Many are familiar with the “mountain city” moniker of Chongqing (重庆). Just about anywhere you go in this enormous city, you will encounter endless stairs and an erratic terrain. Frequent rain and a dense fog are also defining characteristics of Chongqing, along with its highly concentrated urbanization. The landscape, environment are critical in the city’s identity.

While much of Chongqing is unsurprisingly bustling throughout the year, some places in and around the city can be especially calm.

More than an hour drive west from the city center is a mountain called Pingdingshan (平顶山), not to be confused with Pingdingshan city in Henan. This little mountain on the outskirts of Chongqing has a rather tremendous cemetery built on it. There are actually thousands of headstones and graves going up the mountain, including a few for relatives of mine (which was the reason for my visit). But it is very organized, and the entire cemetery is quite deliberately constructed and reasonably maintained (there is a business here, after all).

In a way, the cemetery has been effectively terraced to account for space on the mountain. Many levels of stairs cut through the whole place. Sections divide groups of headstones, and although they do not start at the very base of the mountain, they seemingly go all the way up to the top.

Though going upwards is not necessarily easy or quick, it is simple and motivating. The environment is nurtured and green, despite my visiting in winter. An essential contrast to the urban areas of Chongqing.

Moving through the cemetery is a bit like navigating a large temple or park. Perhaps it is designed to feel this way, like a sanctuary dedicated to ancestor worship. Especially so at the top of the hill, where there is a particular feeling of peace and solemnity.

Thank you for reading. There is much of the Chongqing outskirts that deserve to be written about.