Sheshan National Forest Park is located in the southwestern suburbs of Shanghai, within the territory of Songjiang District. The park is renowned for its dense pine and bamboo forests, and its beautiful scenery. In addition to the frequently visited Dong Sheshan and Xi Sheshan, there are also 12 other peaks such as Tianma Mountain and Xiaokunshan. Although the peaks are not tall, ‘mountains’ are a scarce resource in Shanghai, making this a popular destination for hiking, leisure, and spring outings in the city. During the prosperous period of Sheshan, each mountain had ‘ten scenes’ or ‘eight scenes’ named by literati of different dynasties. Famous gardens and villas, pavilions, and buildings were scattered throughout, and temples and Taoist monasteries were ubiquitous on all mountains, with a total of 1,048 rooms, indicating the prosperity of Buddhism at that time. Xu Xiake also visited five times. Unfortunately, these historical relics and scenic spots gradually disappeared after the early Qing Dynasty. Since 1993, some old scenic spots have been restored, and some new ones have been built. Xi Sheshan Garden is one of the parks with a better environment and a larger area among the Sheshan peaks. In the northern part of the mountain top, there is the Sheshan Catholic Church filled with religious colors, integrating architectural styles from various countries: the arched ceiling and aisle are Romanesque; the colonnade is Greek; the spire is Gothic; the olive-shaped bell tower is Israeli; the small dome at the east end is Spanish; the clear water wall, angular floor tiles, and colored glaze tiles are Chinese, making the whole building majestic and grand. In the southern part of the mountain top is the Sheshan Observatory, which was built in the 26th year of the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty (1900 AD) with funds raised by Jesuit priests. Now there is a new observatory, which becomes a gathering place for astronomy enthusiasts whenever there are astronomical wonders, while the old observatory is open to visitors. In addition, there is the Sheshan Monastery at the southwest foot of the mountain and the Sheshan Virgin Mary Hall on the southern side of the mountain waist. Dong Sheshan Garden has a Hundred Birds Garden, where bird food supply points are set up inside, allowing visitors to buy bird food to feed the birds and get close to them. At the same time, historical scenic spots such as the wooden fish stone, Qilong Weir, Feixiang Spring, Mei Gong Fishing Rock, and White Stone Pavilion on the mountain have been renovated, and some new scenic spots related to bamboo culture have been built. The newly built forest bath also features new leisure activities such as Qigong therapy, ethnic bamboo buildings, bamboo mazes, and picnic barbecues. While climbing and sightseeing, you might as well come in and play. The park is open from May 1st to October 7th, 08:30-17:00; from October 8th to April 30th, 08:30-16:30. Dong Sheshan Garden (No. 9511, Waiqingsong Highway) is open from 6:30 to 17:00 (last entry at 16:00). Service facilities include mobile phone charging: rental of power banks, mother and baby room: located at the west gate of Xi Sheshan, and automatic vending machines: at the entrance of the scenic area.
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