Spring Outing: Three-Day Two-Night Family Fun at Sheshan

Duration: 3 days; Time: March; Cost per person: 2000 yuan; Companions: Family; Activity: Weekend getaway; Published on 2024-04-01 01:26. As […]

Duration: 3 days; Time: March; Cost per person: 2000 yuan; Companions: Family; Activity: Weekend getaway; Published on 2024-04-01 01:26.

As a Shanghai native, I am constantly on the lookout for fun and interesting places in Shanghai. This week, our destination was Sheshan in Songjiang. With the arrival of spring and the blooming of flowers, we took a self-driven trip with the kids to explore Sheshan in Shanghai.

When it comes to Sheshan in Shanghai, the most famous is the Western Sheshan, but Sheshan is more than just a mountain. As a tourist resort area, it offers a variety of attractions that cater to dining, entertainment, and sightseeing. Considering we were with children, we chose a route that was most suitable for families, combining the enjoyment of flowers and scenery with the fun and excitement of childhood.

**Day 1: Outing and Flower Viewing**
Spring has arrived once again, bringing with it the revival of all things. How could we miss out on flower viewing during this season? March to April is the most splendid cherry blossom season in Shanghai, and the Chenshan Botanical Garden in Shanghai is a must-visit destination for this. We drove directly to the main entrance of the Chenshan Botanical Garden, which has a parking lot, making it very convenient. The magnolia flowers at the entrance have already attracted a large number of tourists, and it was irresistible to capture this beautiful moment at the entrance.

Upon entering, a vast display of tulips showcasing their unique charm greeted us—tulips are synonymous with spring. In the twilight, one could pen a letter, enveloping tulips within the envelope, carrying the solitude of mountains and seas and the romance of fireworks, sending to you the limited tenderness of spring. These gentle phrases are filled with endless reveries about spring and romance. And this reverie is brought forth by the sight of the tulips before us. There are many varieties of tulips, and the cultivation scale at the Chenshan Botanical Garden is quite large, with the entrance area being just the tip of the iceberg. The main viewing spots for tulips are concentrated along the electric vehicle lanes, the quarry, the bamboo garden area, and the ‘Chenshan Impression’ flower bed. For a deeper understanding, one could take an electric vehicle at the entrance, saving time and effort. However, if you, like us, wish to make every encounter a surprise, it’s better to stroll aimlessly, as the spring at the Chenshan Botanical Garden never disappoints.

Continuing forward, one can see the enchanting cherry blossoms blooming like clouds, which is the most famous Kawazu cherry blossom avenue in the garden. The best viewing period for Chenshan cherry blossoms starts in early March, which is what we commonly refer to as early-blooming cherry blossoms, mainly concentrated in the early-blooming cherry blossom viewing areas represented by the Kawazu cherry blossom avenue and the spring-welcoming cherry blossom ring. However, viewing cherry blossoms requires a bit of fate. When we arrived, some of the early-blooming cherry blossoms had already fallen, so we did not get to see the kilometer-long cherry blossom avenue in full bloom.

For those who will visit later, they can look forward to the mid-blooming cherry blossom avenue, represented by Tokyo cherry blossoms. The buds of Tokyo cherry blossoms are about to bloom, waiting for the gentle spring breeze to awaken them and bloom one after another. Fortunately, the diversity of flowers in Chenshan Botanical Garden compensates for the small regret of the cherry blossoms. In the Chenshan Botanical Garden, there is not only the blooming cherry blossoms but also a hundred flowers blooming together. The garden is dotted with a variety of flowers such as bright plum blossoms and magnolia, making it feel like stepping into a fairy tale world, as gorgeous as a painting. Children run and frolic on the grass, with picnic mats and some snacks, sitting under the cherry blossom trees, waiting for a breeze and a shower of petals.

After visiting Chenshan Botanical Garden, we returned directly to the hotel. We stayed at the Shimao Shenkeng InterContinental Hotel, which is very close to the scenic spots. The hotel itself is a very special attraction, with unique architectural design, hidden 88 meters underground, full of technology and art. The elevators here take you to explore downwards, and the observation platform on the 14th floor below ground offers a panoramic view of the surrounding water. The underwater view rooms are also one of their features, with a large aquarium hidden in the room, which can delight children, allowing them to watch fish swimming freely in the room.

**Day 2: The Endless Fun of Childhood**
The endless fun of childhood began before dawn, when the little one couldn’t wait to get up and go out to play, because today he was going to his favorite place,**Welcome to Yuehu Park’s Jigao Rabbit Nest: A Children’s Paradise**

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### Arrival and Parking

We have been to the Pudong Jigao Rabbit Nest before, but this one in Yuehu Park is our first visit. As a non-powered facility amusement park, it is a paradise for children. Parking can be done in Yuehu Park, and it takes about 10 minutes to walk to Rabbit Nest. It is recommended to let the children get off at the entrance of Rabbit Nest first, then send a parent to park the car, so that the children can play first.

### Morning Rush and Park Hours

The children rushed into Rabbit Nest at a sprinting speed. The park opens at 9:30, so the first batch of visitors can enjoy the park without waiting in line, experiencing the feeling of having the whole park to themselves.

### Attractions and Activities

Every free project in the park is worth experiencing. It is suggested to rush to the parent-child go-kart on the right side of the park after entering. If there is little queue, play it first as it is fun and usually has the longest queue. Other projects can be checked off one by one according to the children’s preferences.

All kinds of slides, sand play, trampolines, swings, non-powered amusement parks, and climbing are all free. The design of the whole park is very joyful. There are also mini basketball and football fields, etc.

### Annual Card Recommendation

People living nearby are strongly advised to get an annual card. With one annual card, you can freely enjoy so many venue facilities.

### Water Play and Adjacent Attractions

It is recommended to play water projects at the end. Bring change of clothes as when encountering water, children can completely lose control. Yuehu Sculpture Park is adjacent to Jigao Rabbit Warren. So after coming out of Rabbit Warren, you can directly go to Yuehu Park. Yuehu Sculpture Park is a 4A-level tourist attraction.

The whole park is built around the lake, so the natural scenery is great. With a random shot, it is a natural beauty. As the name suggests, the sculpture park takes Yuehu as the theme and has about 60 sculpture works placed scattered along the lake shore, perfectly integrating art and nature. This is indeed a good place for leisure and taking children out.

Not only can you set up camping tents, but the key is that there is a large beach by the lake. When children encounter sand, they can really play for half a day. Remember to bring sand digging tools so that you can build your own big castle.

### Smurfs Park: A Nostalgic Experience

Day 3: Remain Childlike, a Candy Belonging to Childhood. Staying at the Shimao Shenkeng Hotel, you can directly go to the Smurfs Park because they both belong to Shimao Group. So the hotel and the Smurfs Park are also connected.

The Smurfs are our memories of the 1980s. Before entering, we are cured by the familiar little blue elves. This is our childhood. The Smurfs Park is a large indoor park, so you don’t need to worry about any weather factors and can directly rush in.

After entering the park, you can take your child to get an elf magic handbook at the entrance. There are stamp check-in points printed on the handbook. After collecting 16 stamps, you can get a gift at the service desk. For children, it is full of a sense of ceremony.

### Park Layout and Rides

The interior of the Smurfs Park is not particularly large, but if you play slowly, you can also play for half a day. The whole park is full of Smurfs elements, which are beautiful, fun and suitable for taking pictures. When we went there on weekdays, there were not many people. We almost didn’t need to line up. We could play various projects freely.

Each project has a height restriction. Generally, children with a height of 120 cm can play all over. The Smurfs Park is mainly divided into village area, forest area, Gargamel’s home, etc. There are many fun projects in each area.

### Thrilling Rides

The most exciting one is of course the Berry Roller Coaster. The height requirement is above 105 cm. Children can also feel this excitement. This should be the most popular project in the whole park. Even I, an adult, can’t help exclaiming that it’s fun! Play it three or four times in a row!

The second most fun one is considered to be the Fantastic Flight, similar to Disney’s Soaring Over the Horizon. Sitting on the seat and lifting up close to the giant screen, you can virtually experience the great rivers and mountains of China, as if flying through the sky in person.

This activity is scheduled with specific time slots, with each session lasting half an hour, so please check the timing carefully. There is also a toddler version of the free-fall ride, Azi Cat Jump Tower, and swamp exploration.

### Interactive Experiences

Put on the 3D glasses, sit on the rotating seats, and engage in a virtual battle with the characters from the screen, including Gargamel and Azi Cat. You can also venture into Gargamel’s lair for a mystery tour.

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Enjoy your visit to Yuehu Park’s Jigao Rabbit Nest and the surrounding attractions!The children’s haunted house has a spooky setup but is not frightening, and there is a big surprise at the end!

The three-day, two-night trip to Sheshan has come to an end, but we have only scratched the surface of the fun places to visit. There are still many interesting spots that we didn’t have time to explore. We will continue to plan for the next trip.

This travelogue contains 2634 words and 82 pictures, assisting one visitor from Songjiang.