As the center of development for western China, Chongqing has been the fortunate beneficiary of generous government funding. For die-hard shopaholics, this is cause for celebration as a shiny new mall is born every so often along Chongqing's march towards progress. New malls bring more foreign brands to a Chongqing previously sheltered from outside fashion influences. Fashionistas may still find Chongqing lagging behind shopping destinations like Shanghai and Shenzhen but the rest of us can now at least window shop in comfort. With the input of foreign developers and management, new malls elevate the shopping experience in Chongqing to a new level. With more fashion and food options under one roof, what's there not to love about Chongqing's brand new malls?

1) Times Square  View In Map
For years, downtown Jiefangbei, where towering skyscrapers overshadow the Liberation Monument, was the shopping destination in Chongqing. The recent spate of refurbishments and rebuilding has given rise to a number of new malls, of which Times Square is the glitziest. Just beside the Liberation Monument, Times Square is hard to miss with Christmas-inspired lighting courtesy of Louis Vuitton on its façade. From its forbidding exterior, Times Square is the obvious destination for the well-heeled, complete with men-in-black stationed at each entrance. The rest of us might like to check the upper floors for the likes of sprawling electronics mart Sundan, for hard-to-find appliances. Cafes serving coffee and pastries aligned to Western standards also exist here, albeit at a price.

Verdict: worth a visit, if only to visit the “Western toilets” – still a novelty in Chongqing malls.

Add: 100 Zourong Lu, Yuzhong District, Chongqing
地址: 重庆市渝中区邹容路100号, 重庆时代广场
Tel: 023 6374 1188
Opening hours: 10:00-22:00
Getting there: take the light rail to Linjiangmen station  (临江门)

2) Starlight 68 Plaza View In Map
Originally intended to relieve the (human traffic) pressure on overcrowded Jiefangbei, Guanyinqiao has since evolved into a shopping mecca in its own right. The arrival of Starlight 68 brings a touch of class, as sharp-suited doorwomen with black berets wait behind elegant glass doors. To get a further idea of how upmarket this place is, expenditure of a few thousand RMB here can get you an access card to VIP-only toilets on the first floor. Apparel and accessories aside, check out Ole Supermarket for foreign food products and the Muji store, if you're into Japanese minimalism. Non-spicy dining alternatives include Shangjing, a Zen-inspired Japanese restaurant and Wanzhai, a Hongkong Tea Room. Laid-back souls eschewing posh nosh can head to the basement for McDonalds or Dairy Queen, or satisfy their sweet tooth Hongkong-style at packed-to-the-hilt Honeymoon Deserts.

Verdict: a nice hideout from overcrowded alternatives. A good combination of posh and not-so-posh.

Add: 60 Yangheyi Lu, Jiangbei District, Chongqing
地址：重庆市江北区洋河一路68号, 重庆星光68广场
Tel: 023 6771 6868
Opening hours: 10:00-22:00
Getting there: take the metro to Guanyinqian station  (观音桥)

3) IMIX Park View In Map
Positioned as a hip destination for the young, IMIX Park boasts of cheap-and-chic apparel, street fashion and budget eats, topped with a large cinema. A major advantage of hanging out where teenagers do is the complete Wifi-coverage here. IMIX Park is home to indie clothing and lifestyle shops and dining options score in the value-for-money department. Head to Grandma's Kitchen or Big Pizza for a (somewhat similar) taste of home, or go the Asian route with some hotpot, Peking Duck or Vietnamese cuisine. If you can stomach it, dine at the unmissable toilet-themed restaurant, on thrones overlooking tables with plastic poo under the glass surface.

Verdict: for the young and the not-so-young (on a shoestring budget)

Add: Guanyinqiao Shangquan Xingqu, Jiangbei District, Chongqing
地址：重庆市江北区观音桥商圈核心区, 重庆大融城
Tel: 023 6770 1111
Opening hours: 10:00-22:00
Getting there: take the metro to Guanyinqian station (观音桥)

4) Starlight PlaceView In Map
Bringing a touch of class to the Nan'an heartland, Starlight Place's glass-covered facade stands out from a distance. Not to be confused with Starlight 68 Plaza, this downmarket shopping centre is still an architectural force to be reckoned with. Chongqing's gloomy climate is counterracted with lots of glass to let natural light in. The layout affords panoramic views of the interior, the only grouses being the confusing escalator sequencing and the open spaces being used by promotional events. Obviously, space is not an object in the sprawling mall, as H&M fans can graze over two floors of trendy merchandise. Inditex Group brands like Zara, Bershka and Masimmo Dutti here should please the fashion-forward.

Verdict: a good selection of foreign brands that score in the style and budget department, pleasing both the expat and student crowd from nearby universities.

Add: 1 Nancheng Dadao, Nan'an District, Chongqing
地址：重庆市南岸区南城大道1号, 重庆星光时代广场
Opening hours: 10:00-22:00
Getting there: take the metro to Nanping station (南坪)

5) Wanda Plaza View In Map
Wanda Plaza is comprised of buildings linked together by an outdoor shopping street. Indoors, you'll find the usual dining and fashion chains, cinema, and a good-sized computer games arcade with a roller-skating rink. Head outdoors and be rewarded with finds like Flower Coffee, a prettily-named café serving Japanese redbean pancakes and reasonably-priced coffee in a shop front hiding a feminine shopping space dedicated to cute Taiwanese imports inside. Boutique foreign eats include Istanbul kebab, with chefs from Turkey, and Nova Venezia, frequented by foreigners for credible Italian pasta, pizza and antipastos. Come evening, the walking street morphs into a platform where dog lovers come to congregate with their prized pooches—yet another sign of Chongqing's growing affluence.

Verdict: for those willing to brave the heat or cold (depending on the season), hidden treasures lie outdoors

Add: 1 Nanping Xilu, Nan'an District, Chongqing
地址: 重庆市南岸区南坪西路1号, 万达广场
Tel: 023 6262 2268/9
Opening hours: 10:00-22:00
Getting there: take the metro to Nanping station (南坪)

Warning：The use of any news and articles published on eChinacities.com without written permission from eChinacities.com constitutes copyright infringement, and legal action can be taken.

Keywords: Shopping malls Chongqing where to shop Chongqing new shopping malls Chongqing