Exploring Shanghai’s Water Forest
With COVID restrictions still going strong in Mainland China, we decided to stay in Shanghai for the country’s week-long public holiday: National Week, otherwise known as “Golden Week”. While this caused a major feeling of FOMO, we made the most of our time by exploring parts of Shanghai we’d never been to before…realising just how big and diverse this city actually is!
Located on the outskirts of Shanghai, in Qingpu District, we made our way to Qingxu Country Park to witness first-hand the famed Water Forest. Surprisingly, it took some work to actually get there, so I’m laying it all out for you here to make your alternative day trip that little bit easier when you need some respite from the Shanghai’s bustling city center.
GETTING THERE
Take Metro Line 2 or 10 towards Hongqiao Railway Station.
Transfer to Line 17 and get off at Zhujiajiao Station.
Take a DiDi to Qingxi Country Park 青西郊野公園, it’s about a 30-minute ride. During our visit, we were informed that cars/taxis could not enter the park area at all. So, we had to be dropped off at one of the Qingxi Country Park’s Parking Lots (there are 5, any of them will work, but there’s a location pin you can mark for Shanghai Qingxi Country Park P2 Parking Lot.)
At the Parking Lot, there will be attendants there to guide on how to use the official park mini program to secure your park ticket (free), check your health code, and board the shuttle towards the parks’ entrance (about a 10-minute ride)
SHOP PRINTS
Looking to integrate a little more nature into your home? You can shop some of the images on this page, and have them featured as an art print, clock, phone case and more!
ABOUT QINGXI COUNTRY PARK
As you can probably see in this map, the actual water forest area is pretty small in comparison to the rest of the park. So try to make a day of it to explore the entire area, rather than only going to see just the water forest itself.
Hidden away amongst Shanghai’s rural countryside, >1 hour from Shanghai’s urban cityscape, it came as a surprise to learn that we could find such a natural escape without actually leaving the city limits.
Winding paths and wooden bridges lead the way to Qingxi Country Park’s Water Forest
Qingxi Country Park is comprised of everything from wetlands and lakes to woods and fish ponds, with Dalian Lake sitting squarely in the center of the overall park. Covering around 22 square kilometers of land, you would probably want to aim at setting aside at least 3-4 hours if you want to walk around to the main sites by foot.
You can even grab a coffee from Peet’s Coffee along the way if you need a hit of caffeine (shuts at 4:30pm).
It felt like we were walking around one of the National Trust parks back home in the UK, and it felt so good to be able to just wander around nature for a while (even if it is meticulously planned out to a tee with walking routes you don’t really deviate from at all).
Qingxi Country Park’s Water Forest
The main feature that many of the other visitors seemed to head straight towards was the Water Forest itself, where tall symmetrical trees can be seen floating on a peaceful lake.
On the way back to the entrance, we spotted a couple of these cute looking vegetable patches!
Top Tip: If you love autumnal scenery, the best time of year to go would be in November/December. During this time of year, the trees turn luscious shades of red and orange, making for an ethereal feel to the already picturesque scenery.
GETTING BACK TO DOWNTOWN SHANGHAI
Once you’re back at the attraction’s main entrance, take the shuttle back to Parking Lot 5.
If you can’t get hold of a taxi or DiDi driver, you can actually take a bus back to Zhujiajiao Metro Station. Walk 100m from Parking Lot 5 to the nearest bus stop and take Bus 28. It will be around a 35-minute ride back to the metro station, and will only cost you 2 RMB!
Top Tip: Make sure you’re standing on the correct side of the road to catch the bus to the station (there are two stops directly opposite one another). You can double-check the bus stop signage, the correct one will show that the bus will be going towards Zhujiajiao Metro Station (spot the 17 on the board).
Address: 500 Zilian Road, Jinze Town, Qingpu District, Shanghai, China
Opening Hours: 8:30am - 4:30pm (last entry around 4pm). You can stay in the park a bit longer.
Prices: There is no entry fee to enter the park, but if you’re strapped for time and want to head straight to the Water Forest, you can purchase return golf cart tickets that will take you straight to the main attraction and back for 30 RMB per person.