Two Days, One Night in Shanghai | Discover the Roots of Shanghai and Savor Songjiang's Flavors

Foreword

Although I have been to Shanghai many times, I never truly dug deep into the city – especially its past stories. Songjiang District, in the southwestern part of Shanghai, is known as the "Roots of Shanghai". With my work not too busy lately, I decided to take a free weekend and explore Songjiang. And so, this two-day, one-night trip came to be.

Songjiang District has a long history and rich culture, with countless scenic spots, so I decided on a two-day itinerary – arriving Saturday morning, leaving Sunday evening. Two days, one night, no rush, perfect timing. Day 1: Arrive in Shanghai, head to Happy Valley and Sheshan National Forest Park in the morning, lunch at the Forest Hotel, visit Guangfulin in the afternoon, and stay overnight at the Songjiang Kaiyuan Mingdu Hotel. Day 2: Visit Zuibaichi Garden and Yunjian Granary in the morning, lunch at Xiao Ye Shu, then Blue Smurf Theme Park and Chenshan Botanical Garden in the afternoon, before starting the journey back in the evening.

From Hongqiao Station, it takes about 40 minutes to reach Happy Valley. The park is huge, covering 650,000 square meters with over 100 attractions. There are seven themed zones: Sunshine Port, Happy Time, Shanghai Bund, Shangri-La, Happy Ocean, Gold Mine Town, and Hurricane Bay.

After security and ticket checks, I entered the park. Though it was early, the whole place was already buzzing. The first area I explored was the Happy Time zone, packed with rides for all ages – kids and adults alike will find something to enjoy.

If you like thrills, I highly recommend the Wooden Coaster, Giant Frisbee, and Blue Moon Roller Coaster – absolutely hair-raising.

For something gentler, there's the carousel, Bumper Cars, Dreamlike Top, and 4D Theater. Families with kids should not miss the bubble show with the clowns near the Shanghai Bund dock.

Gold Mine Town was my last stop at Happy Valley. Walking in, I saw rusty trains, shabby houses, old gold-mining machines, mine shafts, and cowboy sculptures – it felt like stepping into an old Western movie from the 70s or 80s.

Sheshan National Forest Park

Sheshan National Forest Park is vast, covering 401 hectares with 12 peaks stretching over 13 kilometers. It's very popular among Shanghai residents for weekend outings and spring hikes, so I made a special trip here while in Songjiang.

I must say, walking up the visitor trail, breathing fresh air, and leisurely climbing the mountain was truly pleasant. When I reached the summit viewing platform and looked around at the lush green landscape, the feeling was simply breathtaking.

Guangfulin Ancient Cultural Site is a place I've long wanted to visit, especially its core area – the Guangfulin Cultural Exhibition Zone, where triangular-roofed structures seem to float on the water, a very creative design.

Moreover, Guangfulin has a profound history. If Songjiang is the root of Shanghai, then Guangfulin is the root of Songjiang, highlighting its significance among Shanghai's many attractions.

Aside from the cultural exhibition zone, there's a large ancient architectural area with religious buildings like the Tang-style Zhiye Temple, a three-story pagoda, and the Yao Shun Yu Memorial Hall – perfect for costume photography.

If you love reading, don't miss the Duoyun Xuan Bookstore in Guangfulin, with a rich collection that meets the spiritual needs of visitors of all ages.

Zuibaichi Garden

If we trace its origin, Zuibaichi has over 900 years of history. It is one of Shanghai's five classic gardens, alongside Yu Garden, Guyi Garden, Qiuxiapu Garden, and Qushui Garden. Today, it still retains its Ming-Qing Jiangnan garden style beautifully preserved.

On the second day in Songjiang, after breakfast at the hotel, I went to Zuibaichi. Though it rained heavily, it didn't dampen our spirits as we explored the garden with great enthusiasm.

Besides the many Ming-Qing ancient buildings, there are towering camphor, privet, and sweet osmanthus trees, plus flowers and plants. The post-rain air was incredibly fresh, and strolling among pavilions and terraces was a wonderful travel experience.

Deep in the garden, there's a Dong Qichang Calligraphy and Painting Art Museum. As one of the garden's former owners, having this museum here adds a refined cultural touch and depth to Zuibaichi.

Yunjian Granary

For fans of cultural and creative spaces, Songjiang's Yunjian Granary is well worth a visit. Originally a series of grain warehouses and factories built between the 1950s and 1990s, it covers 136 mu (about 9 hectares) with nearly 40,000 square meters of floor space across 59 buildings.

Now transformed into a creative park, it boasts different zones like the International Beer Culture Area, Art Exhibition & Interaction Zone, and Riverside Lifestyle Zone. If you're into cold, metallic-style photography, this place is a fantastic choice.

Blue Smurf Theme Park

If you've been in Shanghai recently, you might have heard about the Blue Smurf Theme Park in Songjiang. Yes, the first Smurf-themed park in the Asia-Pacific region opened not long ago, right inside the Sheshan National Tourist Resort.

For me and anyone born in the 80s or 90s, the Smurfs' story is incredibly familiar. Having a theme park like this is a must-visit.

Here, you can experience many classic scenes from the cartoons, and there are plenty of rides for both kids and adults, such as bumper cars and roller coasters.

Thanks to extensive use of AR interactive equipment and holographic projection devices, the immersive experience is truly strong – I genuinely felt a deep sense of joy.

Tucked away at the far end is a Dark Laboratory, which in the cartoon is Gargamel's lair. But once you step inside, it's not scary at all; instead, it's a lot of fun. I even took quite a few photos here as a memento.

Chenshan Botanical Garden

My last stop was Chenshan Botanical Garden, covering 2.08 million square meters. It's said to be the largest botanical garden in East China and Shanghai's second botanical garden.

I think the garden has two main highlights. One is the Quarry Garden in the northwest, originally a western quarry of the Chenshan stone pit. After renovation, it now features waterfalls, steep cliffs, walkways, and water curtain caves, blending natural terrain to become one of China's top horticultural gardens.

The other is the Tropical Exhibition Greenhouse, a complex of three single greenhouses – the Tropical Flower & Fruit House, the Succulent Plant House, and the Rare Plant House – totaling 12,608 square meters.

Here, you can see many tropical plants, and the setting is beautifully arranged, perfect for ladies taking some Instagram-worthy photos.

Dining

① Forest Hotel (Lunch): The Forest Hotel is a long-established venue offering accommodation and dining, built on a mountainside with charming, scattered villas and a serene environment. If you're near Sheshan, I suggest trying some of their signature dishes – home-style red-braised pork, white-cut chicken, free-range country chicken, and other farmhouse dishes are all excellent. Highly recommended.

② Kaiyuan Mingdu Hotel (Dinner): Since I was staying overnight at the Kaiyuan Mingdu, I decided to have dinner at its second-floor restaurant. As a five-star hotel restaurant, the plating is exquisite, the flavors are good, and it's quite good value.

③ Xiao Ye Shu (Lunch): When in Songjiang, you must try authentic local cuisine. Xiao Ye Shu is a well-known old Shanghai restaurant, so I highly recommend it. My two favorite dishes were the Crab Shell Yellow and Hand-pounded Rice Cake with Paddy Crab. The Crab Shell Yellow gets its name from its crab-shell shape; it's a classic Shanghai snack. The crust is soft, almost melts in your mouth, and the filling has distinct layers. At just 4 yuan each, it's a real steal! The hand-pounded rice cake with paddy crab is loaded with roe and crab butter, and the rice cake itself is soft, chewy, not greasy, and doesn't stick to the teeth – simply delicious.

Songjiang Kaiyuan Mingdu Hotel is located on the east side of Kaiyuan Plaza in Songjiang New City, a prime spot very close to popular Songjiang attractions like Happy Valley, Sheshan Forest Park, Guangfulin, and Zuibaichi. It's only a 30-minute drive from Hongqiao Airport. If you're visiting Songjiang for a getaway or vacation, this hotel is an excellent choice.

Pandemic control: Due to COVID-19, all attractions have implemented control measures, so be sure to book in advance and apply for a Suishen health code before you go – staff will check it at the entrance. Getting around: Songjiang and Shanghai have very convenient urban transport. Scenic spots in Songjiang are fairly centralized, so you can choose the metro, bus, or taxi based on your schedule.