A photographer from China shared his unusual commute to work in a viral TikTok video, and internet users "can't decide if it's cool or terrifying."
"It's actually quite easy once you get used to it, as you build up muscle memory for the routes," the poster told Newsweek.
The clip, shared in October by 27-year-old Jackson Lu, under the username @journeyofjackson, shows his commute to work through the tangled streets of his native city, Chongqing, in southwestern China, known for its fascinating urban layout and layered architecture.
At the start of the clip, Lu leaves his apartment on the 18th floor, and walks down a few flights of stairs to reach the ground floor level, which is actually located on the 12th floor of the building. Then he takes the city's monorail, which goes through a few residential buildings to get to his office in the central plaza.
On the way back, a bus takes him up a 20-story-high ramp, offering some incredible views of the city's unique skyline and the steep hillsides that surround it.
From left: Lu is leaving his apartment in Chongqing to get to work. His commute to work in the southwestern Chinese city known for its layered urban landscape, includes taking a monorail that goes inside...From left: Lu is leaving his apartment in Chongqing to get to work. His commute to work in the southwestern Chinese city known for its layered urban landscape, includes taking a monorail that goes inside residential buildings. Jackson LuLu, who lived in Chongqing for 18 years before studying cinema in Canada and moving back again a few years ago, explained that his commute to work usually takes around an hour on public transportation, although navigating the multilevel city is not as hard as it may seem.
"For visitors, Chongqing has one of the best public transportation systems in the world, and most places are accessible by car as well—though driving often involves a lot of winding detours," he said.
Spanning the equivalent size of the entire state of South Carolina, according to Business Insider, Chongqing is the largest megacity in China, and as of 2022, is home to about 27 million people.
Besides being one of the most important industrial and economic hubs in the region, this city also has a very rich historical background.
It was the birthplace of the consort of the Yu emperor, founder of the Xia dynasty, about 4,000 years ago, and it became the capital during the Sino-Japanese war in 1938 until 1947. It is also a cultural hub, growing more and more popular among tourists.
Lu thinks his home city is a "one-of-a-kind" and is passionate about introducing it to the world, but he is even more passionate about having it featured in the movies.
"I dream of a Hollywood blockbuster, maybe an action or sci-fi film, being shot here one day. If I could invite stars like Tom Cruise to film the next Mission: Impossible or even a James Bond movie here, it would be a dream come true!" he added.
The video quickly went viral on social media and it has so far received over 36.6 million views and 4.1 million likes on the platform.
One user, Jaumeborrut, commented: "I'll be honest, it looks so dystopian but so cool at the same time that I haven't decided if I hate it or love it."
Arthur541400 said: "Give it some neon lights and you've got a cyberpunk city."
Amy added: "Does Google maps work here? Do any maps work here? How do maps work here!!"
Staceyeatscake wrote: "I can't decide if it's cool or terrifying."
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