In Alto da Boa Vista, inside Tijuca National Park, the Vista Chinesa is an Asian-style pavilion perched over the city. From here you see Corcovado, the Lagoon, Sugarloaf and the ocean all at once.
The pavilion was built in 1903 under Mayor Pereira Passos. Made of mortar shaped to look like bamboo, it honors the Chinese workers brought to Rio in the early 19th century to grow tea near today’s Botanical Garden — a venture of the Portuguese court that never really took off.
The view is the main attraction: the whole Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon lies below, with Ipanema and Leblon behind it, and Christ the Redeemer appears in profile on Corcovado. On clear days you can see as far as Niterói.
Nearby is the Mesa do Imperador (the Emperor’s Table), another historic lookout where, according to tradition, the imperial family used to picnic. The road up to the Vista Chinesa cuts through the forest and is popular with cyclists at weekends.
Tips: go by car or ride-hailing app via the Estrada da Vista Chinesa. Visit in the morning or late afternoon, when the light is best, and combine it with the Tijuca Forest or the Botanical Garden.
Official website: Parque Nacional da Tijuca ↗