Megacity with 32 million people is as big as Austria but has hardly any tourists

Chongqing, a colossal urban marvel and the world's biggest megacity by population, is an astonishing sprawl that stretches across 31,815 square miles – an area equivalent to Austria.

Boasting a massive 32 million inhabitants, this Chinese city is mysteriously devoid of tourists, despite having one of the planet’s most captivating geographical features. The structure of Chongqing has often been likened to a "city in three dimensions" due to its multi-level infrastructure.

As a pivotal economic and transportation heartland in China, it is nestled among towering mountains and deep valleys, with buildings perched precariously on cliffsides, all linked by sky-high roads.

Located in southeast China, near the headwaters of the Yangtze River, Chongqing lays claim to a storied past that spans more than 3,000 years.

In Chongqing, the lines between inside and outside, above and below are intriguingly blurred. The city has witnessed breakneck urban growth in the last two decades, evolving overnight with innovative infrastructures piercing the skyline.

Subway lines burst from mountain tunnels and bore through the core of inhabited towers, erupting from sharp inclines, while escalators criss-cross through the air, providing transport in this multidimensional megalopolis, reports the Express.

Every corner turned in Chongqing promises an adventure, offering the sensation of wandering through a real-life animation with its 3D-like urban terrain laced with aerial pathways stretching into the horizon.

Thanks to the city's impressive public transport network, which includes a comprehensive subway system, getting around this vast metropolis is easier than you might think.

Start your exploration at the city's highest point, Jiefangbei, a pedestrian area brimming with street food and snacks, to get a sense of the city's layout.

But it's not all skyscrapers in Chongqing. The city is also home to several mountain ranges, including the Daba Mountains in the north, the Wuling Mountains in the southeast, the Wu Mountains in the east, and the Dalou Mountains in the south.

Take a cable car across the Yangtze River for breathtaking views of the Chongqing skyline, or ride the monorail through a building to visit the Three Gorges Museum.

Other must-see spots include the Hongya Cave, spanning an area of 46,000 square miles, the People's Liberation Monument, a cultural symbol and landmark attraction in Chongqing, and the UNESCO World Heritage site at Dazu Rock Carvings.

One TripAdvisor review read: "Food is traditional, good and plentiful, it was a trip of a lifetime.Another added: "Overall, the care of the Chinese people cannot be faulted. We found it to be very good value for money, we loved it."