Introduction to Sheshan Forest Park (佘山国家森林公园)
Sheshan Forest Park is one of the popular tourist attractions in Shanghai and also a great place to escape from the busy city for Shanghai short tour or Shanghai day tour. Sheshan Mountain is located in Songjiang District in southwest Shanghai, about 30 kilometers away from Shanghai downtown area. Sheshan Mountain includes East Sheshan Mountain and West Sheshan Mountain with 98 meters and 97 meters above sea level respectively.
Sheshan Forest Park is rated as a 4A tourism site by the National Tourism Administration. It include East Sheshan Park, West Sheshan Park, Tianmashan Park, and Xiaokunshan Park. The Sheshan Forest Park attracts tourists for its beautiful natural scenery as well as its cultural sites.
East Sheshan Park has gorgeous scenery with rich plant and animal resources. There are about 2,000 varieties of plants and about 100 species of birds as well as many other wild animals. East Sheshan Park has several featured attractions, including Butterfly Garden, the Plant Fossil Forest, the Bird Center, and the Wonder Stone Cave.
West Sheshan Park has nine peaks. Besides its fascinating natural scenery, West Sheshan Park is also attractive with its man-made landscapes. The most outstanding one is the Church of Our Lady of Sheshan, which is the largest church in Southeast Asia. As the landmark of Sheshan Mountain, the church is reputed as “the First Church of Far East”. Also the Sheshan Observatory located near to the Church of Our Lady of Sheshan is the oldest observatory in China.
Now there has built the Sheshan National Tourist Resort to include Sheshan Forest Park, Yuehu Sculpture Park, Forest Bird Park, Shenshan Mountain Cableway, Dryland Sleighs, Sheshan Forest Hotel and Sheshan Restaurant.