unexpected star, a "dish" that everyone wants to try. As one netizen summed up: "It's like a 3D version of kung fu for the mouth."

The immersive check-in experience has also given rise to new consumer trends. Nowadays, there are photographers at the Liziba Observation Deck to help tourists create the perfect "train-eating" videos.

The creativity doesn't stop there. Across the river in the city's Liangjiang New Area, tourists snap videos of themselves "savoring" the train, "devouring" it with the dramatic flair of a traditional Chinese fan, or "packing" it into imaginary boxes. These whimsical poses have sparked a social media frenzy, transforming the monorail into a symbol of Chongqing's vibrant and quirky spirit.

"My friend thought it was AI," said Yvonne Tsakiris, a 48-year-old from Dubai. Suitably inspired after hearing about the monorail from a friend, she and her husband decided to bring their two sons to Chongqing to witness the phenomenon firsthand.

Dinesh Francois Samasundara from Paris was similarly drawn by curiosity after repeatedly coming across reels on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook for months. "It's a really unusual sight for me. We're not used to seeing this type of landscape in Paris or most of Europe. But it's mesmerizing to see how the building is built — very interesting!" said the 25-year-old."China is outstanding, and Chongqing is probably my favorite city in China. The technology, the environment, and also the heat — I like it."

The spot also draws industry professionals eager to learn. Matej Pavlovic, a 30-year-old train driver from Slovenia, planned his first trip to China after seeing Liziba's monorail as well as China's high-speed rail on TikTok. "The designated speed of trains in Slovenia is around 200 kilometers per hour, but we handle a maximum of 120 km/h because the infrastructure currently doesn't allow more. My girlfriend and I took China's bullet train from Chengdu, Sichuan province, to Chongqing, which is nice, comfortable and fast." Their travel that day culminated with a ride on the monorail, when they got to experience the unique engineering marvel.

The attraction's legion of foreign admirers keeps growing. During the recent 2026 Chongqing International Animation Film Festival held in the city's Yongchuan district, Janet Yang, an award-winning Hollywood producer and former president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, who is from Santa Monica, California, couldn't contain her excitement about a planned visit to Liziba Station. "I've seen lots of photos and videos of the city, and I'm just amazed by the creativity and innovation and architectural engineering feats that Chongqing has achieved," she said.

Due to the geography of Chongqing — a densely populated and mountainous city — transportation can be challenging and creative.

In 2004, Chongqing built its first urban rail CRT Line 2 in the densely populated downtown area with its rugged terrain, which was China's first monorail and the first rail transit line in southwestern China.

A decade later, Liziba Station began gaining international fame when videos of the train passing through the building went viral on social media. In a city where the skyline looks borrowed from a sci-fi movie, and the food is as fiery as the locals' passion, the monorail has become an unexpected yet fitting attraction.