Liziba Station

Liziba Station is one of Chongqing’s most photographed oddities: a monorail station built directly through the sixth to eighth floors of a 19-story residential and commercial building. Rather than a later retrofit, the station and the building above and below it were designed and constructed together, with specialized noise insulation keeping the trains from disturbing residents living just above the platform.

A dedicated viewing platform sits across the road on the opposite bank of the Jialing River, purpose-built so visitors can watch — and photograph — trains gliding straight through the middle of the building. It’s a strange, striking sight and a good example of how Chongqing’s hilly, cramped geography has forced genuinely inventive infrastructure solutions.

Entry to the viewing platform is free, and trains pass every few minutes, so there’s rarely a long wait for the money shot.