Shanghai’s Water Forest

#shinsider 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. 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. 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.