People's Liberation Monument

Standing at the junction of Minzu, Minquan, and Zourong roads, the People’s Liberation Monument — known locally as Jiefangbei — is Chongqing’s best-known historic landmark. The octagonal, helmet-topped column was built in 1946 to commemorate victory in the war against Japan, and later renamed to mark the city’s liberation. A spiral staircase leads up through the structure to a small viewing balcony near the top.

The monument itself sits at the center of the Jiefangbei pedestrian district, now the busiest commercial and shopping area in the city, often described as Chongqing’s answer to Wangfujing in Beijing or Nanjing Road in Shanghai. Department stores, malls, restaurants, and street food line the surrounding streets, and the area is especially lively after dark, when the monument and surrounding skyscrapers light up.