A distinguished AAAA rated site by the National Tourism Administration of China, the Sheshan National Tourism Park is located in Songjiang, Shanghai. With hills of various sizes, forests and many attractions contained within a single estate, this place has magnetic attraction for both tourists and locals searching for an escape from the hectic city life.
Visitors get off at the Sheshan subway station from metro line 9 after which it is a 20 minutes’ walk or a short cab ride to the entrance gate. However, people coming from downtown or further often prefer taking a cab directly to the park instead of the metro for the time savings offered. The timings kept by park management are from 08:00 to 16:30 so going early in the day lets guests cover more ground. Areas within the Sheshan Park that are charged include the Observatory (RMB12), the Yuehu Sculpture Garden (RMB120 – RMB30; half off for adults on regular Tuesdays) and the Xiaokunshan and Tianmashan parks. Pets are generally not allowed inside except to Yuehu Sculpture Gardens for a RMB30 charge.
Once arrived, there are four distinct areas available to visit; each with its own perks.
West Sheshan Park has the most to offer in terms of times gone by and cultural value. The Basilica of our Lady of Sheshan, standing at 70 feet tall, is one of the largest churches in China with an area of 2 acres and is situated there. It is the crowning glory of Sheshan National Park. Close by is the Observatory, among the quite old and quite large ones in China. There are other things of interest around the nine hills of West Sheshan like the newly introduced Bamboo park.
Moving on to East Sheshan Park, nature enthusiasts will get to witness lots of pleasant fauna and flora. The Butterfly park is wonderful reserve for the wild winged-insects and Bird Center has many fascinating flying critters.
Topographically, Wonder Stone Cave and Plant Fossil Forests are amazing sights, on top of being quite creatively named!
There is a 9 centuries old pagoda in Tianmashan Park with a tilt leaner then the leaning tower in Pisa and Xiaokunshan Park was the inspiration and home of revered writers from the imperial China, Lu Ji and Lu Yun, which has been well-kept through the ages.
Besides these 4 areas of natural abundance, there is also the Yuehu Sculpture Garden with a lake surrounded by monuments and architecture that reflect the four different seasons of the land in a balanced mix of artificial and natural. An international level Golf Club is on premises along with multiple attractions in the Shanghai Qingqing Tourism World such as a fishing lake, luxury hotel, courts for tennis and basketball, beaches and venue for parties.
Locals come here to spend the day and unwind, making use of well-organized facilities, some even offered for free. There are public toilets every few paces that are well-maintained. Snacks inside are reasonably priced and there are cafes and eateries for hungry visitors.