Sheshan Yuehu Lake

Sheshan Yuehu Lake

In the golden autumn of 2000, Shanghai’s largest artificial lake—Sheshan Yuehu Lake—unfolded before the public like a traditional Chinese ink painting, with several peaks mirrored on its “surface.” Covering an area of 456 acres, Yuehu Lake is embraced by the lush greenery of East Sheshan Mountain, Xue Mountain, and Phoenix Mountain. From the lakeside, visitors can see Sheshan Mountain standing majestically alone, with crystal-clear water gently rippling. At the northern end of Yuehu Lake and the southern end of Changxiangjing, an over 800-meter-long emerald-green embankment extends into the water.

The Yuehu Sculpture Park is built around the lake.

The Yuehu Sculpture Park is a sculpture art zone that combines natural scenery with modern landscaping art, funded by Mr. Cao Rizhang, chairman of Taiwan’s Jinbaoshan Group. Spanning a total area of 1,300 acres—with the first phase covering 1,000 acres including 465 acres of lake surface and over 500 acres of surrounding land—the park hosted the “Waterfront Sculpture Creation Camp” organized by Guilin Yuzi Paradise to support its construction. With the theme “Yuehu,” over 60 sculptures were created and placed along the lakeshore. The overall style of the sculptures is “gentle, leisurely, and warm,” with many embodying the concept of “life,” reflecting the theme that “water is the source of life.” It encourages people to cherish and protect nature.

The park’s design centers around the four seasons—spring, summer, autumn, and winter. The lakeside is divided into seasonal dock areas, each featuring distinct landscape and architectural styles that showcase the unique scenery of each season.

Passing through the parking lot, you enter the park’s main gate square—Moonlight Square. Standing before you is *Flying Toward Eternity*, a masterpiece by Bulgarian sculptor Georgi Chilingirov. A wing pointing straight to the sky resembles a giant wave of foaming bubbles, endlessly shattering and reborn in an eternal cycle. At the moment when heaven and earth merge, it casts its shadow upon the earth. Its journey leaves a message for humanity: an eternal path. In line with its meaning, we have also made *Flying Toward Eternity* into a sundial that slowly turns over 24 hours, indicating the time. Every hour, chimes and music play, symbolizing the passage of time yet its eternal presence in space and time.

The Spring Shore consists of the Water Curtain Bridge, Visitor Service Center, Crystal Palace, and Water Stage. Upon entering the park, the first sight is the uniquely designed Water Curtain Bridge. Its deck is made of organic glass and lighting facilities, with water-spraying devices on both sides. When night falls and the lights illuminate alongside the spraying fountains, the breathtaking view is truly awe-inspiring. The Visitor Service Center is designed with the participation of internationally renowned artists, emphasizing artistry, visibility, and practicality in every detail. It provides services such as information, medical aid, and baggage storage. The Crystal Palace is an unusually distinctive restroom built with significant investment in the park, primarily composed of rocks and stalactites, featuring a novel and unique shape, along with many humanized facilities. It combines artistry, landscaping, humanization, and technology, offering a refreshing experience. The Water Stage is the largest waterside stage built in Shanghai to date, capable of accommodating over 1,500 spectators for performances.

The Summer Shore features attractions such as a water-friendly sandy beach, a children’s intelligent activity plaza, and a carnival amusement area. Utilizing the natural advantage of Yuehu Lake and nearly 5,000 tons of yellow sand, the park has created a water-friendly sandy beach where visitors feel as if they are on a tropical Hawaiian beach. The children’s intelligent activity plaza is one of the most interactive spots in the park. It includes the world’s most advanced *Moon Net* and *Jumping Cloud*, imported from Canada and Japan—unique installations not found elsewhere in China. The “Old Giant Tree,” woven from real and fake trees, reaches a maximum height of 26 meters and a diameter of 14 meters, with twisted roots and endless childlike fun. Climbing to the top of the treehouse offers the best view of the park. The splash pool, designed in shades of blue and dreamlike in appearance, has shallow areas suitable for children’s knees, with all uneven designs rounded for safety. Various advanced amusement facilities feature novel designs, and all activities require children to combine physical and intellectual efforts to complete, making them truly captivating. The Carnival Amusement Area includes traditional games like ring toss, shooting, fishing, and basketball, along with the addition of the large-scale *Naughty Castle* with 28 challenging activities such as rock climbing, rings, and the Adventurer’s Path. There are also thrilling options like the pirate ship, exciting self-controlled airplanes, romantic carousels, and bumper cars for endless fun. The Summer Shore Dock also offers various boats and dragon boats for exploring the vast 400-acre water surface.

The Yuehu Art Museum and Qiuyuefang are two charming highlights of the elegant Autumn Shore. The Yuehu Art Museum features a double-helix landscape structure, with most of the building hidden underground and the above-ground section topped with a large area of putting green grass, harmoniously blending with the natural landscape. The museum regularly hosts a series of art exhibitions, including paintings, artworks, and large-scale car shows. Qiuyuefang is a high-end restaurant nestled in the natural landscape, with an exceptionally unique and ingenious design. Shaped like a ruyi (a traditional Chinese good-luck ornament), its walls are made of transparent floor-to-ceiling glass, allowing diners and visitors to enjoy the artistic beauty of the landscape while dining or relaxing. During the day, Qiuyuefang serves Hong Kong-style dim sum and coffee, while in the evening, it offers premium dishes such as abalone and shark fin by reservation. The combination of delicious food, stunning views, and excellent service promises visitors an unforgettable leisure experience. If you’re tired from walking, the Courier Café is the perfect place to rest. With 360-degree glass design, you can sip coffee while overlooking the beauty of the Far East’s largest church, as time seems to stand still in this enchanting moment.

The Yueshanhai Clubhouse is a waterfront glass palace for members to dine, entertain, and hold business gatherings, with professional private secretaries handling all arrangements for the ultimate in luxury and exclusivity. The Little Sheshan Hiking Trail is the perfect spot for couples to enjoy romantic walks, surrounded by lush, quiet woods. When tired, you can sit and rest, and it’s also the best place to watch the spectacular water dance performances. The large-scale water dance shows transform into various shapes to the melodies of classic music and dazzling lights, showcasing the eternal artistic charm of the perfect blend of nature and technology. The small bookstore near Little Sheshan is a rare reading spot in Shanghai, where sunlight, shade, lake water, and coffee make time stand still. With a good book and a moment of leisure, stretch out and leave all worries behind to set your spirit free.

The Yuehu Sculpture Park is also the most beautiful pet-friendly destination in Shanghai. The park’s year-round green, high-quality putting green lawns and the shallow water areas of the Summer Shore’s sandy beach provide pets with space to play freely, addressing the concerns of urban pet owners.

The Winter Shore of the park is still under construction, with projects such as the Dynamic Sculpture Avenue and a five-star-plus hot spring hotel underway. In the near future, the Yuehu Sculpture Park will become a magnificent paradise integrating modern sculpture art, modern landscape art, modern architecture art, and high-end leisure. It will perfectly blend the beautiful landscapes of the East with Western landscaping techniques, vividly embodying the concept of “returning to nature and enjoying art,” allowing visitors to enjoy a leisurely time in an environment where nature and art harmonize.