[2025 Shanghai Attraction] Travel Guide for Water Forest (Updated Mar)

🌟Highlights: Qingxi Country Park's scenery is divided into three main categories: the water village of Lianhu Village, the lakeside scenery of Dalian Lake, and the innermost water forest. Today, we mainly admired the beauty of Dalian Lake. ❤Recommended reasons: The lake is vast and the water is crystal clear. Although the angles for taking photos are limited, the wooden boardwalk and a small pavilion by the lake offer a unique view of the distant lake. There is also a lotus pond by the lake. Although the season has passed, the lake under the sun and the setting sun are still incredibly beautiful, especially the dazzling sunset glow, which is truly captivating. 📍Detailed address: 500 Zilian Road, Jinze Town, Qingpu District, Shanghai 🚉Transportation guide: Take Metro Line 17 and transfer to Jinlian Route 6. 🕙Opening hours: 8:30 am to 4:30 pm

Qingxi Country Park has beautiful metasequoia trees and a water forest. 🕗 Opening hours: 8:30–16:30 (no entry after 16:00), free admission. 🚉 Transportation: 1. Public transportation: Take metro line 17 to Xicun Station, then take a taxi to the park, which takes about 10 minutes. 2. Self-driving (recommended): Park at P2 and take a shuttle bus directly to the entrance of the water forest. This is recommended for lazy people. Parking fee: CNY15/time; shuttle bus: CNY20/person (roundtrip). This will save you a lot of time. 🌟 Highlights: Water metasequoia forest, only accessible by foot, about 2 kilometers roundtrip. Take photos as you walk. The metasequoia trees are beautiful in late autumn, but it is difficult to take good photos. The air is super fresh. 💡 Important suggestions: 1. It is recommended to bring your own food before entering the park, as there are no shops inside the park. There are farmhouses outside the park. 2. The park is very large. If you don't take the shuttle bus, you will have to walk a long way. Remember to wear comfortable shoes. ⏳ Playtime: 2–3 hours, enough time to walk around and take photos. Plan your time well, avoid mealtimes, and enjoy the natural scenery!

🌟Highlights: In December 2024, after more than half a year of closure for construction, the water forest in Qingxi Country Park reopened to the public. The maintenance work mainly focused on the wooden plank road, which was originally made of wood. In the wetland environment, it was easily damaged by wind and sun over the years. After this maintenance, it was changed to a wood-like structure. ❤Recommended reasons: The "water forest" is located in the ecological conservation area of Qingxi Country Park, covering an area of more than 60 mu. It is mainly composed of water-tolerant tree species such as pond cypress, with water and forest interspersed, and seagulls and egrets flying together, forming a unique landscape in Shanghai. The "water forest" was originally a wetland afforestation project funded by the Shanghai Agricultural Bureau in 1982, with seedlings mainly consisting of pond cypress, bald cypress, and Chinese fir. Due to river dredging and human factors, the area was reduced from over 100 mu to about 60 mu. 📍Detailed address: No. 500, Zilian Road, Jinze Town, Qingpu District, Shanghai 🚉Transportation guide: Take Shanghai Metro Line 17 to Xicen Station, then transfer to Jinze Bus No. 6 🕙Business hours: 8:30 am to 4:30 pm 📝Tips: Free admission

🌟Highlights: Shanghai Qingxi Country Park is located by the Great Lotus Lake in Jinze Town, Qingpu District. It is the only country park in Shanghai that features wetlands. The "water forest" in the ecological conservation area is the most famous. In late autumn and early winter, the leaves here turn fiery red, creating a spectacular sight and making it a must-visit spot for tourists. The colorful scenery is like a fairy tale world, perfect for camping, picnicking, and cycling. ❤Recommended reason: This picturesque forest of metasequoia trees stands in crystal-clear water. The thick, mottled roots are firmly rooted in the water, and the mirror-like surface reflects the straight trunks of the trees. The fiery red leaves layer upon layer, turning the clear lake water into a bright red. When the wind blows, playful breezes ripple across the water, scattering the reflections of light and tree shadows into a pool of golden fragments. 📍Address: No. 500, Zilian Road, Jinze Town, Qingpu District, Shanghai 🚉Transportation: Take Shanghai Metro Line 17 to Xicen Station, then transfer to Jinze Bus No. 6 🕙Opening hours: 8:00–16:00 📝Tips: Free admission

Hangzhou is not only home to West Lake, but also a natural oxygen bar hidden in the city. We drove 3 hours from Shanghai to this bamboo-covered paradise, Hangzhou Qingshan Lake, for a weekend getaway. Here, you can take a boat ride through the picturesque landscape or stroll through the water forest and watch the water birds dance. In the evening, check in to Yunxi Valley Homestay, hidden in the mountains, and watch the sunset from the starry terrace. On the second day, wake up to the sound of birds chirping, explore the primeval forest along the valley path, and marvel at the wonders of nature. This is also a film and television base, so you might just stumble onto a film set! When the fast pace of life becomes overwhelming, come here to relax and unwind.

Take Line 17 to Xicen Station, then transfer to Jinze Bus No. 6 to the entrance of Qingxi Country Park. Walk past the Great Lotus Lake, where the lake breeze blows, and villagers sail small boats on the lake to cast nets. There are withered lotuses by the lake, with egrets resting among them, and little ducks swimming leisurely by. But because the goal of this trip was clear, which was to reach the water forest before the large number of tourists arrived, we did not stop along the way. After passing several "Please go forward" signs, we finally saw the boardwalk of the water forest. At present, the dawn redwoods are mainly reddish-brown, mixed with green, and compared to all red, the colors are more rich and varied. As the boardwalk goes deeper into the forest, you gradually feel like you don't know where you are, and you can only hear the sound of fruit falling from the trees. The beautiful scenery soothes the soul, and this trip was worth it!