Tianma Mountain Park is located approximately seven kilometers southwest of Sheshan, near the Chenshan Botanical Garden. With an elevation of about 99.8 meters, Tianma Mountain is one of the taller hills in Shanghai, featuring lush vegetation and a serene environment. The mountain is home to the famous Leaning Tower, the Hu Baozhu Guang Pagoda from the Song Dynasty. Climbing to the summit offers a panoramic view of the Sheshan area’s topography. Compared to the well-known Sheshan, Tianma Mountain attracts fewer visitors, making it an ideal destination for those seeking a tranquil retreat in the suburbs of Shanghai to hike and explore historical sites.
Currently, Tianma Mountain Park is only accessible through its east gate, with a stone staircase leading directly to the summit, featuring a gentle slope. The hiking path is flanked by lush trees, with a bamboo forest on the western side providing ample shade. However, there are many mosquitoes during the summer, so it is advisable to prepare mosquito repellent in advance. Tianma Mountain Park is not large, and the entire visit can be completed in about three hours. There are no shops on the mountain, so it is recommended to bring some snacks and water.
The Hu Baozhu Guang Pagoda is a major attraction of Tianma Mountain Park. This ancient pagoda, built during the Northern Song Dynasty, once housed Buddhist relics and was not originally leaning. However, after people discovered Song Dynasty coins in the brick seams, they began to dismantle the bricks in search of treasure, resulting in the removal of nearly a quarter of the tower’s base, causing the pagoda to lean increasingly. Yet, the ancient pagoda leans without collapsing, with an inclination that even surpasses Italy’s Leaning Tower of Pisa. Today, one can see a large hole at the northwest corner of the tower’s base, but the wooden ladder inside has long been destroyed by fire, making it impossible to climb the tower.
Additionally, there were many historical relics scattered throughout the mountain, but few are well-preserved today. Next to the Leaning Tower, within twenty meters, stands an ancient ginkgo tree, over 700 years old. Although its main trunk is nearly withered, one of its branches remains vibrant and full of life. On the southern slope of the tower lies the Zhuoyue Spring, praised by the ‘Sage of Tea’ Lu Yu as the ‘Fourth Spring in the World’. Unfortunately, the spring source is now nearly dried up, with water only flowing from the rock crevices during heavy rain. In the southeast of the mountain lies the ‘Tomb of the Three High Officials’, the graves of the Yuan Dynasty literati Yang Weizhen, Qian Weishan, and Lu Jüren.
Opening hours: From May 1st to October 7th, 08:30-17:00; from October 8th to April 30th, 08:30-16:30.
Tianma Mountain Park
Tianma Mountain Park is located approximately seven kilometers southwest of Sheshan, near the Chenshan Botanical Garden. With an elevation of […]
