Sheshan Summer Wonderland Journey

Duration: 2 days, Time: July, Cost per person: 4000 yuan, With whom: Friends, Activities: Gourmet food, photography, free travel, boutique, weekend trip. The author visited these places: Forest Hotel, Shanghai Tianma Mountain. Published on August 5, 2020, at 10:37 AM. The welcoming pine on the cliff, the transparent plank road by the precipice, the cascading waterfalls, all these can be experienced without leaving Shanghai at Sheshan! In the secluded valley, you can encounter the fairy tree house that brings you back to childhood in a second, and play a retro and gorgeous carousel beside the glass plank road where jade beads splash. This place is definitely the essential cure for your summer to dominate your social media circle! Do you think there’s only Happy Valley to play at Sheshan? Do you think there’s only one hotel, the Forest Hotel, to stay at Sheshan? Then you are a bit outdated. Today, let’s take you to experience the new way of playing at Sheshan and explore the ‘secrets’ under the popular pit circle. It has to be said that this is a hotel that has created too many miracles. From the selection of the site, design to completion, it took 12 years. The building that was not favored by many people at the beginning has now become a hard-to-get room in the magic city and has become a popular web celebrity hotel. Yes, today I want to share with you is the Sheshan Shimao Intercontinental Hotel, which officially opened to the public in 2018. Because its building itself is located below sea level at -88 meters, it is commonly known as the ‘pit’ hotel. Sheshan Shimao Intercontinental Hotel Address: No. 5888, Chenhua Road, Songjiang District, Shanghai. Regarding transportation: Self-driving route: Jiangsu: Shanghai-Nanjing Expressway G2 (A11) Jiasong Highway exit, go south to Chenhua Road and then go west for 8.1 kilometers. Zhejiang: Shanghai-Hangzhou Expressway G60 (A8) Songjiang exit, along Jiasong Highway to Chenhua Road and then go west for 8.1 kilometers. Shanghai urban area direction: G50 (A9) Zhaoxiang exit, along Jiasong Highway to Chenhua Road and then go west for 8.1 kilometers. Bus route: Take Shanghai Metro Line 9 Dongjing Station, transfer to Bus No. 96 for 15 minutes to the west gate of Shimao Nano Magic City. It is also the 200th Intercontinental brand hotel of InterContinental Group globally, with more than 300 rooms. All rooms have a viewing terrace. It is the world’s first five-star hotel built in a pit and also the lowest altitude hotel. The entire project invested tens of billions, integrating natural indoor gardens, large landscape waterfalls, landscape presidential rooms, water scene rooms and other modern characteristic buildings. ‘Unrolling Clouds and Relaxing’ at the entrance is the most representative art sculpture of the entire hotel: dragon-shaped, part of it is solid stainless steel, and the other part is stainless steel text hollow out, only when you look closely can you find the Chinese character decoration.
The ‘Journey to the Center of the Earth’ themed design in the lobby makes every guest feel as if they have entered a ‘mine pit’ and embarked on a wondrous adventure. The entire backdrop wall at the reception desk features distinct, irregular curves that resemble rock strata, which is the highlight of the ‘Journey to the Center of the Earth’ within the core rock layers, giving visitors a strong sense of immersion as if they are in a ‘quarry’. The hotel is divided into 2 floors above ground and 16 floors below ground, with 2 of these floors extending underwater. This unique design has also made the hotel one of the most challenging architectural projects globally, and it has been recognized as one of the ‘Top 10 Architectural Wonders of the World’ by the National Geographic Channel’s ‘Megastructures’ series due to its revolutionary avant-garde architectural design. Wouldn’t you want to witness this architectural marvel with your own eyes? Originally, the Tianma Mountain pit was a mountain facing Sheshan to the northeast. It was mined for stone in the early years, and by the end of the 1950s, the entire hill had disappeared. By the end of the 1970s, a nearly 90-meter-deep pit had been excavated. After 7 years of deliberation and 5 years of construction, with the collaboration of top global design teams and the breaking of multiple technical barriers, the impossible was transformed into a miracle! In addition to its inherently eye-catching geographical location, the Shanghai Sheshan Shimao InterContinental Hotel also boasts an incredibly rich interior, with over 1,400 pieces of art and artistic installations scattered throughout, rivaling a professional art gallery or museum. In the hotel corridors, one side features guest rooms, while the other side showcases the bottom of the pit’s stone and rock pillars, creating a fascinating feeling of walking through a mine tunnel. The elevator on the far right has a semi-transparent glass bottom, providing an exhilarating experience akin to a miniature moving glass plank walkway. The room design incorporates color changes of geological rock strata, with three types of guest rooms designed based on the colors of iron, hematite, and calcite stones—red, blue, and gray-blue. The interior style is inspired by cliffs, waterfalls, and hills. Each room offers a panoramic view of the pit wall, with some even featuring spectacular waterfalls. From the moment you enter the room, you can interact with the AI in the room by simply calling out ‘Xiao Du’, experiencing the smart hotel lifestyle. The system allows seamless control over the room’s lighting, curtains, door curtains, and mosquito nets, as well as changing the ‘Do Not Disturb/Cleaning’ indicator light outside the room. This legendary internet-famous hotel is not just charming in appearance but also has considerable depth. The bathroom amenities are from the Ferragamo Tuscany series, and the hairdryer is the popular Dyson model, which subtly elevates the quality of the guest rooms. All beverages in the mini-fridge are complimentary, ensuring you can drink to your heart’s content.

Would you have the same questions as me when staying in such a room? How does it waterproof, fireproof, and earthquake-proof? Waterproofing: As everyone knows, water flows downhill, and in this hundred-meter deep pit, how to solve the water accumulation has become a big issue. By studying the historical hydrological data of Shanghai, the deep pit hotel has installed a water pump to ensure that the daily water level changes in the lake do not exceed a safety range of 500 millimeters. This figure is based on the study of historical hydrological data in Shanghai, which found that in the past 500 years, the local daily precipitation in Shanghai has never exceeded 300 millimeters. Fire safety: In the event of a fire, what if fire trucks can’t enter the mine pit? The deep pit hotel connects every balcony with a fire channel, ensuring that in the event of a fire, residents can evacuate at the fastest speed. Earthquake resistance: In the event of an earthquake, how to escape from the pit? The hotel design team has simulated tests and repeatedly checked the building’s strength and seismic performance through geological surveys and hotel engineering structure calculations, ensuring that it can resist earthquakes above level 9. In fact, considering the geographical location of Shanghai, the possibility of a high-intensity earthquake is extremely low, and as long as it’s not a tsunami, Shanghai is relatively safe. In addition to the luxurious quality of hotel rooms, staying at the Shanghai Sheshan Shimao Intercontinental Hotel, every minute is incredibly fulfilling. Three diverse themed restaurants and two bars allow you to taste world-renowned delicacies within the hotel. Of course, I believe many tourists also come here for the underwater restaurant. The ‘Cloud Peak’ on the ground floor serves as the hotel’s lobby bar, catering to the needs of most guests checking in daily. Tourists can not only sit here and enjoy the boundless scenery of the pit but also enjoy the wonderful water curtain show performed from time to time. The water curtain changes various patterns, coordinated with beautiful music, dreamlike and intoxicating. Adjacent to the hotel lobby on the same level is the hotel’s all-day dining restaurant ‘Source Coffee’, which not only provides self-service delicacies from all over the world all day long but also has balcony seats that can enjoy the boundless beauty of the hotel, making it the most cost-effective dining spot. The well-known IHG Caifenglou Chinese restaurant is located on the second floor of the hotel, where the decoration integrates Chinese traditional cultural elements such as noble birds, birdcages, and feathers, creating an antique and unique environment with a warm yellow light. The chef, who specializes in Cantonese cuisine, presents the most exquisite specialty dishes to guests here every day. After dinner, you can take a walk on the outdoor leisure platform specially set up in the center of the lake in the hotel, watching the sunset and the stars. Here is seamlessly connected with the hotel’s bar and swimming pool, and the outdoor chairs are very design-oriented. Every night, this place is also the most popular among guests.
The Fisherman’s Fire restaurant, located on the 15th floor, is the legendary underwater restaurant that has become an internet sensation. As you step into the Fisherman’s Fire surrounded by aquariums, you will undoubtedly be captivated by the vibrant underwater world and the refreshing ocean air. I must say, the atmosphere here is incredibly enticing. Of course, seating is quite limited, and all dining experiences must be reserved in advance. The restaurant specializes in seafood and Western cuisine. Staff members share that some tourists have remarked they would immediately accept a marriage proposal if it were to happen here, highlighting how enchanting the environment of the Fisherman’s Fire is. So, who is behind this magnificent creation? The design team led by Martin Jochman of Atkins was responsible for both the design and construction. If the name sounds unfamiliar, you might know the world’s first seven-star hotel, the Burj Al Arab in Dubai. The Atkins team also led the design for this iconic hotel. This is a significant reason why the Sheshan Shimao Intercontinental Hotel stands out. If you think staying at the Intercontinental Hotel only offers sunrise views and the sounds of waterfalls and birds, you are mistaken. Adjacent to the hotel, there are two colorful entertainment venues that greatly enrich the hotel experience. The ‘Deep Pit Wonderland’ Elf City Theme Park is located next to the Shanghai Shimao Sheshan Intercontinental Hotel (within walking distance). Opening hours: 10:00-18:00. Ticket price: Adult single park 120 RMB per ticket. Free ticket policy: Minor children 1.1 meters (inclusive) and under are free. The ‘Deep Pit Wonderland’ Elf City Theme Park is the best place to see the hotel in its entirety. The glass skywalk, approximately 80 meters long, is also the best vantage point to appreciate the Sheshan Shimao Intercontinental Hotel. Above the glass skywalk is the thrilling 360-degree cliff pendulum, which can be seen from the rooms of the Intercontinental Hotel. In addition to this, the theme park features elf tree houses, desert archaeology, dreamy waters, and bug worlds, attracting visitors with immersive experiences. The central 15-meter-tall dream elf tree house is full of whimsical ideas, perfect for children to play hide and seek between the huge tree holes, and adults can also take their children through the winding tree holes to the treetop to find the happy elves hiding there! Along the lush jungle, there is a giant insect world and a secret city backyard garden. Not far from the entrance, the dreamy waters offer a refreshing water gun battle! The core entertainment in the park is the ‘Fly Over the Deep Pit’, a high-altitude zipline where you can enjoy the panoramic view of the hotel while gliding. The entire journey is in a nearly flat lying position, prone on the zipline board, flying from one side of the pit to the other, turning around, and flying back, with the hotel’s hundred-meter deep pool beneath you. Just thinking about it is thrilling. Unfortunately, due to the recent pandemic and rainy weather, it has not officially opened yet, which is a bit disappointing. However, even just for the experience of the glass skywalk, it feels very worthwhile.
If you think that the deep pit mysteries are just games for children, then the appetizer of the deep pit mystery is a blue version of Disney compared to the Smurf Park, which is just 500 meters away from the attraction. What’s more delightful is that the entire park is built indoors, which means no matter the wind and rain, or when the outdoor temperature is above 35 degrees, if you want to take your children to an amusement park, it’s completely fine. Although the park’s fame cannot be compared with Disney, the overall experience and the richness of the entertainment facilities are in no way inferior, and the cost-performance ratio is extremely high. Shanghai Shimao Smurf Theme Park Address: 5088 Chenhua Road, Songjiang District. Opening hours: 10:00-18:00. Ticket prices: single park adult 160 yuan per ticket, children 99 yuan per ticket. This is also the first Smurf-themed park in the Asia-Pacific region, allowing classic characters such as Smurf Papa, Smurfette, Brainy Smurf, Clumsy Smurf, Inventor Smurf, and the evil Gargamel to break through the limitations of two-dimensional space and become characters in the ‘City of Elves’, presented to everyone. The Smurf Park, which officially opened at the end of May this year, is not well known to many tourists. Many friends in Shanghai still think that Sheshan only has Happy Valley and Mayan Water World, which are amusement parks for adults. In fact, this has always been a regret for many parent-child families traveling. Now, the Smurf Park fills this gap, and going to Sheshan for vacation travel is no longer just a slogan for children, but they can really find their own paradise. The park recommends a check-in route: Journey to the Center of the Earth – Wonders of Flight – Mao Xian Wang 6D Cinema – Forest Maze – Berry Swing – Magic Mirror Transformation – Pui Pui Jelly Cup – Berry Coaster – Magic Paintbrush – Smurfette’s Garden – Dark Laboratory – Potion Mixer – Azrael Cat Jump Tower – Swamp Adventure. Through the Elf Tree at the entrance, you can reach the first core area of the park. It has to be said that the park has spared such a large space for a flying amusement device, which is quite a big move. Many parents or tourists may think, oh, it’s just so-so when they come here. In fact, it’s not the case. This is just the tip of the iceberg of the entire park. Later, you will also understand why such a large piece of space needs to be reserved here, which is actually prepared for the parade. Theme play recommendation: Journey to the Center of the Earth: Here, the entire journey of tourists will be divided into five parts: advancing towards the center of the earth – the minerals of the earth – encountering an earthquake – escaping from magma – entering the core. The sound and light effects here are excellent, and the whole process will give people a tense atmosphere. It is particularly interesting that the mine car entering the core can rotate 360 degrees. It is quite interesting to shuttle back and forth inside. Because it is the first formal high-tech project after entering the park, there will generally be more tourists in line.
Adventure King 6D Cinema shows the same story at every hour after the park opens at 10 am. As a 6D cinema, it naturally includes 3D special effects, 4D dynamic seats, 5D smoke, and 6D water mist and other special effects. If you haven’t had enough after watching it once, you can definitely come back at a different time. Wonderland Soaring: The large suspended dome theater has a total of 4 rows of cockpits, and the playing time is about 5 minutes. However, if you really want to experience this project, there are still some height and age restrictions. This project is only suitable for people with a height of 1.4m – 1.95m and under 60 years old. To some extent, this is almost a game more suitable for adults to experience. Therefore, the Smurfs Park is not only for children. In fact, many of the games are also very exciting for adults and require a little bit of adventurous spirit. When you officially enter the Smurfs-themed forest maze, you will instantly feel as if you have shrunk. All plants and animals are magnified several times or dozens of times, which is quite novel and interesting for both adults and children. The most suitable experiences for adults in the park are probably Pepe’s Jam Cup and Berry Roller Coaster. If you have time, it’s not excessive to ride them eight or ten times. The Painting Magic Brush is a parent-child game more suitable for those with a certain hobby foundation. If your child has a certain interest in painting and hands-on activities, they will definitely be able to find a happy space here. Many children’s paintings are displayed in order at the entrance. Even I feel inferior. The area of Gargamel’s house will be relatively darker as a whole. Dark Laboratory – Potion Stirrer – Azrael’s Jump Tower – Swamp Adventure. Among this series, I personally recommend the Dark Laboratory. This is a bit like a mini haunted house. Fortunately, there are also many tourists coming in and out. If you walk around alone, it’s really a bit terrifying. When you finally go out, you can take the slide. The slope is not very steep and there is absolutely no safety problem. The swamp adventure game is available in many amusement parks. Because adding competition and scores will make it more exciting. I believe everyone must have played Plants vs. Zombies. In this game, the weapon is the pink and cute pea. Four people form a group to enter the battle state. Personal rankings and scores can be displayed in real time on the outdoor display screen. It is an experience point that both adults and children love. Of course, it has always been said that this park itself is very close to Disneyland. The float parade is naturally essential. At 2:30 every day, a large-scale interactive float parade with actors will be staged on time. At that time, all the residents and monsters of the Smurfs Park will appear on the main road. Tourists can interact with them and take free photos. All the actors are also very cooperative and have a very high affinity. Because it is indoors, you don’t have to worry about the heat when waiting. This may be one of the few wonderful float parades that I can enjoy without sweating at all.
At any time, the Smurf-themed restaurant in the amusement park offers a variety of meal sets, with prices generally ranging around 50 yuan per set. The portions are truly generous, and the dining environment is quite pleasant. It must be said that in the midst of such a hot summer, I have a lot of affection for this park, which is entirely built indoors. When leaving, there is a vast selection of Smurf-related products at the Smurf Gift World, including figurines and dolls that are not seen in the city or other parks, making them quite memorable. As for the admission tickets, it is recommended to directly purchase a combined ticket for Smurf Park and the Abyss Secret Realm Park, which makes the Abyss Secret Realm almost a completely free attraction. In the afternoon, you can dedicate your time to both parks and then return to your room in the evening to enjoy the unparalleled view of the Abyss Hotel and savor cuisine from around the world. This summer, come to Sheshan to escape the heat and experience the architectural wonder that is a ‘must-visit’ in a lifetime. Experience the indoor fairy tale park with your family and children. Are you ready? Each encounter is like the first time we met. I am @Shanghai Cold Air, and I am delighted to have the opportunity to meet everyone online. I look forward to meeting you on my next trip. Thank you.

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