Shanghai Hiking Spots: 8 Great Places to Hike

There are many great places to hike in Shanghai, especially during the spring season. We highly recommend you go hiking and enjoy the beautiful scenery! Here are some of the best hiking spots in Shanghai, including Sheshan, Tianma Mountain, and Xiaokunshan. For more recommendations, please read on.

1. Sheshan

Sheshan is located in Songjiang District, Shanghai, China. It is divided into East Sheshan and West Sheshan, with elevations of 98 meters and 97 meters respectively. It is the only natural mountain forest in Shanghai.

The peaks of Sheshan Forest Park create a picturesque mountain forest landscape in the flat Shanghai plain. On the mountain, there are famous Catholic pilgrimage sites – Sheshan Basilica (known as the Basilica of the Far East, renowned as the French Lourdes Basilica) and Xiudaozhe Tower, as well as the Sheshan Earthquake Baseline Station, Sheshan Moon Lake, and Sheshan Observatory.

The best time to hike is in spring and autumn when the temperature is pleasant. Especially in spring, you can also go up the mountain to dig for newly unearthed bamboo shoots!

>>>Address: Sheshan Forest Park, Sheshan Town, Songjiang District, Shanghai

2. Tianma Mountain

Tianma Mountain has two peaks, north and south, shaped like a celestial horse, hence the name. The mountain is covered with dense forests of black pines, tung trees, and bamboo. At the foot of the mountain, there is the “World’s First Leaning Tower”, the Hu Baoyu Guang Tower, built in the second year of Song Yuanfeng (1079 AD). There are also other attractions, such as the ancient ginkgo tree over 700 years old, the “Three High-ranking Scholars’ Tomb”, and more.

>>>Address: No. 460, Liujiashan Village, Sheshan Town, Songjiang District, Shanghai

3. Xiaokunshan

Xiaokunshan looks like a reclining ox from a distance, with its north peak resembling the head of the ox, also known as Niutoushan, with dense forests of pine and camphor trees.

This is also the hometown of the famous Western Jin Dynasty literary figures Lu Ji and Lu Yun, where they cultivated and studied. In the past, “the two Lus” were compared to beautiful jade, and they were praised with the phrase “Jade comes from Kun Mountain”.

Today, the “Two Lus’ Grass Hall” was built in the 1990s. Walking up the mountain road of Xiaokunshan, you can see the ruins of the “Two Lus’ Study Platform” halfway up the mountain. Arriving at the top of the mountain, you will see the “Two Lus’ Grass Hall”. Inside the hall, there is a copy of Lu Ji’s “Ping Fu Tie” (a calligraphic scroll).

>>>Address: Located in the northwest of Songjiang, about 10.5 kilometers northwest of Songjiang Town

4. Fenghuang Mountain

Fenghuang Mountain is located east of the East China Sea, west of Zhujiajiao Ancient Town in Qingpu District, and south of Sheshan and Chenshan. The mountain has a steep shape, slightly resembling a “ten” shape, resembling a phoenix stretching its neck and wings, soaring in the air. There is a green wall on the mountain, over 20 meters high, like an ax cut, which is said to be the place where the Yuan Dynasty literary figure Tao Zongyi studied.

>>>Address: Located about 11 kilometers north of Songjiang Town, Songjiang District

5. Chenshan

Chenshan is located in the Chen position (southeast), hence the name. The main peak is 69.8 meters above sea level. The south of the mountain is a mixed coniferous and broad-leaved forest, while the north slope has many bamboo groves. Due to quarrying by later generations, the south slope has been cut into a cliff, offering a spectacular view of “steep cliffs and echoing valleys”. There are scenic spots on the mountain, such as the “Suyun Pavilion”.

>>>Address: No. 3888, Chenhua Highway, Songjiang District

6. Xueshan

Xueshan is 70.8 meters above sea level, the fifth mountain among the nine peaks of Song County. According to the Tang Dynasty’s “Wudi Ji” (Records of the Wu Region), Xue Daoyue lived here during the Tang Dynasty, hence the name Xueshan. Famous attractions include Xingyun Ridge, Xueshi Pavilion, Zizhiyan Rock, Ku Jie Stele, Xianren Bed, Xue Lao Temple, and more.

>>>Address: Located in Sheshan Town, about 11 kilometers north of the county town

7. Jishan

Jishan is located in Tianma Township, Songjiang District, Shanghai. The mountain is relatively flat with no major ups and downs. The area is densely forested and named after the great Western Jin Dynasty literary figure and calligrapher Lu Ji. Because the mountain is relatively small, it is also called Xiaojishan, with dense black pine forests.

>>>Address: Located in Tianma Township, Songjiang District, Shanghai, about 11.5 kilometers northwest of Songjiang Town

8. Hengshan

Hengshan is 69.5 meters above sea level. It is named so because it stretches between Tianma Mountain and Xiaokunshan. The locals named it Hengyun Mountain in memory of Lu Ji’s younger brother, Lu Yun.

>>>Address: Located in Kunning Township, Songjiang District, Shanghai, about 10 kilometers northwest of the county town