Sheshan Mountain, Shanghai, is a good option for a relaxing weekend and short tour.

Set out early in the morning to breathe in the fresh air of West Sheshan forest park (open at 8 am). If you take No 9 Subway train, you may take No 92 bus or a free tourist coach at Sheshan Station (the free buses depart from Happy Valley at 8: 40 and depart every 20 mins) and alight at West Sheshan Stop.

If you arrive by car, you may drive on G50 (A9) Expressway, pull out at Zhaoxiang Exit, ride along Jiasong Highway to Shenzhuang Highway, turn left and then drive straight along Waiqingsong Highway to the North Entrance of West Sheshan Park. There is a large car park (parking fee is 10 yuan/time). Visitors can also take buses along the Huchen Line, Hushekun Line, Shangshe Line and Shanghai Tourist Distribution Center Line.

At present, West Sheshan Park is open to tourists free of charge. When entering the park, you will see Xiudaozhe Pagoda. Built in the Taipingxingguo Period of Northern Song Dynasty (AD 960~1127), the pagoda is still in a good condition after thousands of years. To the west of the pagoda, there is a bamboo playground suitable for children (10 yuan/$ 1.58).

A 15 minute walk along a road with steps leads to the mountain top. The roadside has green trees and bamboos. From the top of the mountain visitors can see Happy Valley, the greenhouse of Chenshan Botanical Garden, as well as the new town of Songjiang. There are benches, tables and a store on the platform of the mountain top, where tourists rest and eat.

Shanghai Astronomical Museum, which contains a century-old telescope, is also erected at the mountain summit (ticket price of 12 yuan). In addition to the museum, you may also visit Sheshan Marian Basilica. It is the largest cathedral in the Far East and has a unique architectural style.

If you are Catholic, you may climb up the mountain from the Stations of the Cross. After paying homage to the church, you may go down the mountain along the road. It takes around two and half hours to travel around West Sheshan Mountain.

Visitors can go to lunch at a farmer's restaurant at the foot of Sheshan Mountain or at the dining halls of Sheshan Forest Hotel and Lan sun Mountain Villa. If you visit Chenshan Botanical Garden in the afternoon, you may also have lunch at the tourist restaurant in the garden (mainly rice served with meat and vegetables, at a price of about 15 yuan). The most popular option is to have a picnic at Forest Park, Chenshan Botanical Garden or on roadside lawn.

To get to the botanical garden, you may take a free tourist bus opposite West Sheshan Mountain. It takes about 15 min to arrive at No 1 entrance of the botanical garden.

The ticket price of the botanical garden is 60 yuan/person. People aged 70 or above and students enjoy discounts. As the largest botanical garden in Shanghai, the garden contains 30 specialized gardens. Among them, the mine crater garden and the greenhouse are the main attractions. There is also a children's botanical garden, Chinese rose garden (Chinese rose blooms in May and June), the botanical garden for the blind and water plant garden. As an option, you may take a tourist bus (10 yuan/person), which takes you to all the main attractions. Tourists may get on or off wherever they wish.

It takes about 4 hour to visit the entire botanical garden. The greenhouse closes at 16:30. The botanical garden closes at 17:00. To return home, you may take a free tourist bus to Sheshan or Dongjing subway station where you take a No 9 Subway train.

Recommendation:

If you want to stay overnight at Sheshan Mountain, there are many other interesting places to visit: Sheshan Forest Park, Chenshan Botanical Garden, Shanghai Happy Valley and Shanghai Moon Lake Sculpture Park. Happy Valley (business hours: 9: 00~18: 00; ticket: 200 yuan/person) is very large. Allow yourself a whole day to see everything. The park has seven theme parks including Shangri-la, Ants Kingdom and Shanghai Bund. The four roller coasters and Double Tower are very thrilling. Visitors can also watch performances (five performance venues), 4D movies and 4K high-definition Flying Theatre. The park also contains restaurants (Pizza Hut, KFC and East Dawning).

Shanghai Moon Lake Sculpture Park (ticket: 120 yuan/person) has a lively cultural atmosphere. In addition to precious sculptures, it also has a children education square and a family playground. It is a good tourist destination for families with children.