The Shanghai Sheshan National Forest Park features a range of scenic mountains and forests. [Photo/WeChat account: sheshanlvyou]

The Shanghai Sheshan National Tourist Resort made it recently onto a list of national tourist resorts recognized by Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China in 2020.

The Sheshan complex is the only national tourist resort approved by the State Council, China's Cabinet, to be established in a municipality directly under the Central Government. Covering 64.08 square kilometers, it is located southwest of Shanghai and in the northwest of Songjiang district.

Through years of development since its establishment in 1995, the resort is now home to five 4A-level scenic spots -- Shanghai Sheshan National Forest Park, Shanghai Sculpture Park, Shanghai Happy Valley and Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden. It also has two five-star hotels: the InterContinental Shanghai Wonderland and the Sofitel Shanghai Sheshan Oriental Resort.

Dubbed as the backyard garden of Shanghai, the Sheshan resort is also the only natural mountain forest resort in the city's territory. There are 12 mountains in the resort stretching 13 kilometers from southwest to northeast. The most famous mountains -- Sheshan Mountain and West Sheshan Mountain -- are 98 meters and 97m above sea level, respectively.

The Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden – one of the scenic spots in the resort -- covers an area of 207 hectares, making it the largest botanical garden in East China. [Photo/WeChat account: sheshanlvyou]

The InterContinental Shanghai Wonderland hotel is built in a deserted quarry with 16 floors in the actual quarry pit and two floors underwater. [Photo/WeChat account: sheshanlvyou]