Sheshan National Forest Park

Sheshan National Forest Park

Sheshan National Forest Park is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction and a national-level forest park.

Located in the southwestern suburbs of Shanghai in Songjiang District, it is a national-level forest park that includes twelve peaks such as East Sheshan, West Sheshan, Tianma Mountain, Fenghuang Mountain, and Xiaokunshan. More than twenty new attractions and recreational areas have been constructed for tourists.

Sheshan National Forest Park is located in the southwestern suburbs of Shanghai, within Songjiang District. With a height of 90 meters and an area covering 9 square kilometers, it is the highest peak in the Shanghai area. The mountain features dense pine and bamboo forests and picturesque scenery.

Since the 1940s, Sheshan has been internationally renowned as a Catholic pilgrimage site. The Sacred Heart Basilica at the mountain’s summit was first built in 1925 and took ten years to complete, becoming the “grandest Catholic church in the Far East.” In 1985, the Sheshan Monastery was newly built. At the summit, there is also an astronomical observatory and seismograph station constructed in 1990 that are open to visitors.

Sheshan has now been designated as a national forest park. The Sheshan scenic area—where Sheshan is located—has been included among China’s national tourist resorts and is divided into East Sheshan Park and West Sheshan Park. Sheshan National Forest Park

During its heyday, Sheshan was dotted with famous gardens, villas, pavilions, and towers. Clear springs, ancient wells, hidden caves, and secret rooms were also commonly found. As for temples and Taoist shrines, they were spread across all the hills. Just the Zhaoqing Chan Temple alone had up to 1,048 halls, towers, and rooms during the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty, which speaks to the flourishing Buddhist activities of the time. Historical records state that each of the Sheshan hills had their own top ten scenic views, but most of them have since faded or become inaccessible. Among the remaining sights are the Huzhu Pagoda, Wooden Fish Stone, Liuyun Cliff, and Immortal’s Bed on Tianma Mountain; the “tall green cliffs dozens of zhang high” on Fenghuang Mountain; the Stone Mountain Cat and White Deer Spring on Xiaokunshan; the White Dragon Cave, Sacrificial Dragon Pool, and Lique Cliff on Hengshan; and the Wooden Fish Stone & Heart-Cleansing Spring, Boiling Fragrance Spring, and Qianlong Ancient Path on East Sheshan. On West Sheshan, highlights include the Xiudaozhe Pagoda and Tiger Tree Pavilion. Sheshan is covered in ancient trees and lush bamboo, offering a richly serene landscape that makes it a perfect destination for exploration.

On August 31, 2006, with approval from the State Forestry Administration, Sheshan National Forest Park became one of the first national-level forest parks authorized to use the official emblem of China’s national forest parks.

Attractions in the park include: the Catholic pilgrimage site, the fourteen Stations of the Cross along the Via Dolorosa path, the Xiudaozhe Pagoda, the Monk Cong and Tiger Tree Pavilion, and more. The renowned Sheshan Astronomical Observatory and Seismological Observatory are also located on West Sheshan.

Address: 9158 QingSong Highway, outside Sheshan TaLongKou, Songjiang District, Shanghai

Type: Forested Mountain

Rating: AAAA

Recommended Visit Duration: 1 day

Phone: 021-57657231

Opening Hours:

8:00-16:30

Ticket Information:

Free entry. Shanghai Astronomy Museum in West Sheshan Park: 12 RMB; Shanghai Seismological Museum: 5 RMB; Bamboo Sea Amusement Park: 10 RMB; student tickets are half-price.

Transportation

Exit at Sheshan Station on Metro Line 9; a few meters out, most buses on your right go to Sheshan, including the QingSong Special Line, HuChen Line, SongChen Special Line, Songjiang Route 92, ShiQing Special Line, SongZhong Line (to Sheshan), and others. It's just 1–2 stops to East and West Sheshan, with a short 10-minute walk.

Sheshan Town: Located in the southwestern part of Shanghai within Songjiang District, Sheshan Town borders the Songjiang University Town and lies 35 kilometers from downtown Shanghai and 18 kilometers from Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport. Covering an area of 74.7 square kilometers, the town administers 13 administrative villages and 2 residential communities, with a population of 45,000. It is the largest town in Songjiang District by land area. The only national-level tourist resort in Shanghai—Sheshan National Tourist Resort—is situated here, making it one of the key development zones under Songjiang’s “One City, Three Districts” plan. Sheshan serves as one of the economic development hubs of Songjiang and is the northwestern gateway of the district. Rich in... Sheshan Town Detailed Information++