Eighteen Stairs was once a street on Yuzhong Peninsula in Chongqing, symbolizing the real old Chongqing of mountain cities. In 2015, the area of Eighteen Stairs began to be demolished. Nowadays, Eighteen Stairs is full of ruins everywhere. There are two pedestrian streets on Yuzhong Peninsula in Chongqing. One is ‘Jiefangbei’, the first street in the west renowned across China. The other one, not far from Jiefangbei, is called ‘Eighteen Stairs’.
At Jiefangbei, one can appreciate the prosperity of a modern metropolis. While at Eighteen Stairs, one can experience the real mountain city and old Chongqing. The old Chongqing city is divided into upper town and lower town. Eighteen Stairs is located in Jiaochangkou, Yuzhong District. It is an old street leading from the upper town (mountain top) to the lower town (foot of the mountain). This old street is entirely paved with stone steps, steep and curved, connecting the prosperous commercial area on the mountain top with the old urban area by the river at the foot of the mountain. Around this old street live a large number of ordinary people, and there is a strong market atmosphere on the street. Ear cleaners, pedicurists, carpenters, tailors, pancake sellers, sellers of needles and threads, people playing mahjong, and of course, the stick-bearer army that is indispensable in mountain cities are scattered everywhere. There are also dogs and cats lying casually on the ground and taking naps. Eighteen Stairs is a true portrayal of the life of old Chongqing citizens. The origin of Eighteen Stairs is probably in the Ming Dynasty. There was originally a well here. The nearby residents all drank the water from this well. This well is exactly eighteen stone steps away from the residents’ residences. Therefore, people call this place ‘Eighteen Stairs’. Open all year round and open all day.
