West Sheshan Park

West Sheshan Park

West Sheshan Park is a national AAA-level tourist attraction.

With an elevation of 97 meters, West Sheshan features attractions such as a Catholic pilgrimage site, the Fourteen Stations of the Cross along the “Scripture Path,” the Xiudaozhe Pagoda, the Congdao Pavilion, and the Tiger Tree Pavilion. The renowned Sheshan Observatory and Seismic Station are also located on West Sheshan.

The Sheshan Basilica of Our Lady is a Catholic church of international renown alongside France’s Lourdes Basilica, also known as the Far East Basilica of Our Lady. The church was initially built in 1871 by French missionaries and completed in 1935. It incorporates multiple architectural styles and features a unique “four-no” structure—no wood, no nails, no steel, and no beams—making it a prime example of asymmetrical design. Since the 1940s, it has been a world-famous Catholic pilgrimage site and remains the most important Catholic shrine in China.

Halfway up West Sheshan stands the Catholic Central Chapel. As early as 1844, French missionary Father Nanqilu surveyed the terrain here in preparation for construction. Religious facilities have been continuously expanded since then. The current Central Church was built in 1894, featuring an altar with statues and a capacity for over 500 worshippers. In front of the church is a circular plaza that can accommodate a thousand people, offering views of the surrounding landscape from its railing. On the western hillside of the plaza lies an open space with three pavilions—the Sacred Heart of Jesus Pavilion, the Our Lady Pavilion, and the St. Joseph Pavilion—collectively known as the “Three Saints Pavilions.”

The Xiudaozhe Pagoda is situated on the eastern slope of West Sheshan. Built during the Taiping Xingguo era of the Song Dynasty, the octagonal, seven-story pagoda stands over 20 meters tall and is a brick-and-wood structure of the pavilion-style tower. Legend has it that a hermit named “Xiudao” lived in seclusion here and set himself on fire after the pagoda’s completion, hence the name Xiudaozhe Pagoda.

The Sheshan Observatory was established in 1899 (the 25th year of the Guangxu reign in the Qing Dynasty) by French missionaries and is China’s earliest modern astronomical observatory, as well as one of the country’s key astronomical research centers. Its telescope was China’s first, contributing a wealth of valuable astronomical data. In recent years, a new observation facility has been built west of the Sheshan Catholic Church, housing a 164-centimeter optical astronomical telescope, along with advanced instruments such as two laser telescopes, radio telescopes, and a 156-centimeter optical refracting telescope. Recently, the observatory has added new attractions—two high-precision sundials (one made of stainless steel and the other of white marble) and an armillary sphere. These sundials can determine daytime hours and the four seasonal solar terms based on the sun’s shadow lines, representing the latest sundial technology in China. Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the Sheshan Observatory has achieved 27 national-level scientific research results in celestial motion and artificial satellite orbit determination, and has participated in international geodetic surveys using new technologies.

The Sheshan Seismic Baseline Station, nestled at the eastern foot of West Sheshan amid bamboo groves, was formerly the Shanghai Observatory and has a history of over a century. As a Class I station under the National Seismological Bureau, it is equipped with advanced observation instruments and expert personnel, providing high-quality seismic data both domestically and internationally. It has participated in multiple international geodetic surveys. Visitors can also explore lesser-known seismic materials here, such as records of the devastating Tangshan and Japan earthquakes, as well as video resources like “Animals and Earthquakes.”

Ticket Prices | Opening Hours

7:30-16:30

40 RMB (includes access to the observatory, church, and cable car).

Address: Sheshan Forest Park, Huanshan Road, Songjiang District, Shanghai

Sheshan Town: Located in the southwestern part of Shanghai’s Songjiang District, adjacent to the Songjiang University Town and 35 kilometers from downtown Shanghai and 18 kilometers from Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport, Sheshan Town covers an area of 74.7 square kilometers. It administers 13 administrative villages and 2 neighborhood committees, with a population of 45,000, making it the largest town in Songjiang District by land area. The only national-level tourist resort in Shanghai—the Sheshan National Tourism Resort—is situated here, making it one of the key development zones in Songjiang’s “One City, Three Areas” plan. Sheshan is one of the economic hubs of Songjiang and serves as the northwestern gateway to the district, boasting abundant… [More details about Sheshan Town++]