4 Reasons to go R! C! C! Q!
We’re all cheering for Raffles City Chongqing!
By now, you must have heard how 900,000 shoppers have thronged the megastructure’s shopping mall over its opening weekend. Over 400 international and local brands have set up shop in the 235,000 square meter mall. With a well curated mix of local and international brands offering an expansive retail and dining experience, you’ll never want to leave.
But, what if shopping isn’t exactly your thing? (*COLLECTIVE GASP) Well, as the city’s new icon, you cannot claim to have visited the city of Chongqing without stepping foot into Raffles City Chongqing.
Here at INSIDE, we love Raffles City Chongqing or RCCQ, so much that we’re giving you a R! C! C! Q! - 4 reasons to visit this colossal development.
1) R for Rivers
Raffles City Chongqing sits at the confluence of the Yangtze river and Jialing river. The iconic development’s central location faces a unique natural phenomenon. If you’ve ever wondered what happens when two rivers with different waters meet, come to Raffles City Chongqing to see it for yourself.
Here, the bronze waters of the Yangtze river collide with the emerald waters of the Jialing river, but the two don’t quite seem to merge. Counter to what one would imagine when mixing two watercolours to form a distinct hue, the two rivers merely meet but don’t quite mingle, splitting the major tributary into half. This geographical occurrence can be possibly be attributed to the differences in in temperature, speed and water density of the two rivers.
In fact, it reminds us of another icon of the city. Chongqing’s famous yuan-yang hotpot. Coincidence? Who knows.
In fact, it reminds us of another icon of the city. Chongqing's famous yuan-yang hotpot.
2) C for Crystal
Raffles City Chongqing may be an architectural gem, but we’re referring to something else. The Crystal, is the name of the development’s 250-meter high sky bridge. A record breaker, The Crystal enjoys the distinction of being the world’s highest sky bridge, linking six of the eight skyscrapers of Raffles City Chongqing.
Measuring 300 meters in length, it is no surprise that The Crystal is often referred to as the development’s iconic “horizontal skyscraper”. The Crystal is made up of a continuous steel structure weighing 12,000 tons and enclosed with a ring comprising about 3,000 pieces of glass panels and close to 5,000 aluminum panels.
Envisaged as the centre of civic activities where locals and visitors from around the world converge in Chongqing, The Crystal houses a rich array of amenities, including a viewing gallery, an infinity pool, and a wide range of restaurants and bars at the Sky Garden. When darkness falls, it transforms into a beacon of light, illuminating the night sky with a pulsating light show.
TLDR? Just watch the videos below. Or even better, visit The Crystal sky bridge when it opens in 1H 2020.
Aerial footage of The Crystal
The last piece of The Crystal's curtain wall being hoisted into place
Beginning of The Crysta's hoisting process
3) C for Camera
Raffles City Chongqing redefines the Chongqing skyline with eight stunning skyscrapers.
With two of its skyscrapers towering at a 350-metre height, not only does it hold the title of Chongqing’s tallest buildings, its 73-storey high residential tower is also China’s tallest residences!
No matter where you look, you’ll probably be able to catch a glimpse of Raffles City Chongqing – hence providing endless opportunities for photography.
So be sure to have your camera handy and ready to photograph this iconic megastructure.
Its 73-storey high residential tower is also China's tallest residences!
In fact, do you know that Raffles City Chongqing was featured in the World Architectural Photography Awards in 2018. Many great photographers have also since got in on the action. Check out their amazing unconventional angles.
4) Q for Quintessential
Raffles City Chongqing is quintessentially Raffles City. Since the debut of Raffles City Singapore in 1986, CapitaLand has brought the Raffles brand to China. Today, 9 out of 10 Raffles City developments are in China, across 7 cities.
What makes a Raffles City a Raffles City? It is a city within a city. It is an integrated development comprising homes, serviced residences, hotels, shopping malls, offices and entertainment facilities. It is also strategically situated in business and cultural districts with proximity to central transportation hubs. Raffles Cities are designed by world renowned architects.
With 1.12 million square meters, Raffles City Chongqing is CapitaLand’s largest Raffles City development. It is designed by world-renowned architect Moshe Safdie, who is also the architect behind some of CapitaLand’s famous developments such as Jewel Changi Airport and Sky Habitat in Singapore and CapitaMall LuOne in Shanghai, China.
The elegant curved design of the eight towers of Raffles City Chongqing is inspired by the powerful sails of a traditional Chinese sail boat. Powered by the strong winds of progress, the development is the city’s symbol of economic growth, surging forward.