Chongqing: Thành phố Cyberpunk giữa đời thực!

Chongqing: Thành phố Cyberpunk giữa đời thực!

Từ lâu Chongqing đã nằm trong danh sách “ước mơ viễn vông” của tôi. Năm 2024, TECNO mời tôi tham dự sự kiện Future Lens tại đây và tôi đã lập tức nhận lời! Cơ hội tuyệt vời để trải nghiệm thành phố “Cyberpunk” nổi tiếng trên TikTok và Reels, đồng thời khám phá khả năng linh hoạt của TECNO PHANTOM V Fold2. Hãy cùng tôi khám phá!

Chuyến bay quá cảnh tại Quảng Châu

Không có chuyến bay thẳng từ Manila đến Chongqing. Tôi phải quá cảnh tại Quảng Châu (sân bay quốc tế Baiyun, mã IATA: CAN – tên cũ của thành phố là Canton).

Đến Chongqing

Sau 2 tiếng bay nữa, tôi đến sân bay quốc tế Chongqing Jiangbei (mã IATA: CKG, tên cũ là Chungking). Đến nơi lúc chiều tối, thành phố lung linh huyền ảo hơn bao giờ hết.

Raffles City Chongqing: Khách sạn “ngoài hành tinh”

Tôi ở khách sạn Raffles City Chongqing, một tuyệt tác kiến trúc. Cảnh đêm từ phòng khách sạn khiến tôi liên tưởng đến Night City trong Cyberpunk 2077. Tôi đã chỉnh sửa một bức ảnh để làm nổi bật điều này. (Ảnh trước và sau chỉnh sửa được đính kèm).

Chaotianmen: Hai cây cầu song sinh

Khu vực Chaotianmen có hai cây cầu lớn bắc qua sông Dương Tử (cầu Đông Thủy Môn) và sông Gia Lăng (cầu Thiên Tư Môn). Phần dưới của cầu Thiên Tư Môn còn là đường ray tàu điện ngầm.

Hongya Cave: Hang động huyền ảo về đêm

Hongyadong (Hongya Cave) là điểm đến không thể bỏ qua. Tôi đã đến đây hai đêm liền, một đêm trời hơi mù, một đêm mưa tầm tã. Cảnh tượng vừa huyền bí vừa sống động.

Raffles City ban ngày & Hongya Cave ban ngày

Ban ngày, ánh nắng mặt trời chiếu rọi vào thành phố, khác hẳn với Philippines. Tuy ban đầu thời tiết có sương mù, nhưng những ngày sau đó trời quang đãng hơn, cho phép tôi ngắm nhìn toàn cảnh thành phố. Hongya Cave ban ngày lại hiện lên vẻ đẹp lịch sử khác hẳn vẻ huyền bí về đêm, thể hiện sự hòa quyện giữa truyền thống và hiện đại của Chongqing.

Thủ phủ lẩu: Chongqing

Chongqing nổi tiếng là thủ phủ lẩu của Trung Quốc (hơn 37.000 nhà hàng lẩu năm 2023). Tôi đã thưởng thức bữa lẩu ngon tuyệt tại Pipa Yuan, thích thú với món măng tre và món mì cay tê lưỡi.

Vườn thú Chongqing: Gặp gỡ gấu trúc

Tôi không ngờ Chongqing lại có gấu trúc! Ngoài gấu trúc đen trắng, tôi còn được nhìn thấy gấu trúc đỏ.

Capybara Café: Gặp lại những chú “chó dừa” đáng yêu

Đây là trải nghiệm bất ngờ! Tôi tìm thấy một quán cà phê capybara trên Baidu Maps và vô cùng hạnh phúc khi được chơi đùa với chúng.

Quảng trường Khuếch Tinh Lâu: Kiến trúc độc đáo

Quảng trường này có kiến trúc độc đáo, với nhiều tầng nằm dưới lòng đất. (video youtube được gắn kèm)

Bảo tàng Tam Hiệp & Đại lễ đường Nhân dân:

Bảo tàng Tam Hiệp lưu giữ văn hóa phong phú của Chongqing. Đại lễ đường Nhân dân, được xây dựng từ những năm 1950, là một kiệt tác kiến trúc cổ điển.

Ga tàu điện ngầm Liziba: Tuyệt tác kiến trúc độc đáo

Ga Liziba được xây dựng bên trong một tòa nhà hiện hữu, một điều hiếm thấy. Chongqing còn tự hào với ga Hongyancun, ga tàu điện ngầm sâu nhất thế giới (381ft).

Trung tâm thương mại SM City Chongqing:

Điều thú vị đối với người Philippines là sự xuất hiện của một trung tâm thương mại SM tại Trung Quốc.

#Chongqing #CyberpunkCity #TECNOPhantomVFold2 #DuLịcTrungQuốc #ThànhPhốTươngLai #KhámPháTrungQuốc #GấuTrúc #LẩuTrungQuốc #Capybara #RafflesCityChongqing #KiếnTrúcĐộcĐáo #CôngNghệMới #ReviewĐiệnThoại #ẢnhĐẹp

GadgetSnaps: TECNO PHANTOM V Fold2 in Chongqing

Before Chongqing went on a viral craze as the “Cyberpunk City” on TikTok and Reels, this particular city was already in my (unachievable) travel bucket-list as early as 2021.

Fast forward to 2024, TECNO asked if I’m willing to go to the latest Future Lens event. Without a doubt, I immediately accepted the offer, especially right after seeing the Chinese city in the invitation.

I then thought, it’s the best time to showcase their latest foldable’s flexibility not only in terms of form factor, but also in overall camera performance.

Without further ado, let’s explore Chongqing through the eyes of the TECNO PHANTOM V Fold2.

Layover: Guangzhou

ICYMI, there are NO direct routes between Manila and Chongqing.

Instead, the city is connected by several connecting flights through Guangzhou, as well as Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Xiamen, and Tianjin.

Not so fun fact: The IATA code of Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport is CAN which was derived from the city’s old name Canton. Thus, the famous Canton Tower in the city.

Touchdown: Chongqing

After another two hours of flying, I’ve safely arrived at Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport.

Just like Guangzhou, Chongqing also has an old name: Chungking — which is why the city’s IATA code is CKG. But don’t let that confuse you. The new city name is pronounced as “Chong-ching” (not being racist, it is what it is).

I left Guangzhou during the golden hour so it’s expected that I’ve arrived around night time — where the city dazzles even better.

Raffles City: Night

It took around 30 to 45 minutes of DiDi (taxi) ride from the airport before I reached my hotel.

As an architecture enthusiast, I geeked out the moment I knew that I’ll be staying at Chongqing’s remarkable hotel slash city landmark, Raffles City Chongqing.

The biggest shocker for me was seeing the view from my hotel room: Chongqing’s façade straight out of a sci-fi movie.

For my own satisfaction, I color-graded one shot taken on this foldable. I’m more astounded that I transformed the snap into something that seems like a real-life replica of Night City in Cyberpunk 2077.

Unedited vs Color-Graded

Chaotianmen

As I was still feeling ecstatic over that breathtaking night view, I decided to go out and around.

Up until this point, it’s still not sinking in that I got the privilege to stay at the hotel I only dreamed of seeing years ago.

If you think this is a blatant copy of the Marina Bay Sands, well, sorry to break it to you. The Raffles City in Chongqing was designed by Moshe Sadfie. He’s the same architect responsible for Singapore’s iconic five-star hotel as well as the world-class Jewel Changi Airport.

This city is also infamous for having steeper than ever stairs and a very confusing terrain. That’s because everything’s built along mountains and hills situated between the city’s two major rivers.

Twin River Bridges

The area of Chaotianmen is connected by two major bridges. There’s the Dongshuimen Bridge that crosses Yangtze River.

Meanwhile, the Qiansimen Bridge is on the other side located along the Jialing River.

Aside from being a standard bridge for vehicles, the lower part also serves as the rail bridge between Grand Theatre and Xiaoshizi stations in Line 6 of the city’s metro. I just don’t know the reason why it doesn’t light up unlike its other twin.

Hongya Cave: Night

It was around 9PM but the night life in Chongqing is just about to start. After realizing it’s just a 15-minute walk away from my hotel, I decided to go ahead to the city’s prime hotspot — Hongyadong (or Hongya Cave).

I sound like a broken record but then again, it feels like I’m in a video game or some sort of dystopian film.

I went here for two consecutive nights, and I’m delighted that I witnessed it first with a slightly foggy night sky. The second night was just so rainy that there are just too many umbrellas in the frame.

Raffles City: Day

Natural sunlight starts to show up right after the 7:30AM mark — which was different from what I’m used to back in the Philippines.

I usually wake up very late but that quickly changes when there’s a free breakfast buffet

To be frank, I had bad views for three consecutive mornings due to the foggy weather. I was just lucky that the skies became clear after those drizzly days.

Hongya Cave: Day

As someone who’s nocturnal, I appreciate the “dark mode” of Hongya Cave.

Still, the view I’ve witnessed during the day easily conveys how rich the history is in this area alone.

Looking at the other side of Hongyadong made me realize that Chongqing embodies the harmonization of both the traditional and modern-day China.

The Hotpot Capital

Chongqing is actually the hotpot capital of China. In 2023, it’s said that the city had 37,000+ hotspot restaurants.

Although the hotpot place we went to isn’t the biggest and grandest (Pipa Yuan) nor the most popular (Haidilao), it was still a memorable and an overall sumptuous feast.

Despite this circular table arrangement meant for a group, it’s refreshing to have your own solo hot pot — very beneficial for introverts like me.

Main highlights of this hotpot session? It’s my first time eating a bamboo shoot as if I was a panda. More so, that deceptive noodle dish that looks barely enough but is actually filling, especially with its numbing spice.

Chongqing Zoo

Prior my trip, I never knew that Chongqing has panda inhabitants. I just know that its neighboring city, Chengdu, is the world’s panda capital.

Still, it makes sense as the two cities are located in the ever-popular Sichuan province. Going back and forth takes around three hours by train or four hours by car.

Aside from the fluffy black and white pandas, there are also red pandas around — both of which are my first hand witnesses.

Capybara Café

Honestly, this was all unplanned. I just tried searching if there are any actual capybara cafés in Chongqing. And as luck would have it, one result appeared in Baidu Maps.

No one asked but, my love and appreciation for capybaras also began around the same time I discovered the city way before they got hyped on social media.

No words can describe how happy and grateful I was to see capybaras up close again — and this marks my third capy encounter.

The last time I played with these cute and chill coconut doggos (or guinea BIG) was during my 2023 trips in Taipei and Bangkok.

Kuixinglou Square

One mind-blowing structure that Chongqing is known for can be found in this square alone.

At first, you’ll think you’re just in the ground level. But again, Chongqing has a very complicated topography. Thus, there are actually floors below the “ground level” of the square.

(youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuV57VOMd30?feature=oembed&w=740&h=416)

Three Gorges Museum

It’s astonishing how Chongqing managed to preserve their city’s rich culture through this colossal museum.

The drink I’ve ordered is an amalgamation of Ovaltine, liquor, and espresso (don’t judge but I loved it)

I’m not here to bore you with history. But, to give you a little background, Three Gorges is significant in a way that these gorges (or canyons) meet at the middle reaches of the Yangtze River.

Great Hall of the People

Located parallel to the museum is another historical monument, Chongqing’s Great Hall of the People.

If you’ve been to Beijing, it’s outside is reminiscent of Temple of Heaven.

This isn’t your common auditorium as it’s ginormous inside and out. It was also built during the 1950s, making it one of China’s well-preserved classic architectural masterpiece.

Liziba Station

The Chongqing Rail Transit (CRT) currently has 11 lines and 304 stations. One of which is the legendary Liziba Station.

It’s a rare occurrence wherein you have a rail line and station built straight into an existing building.

I may not be able to visit and experience it but, Chongqing also boasts the Hongyancun station, the deepest metro station in the world at 381 ft. Another record-breaker for the city.

SM City Chongqing

For everyone else, this mall is nothing special. But for Filipinos, seeing an SM-built mall in China is odd. That’s why I went here purely out of curiosity.

I got enticed to play a claw machine found at the mall’s cinema level. After spending around CNY 90, I finally was able to snatch that capy plushie I badly wished and prayed for .

Winner Dinner

Having a real fine dining experience was memorable for a commoner like me without any specific wants in the food I eat.

Although I have forgotten the taste of almost everything I ate, these food mementos are still worth keeping and posting.

Two different after-event dinners, two different views

CRH (China Railway Hi-Speed)

China is known for their vast and extensive high-speed rail network. So instead of going through the conventional connecting flight route and daunting layover duration, I requested to try and ride one route of CRH (China Railway High-Speed) — specifically from Chongqing West Station to Hong Kong West Kowloon Station.

Unlike airports, security is fast and straightforward with little to no queue lines. Infrastructure? Humongous yet streamlined.

Maybe a missed opportunity for me but, a new station at the opposite side of the city is still being built. Once finished, Chongqing East will be another record-breaker for the city as it will be China’s largest HSR station when it opens next year (2025).

Luckin Coffee’s Orange Americano is a gift from the gods

Hong Kong

Although locals warned me that this will be a tiring train ride, that 7.5-hour journey barely felt one. It’s also amazing how the trains departed and arrived on time.

Seeing that fine line between the two borders was amazing yet nerve-wracking. Fortunately, I had no issues in both sides of the immigration.

Fairwood’s Sichuan Style Chicken is fairly delicious — but spice level is barely “Sichuan”

And just like that I arrived at another ginormous station, the Hong Kong West Kowloon — where its majestic façade already made an appearance here (Set LL11).

I’ve spent the rest of my five hours in both Hong Kong West Kowloon and Kowloon stations right before I transported myself to HKIA via a speedy yet pricey Airport Express train — which just took 24 minutes in total.

BONUS: TECNO Future Lens + Factory Tour

This write-up wouldn’t be complete without the actual thing I went for. It’s none other than TECNO’s Future Lens 2024 event with a special tour inside their factory.

I’m unaware that other companies prohibit cameras inside the factory but, TECNO was confident enough to show us how everything works inside with utmost precision.

Triple T(h)reat

We usually include the camera specs at the beginning but I let the abundance of samples prevail over the actual camera hardware.

That being said, the PHANTOM V Fold2 boasts a trio of 50MP rear cameras with the headliner none other than the OmniVision OV50H sensor.

TECNO never wanted to compromise and sacrifice camera performance on their latest fold as it’s the same sensor found on camera-centric flagships such as the HONOR Magic6 Pro and HUAWEI Pura 70 series (minus the Ultra variant).

This is a treat for someone who wants the best cameras in a foldable but also, a threat to other brands that usually leave out and overlook cameras.

Who said foldables can’t take great photos?

Foldables in their early stages were just about showcasing their superior flexible displays and flexible form factor. All that at the expense of having the best cameras only catered to high-end slabs. Brands could only do so much in making their folding devices as “power-packed” and as “thin” as possible.

But, with several technological advancements over the years, it’s safe to say that newer-gen foldables can finally keep up to the camera performance previously limited to camera-centric midrangers and flagships.

The TECNO PHANTOM V Fold2 is clearly not the best in overall smartphone camera quality. Still, sample images above are enough to say how far the industry has done to foldables.

The technology has improved and matured over time that companies can finally fit in the best of the best cameras without compromising overall thinness and form factor.

And it’s not just the camera hardware alone. TECNO has continuously done so much just to improve their camera processing techniques across the board. The PHANTOM V Fold2 is just one among the testaments that a device can produce superb image quality without overcomplicating software processes and other AI algorithms.

SEE ALSO: TECNO PHANTOM V Fold2 review: Refined and Redefined

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