Chongqing, where the Yangtze and Jialing rivers meet, rises in cliff-like tiers that seem to defy the laws of physics at first glance. Trains pierce through squares of high-rise flats, freeways wind up like corkscrews, and roof levels rest as public piazzas dozens of stories above. The skyline lights up in neon at night, a hallmark of comparisons to "Blade Runner" sets. A lot of the charm for many visitors, the Wall Street Journal noted, is the juxtaposition of the space-age buildings and lived-in enclaves where life goes on much the same as it has for decades.

From trivia bite to viral phenomenon

Up until now, Chongqing was known to outsiders either as China's largest city or as the Nationalists' World War II wartime capital. That all ended with viral internet videos that spotlighted it

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