Escaping the urban jungle is not easy, but also not impossible, for those who need to feel the grass beneath their feet
Shanghai is many things to many people, but a nature lover's paradise is not one of them. When Peter Jackson was scouting locations for his Lord of the Rings trilogy, the city did not even make the long list, and for good reason.
But for Shanghai residents, slipping out of the urban jungle and into some greenery is not impossible. They just do not have it quite so good as Hongkongers.
One place to catch a breather is Zhongshan Park (Zhongshan Park Metro Station). This is a nice little park where, in season, the buzzing of cicadas will drown out the traffic noise of the surrounding metropolis. Zhongshan Park has an excellent meadow for sunbathing, shaded paths for walking and rides for children. Behind the park, towards the river, is a shaded lane with a botanical nursery on the other side that makes for a nice walk. It is not Hong Kong Park, but it is not a bad place to escape the crowds.
Another popular green getaway is Changfeng Park in the unfashionable northwest corner of Shanghai, just north of the Wusong River. Its central feature is a large lake offering boating and fishing. Changfeng Park has become even more popular since the opening of its Beluga Whale Show Stadium, which offers visitors an excellent opportunity to watch the acrobatic antics of four playful whales (Wei Wei and Jun Jun, the local residents, and Lorik and Polind, visitors from Russia that should be sticking around this month before being airlifted back home). Bring a towel (or sit in the back row), as the performers seem to take delight in getting their viewers wet.
If you have not had enough of animals, there is the Shanghai Zoo. While it is not among the world's most highly regarded zoos, it has enough in animal attractions (including the famed dancing elephants of Xishuangbana) to keep the children happy. The zoo is situated on the edge of the Hongqiao Airport, under the flight path of major air traffic, which detracts from the illusion that you might have entered a pristine nature reserve. Earlier this month, two resident ostriches slipped out of their confines and wandered around the Hongqiao neighbourhood before being caught and brought back.
Visitors in search of serious greenery need look no further than the Shanghai Botanical Gardens ) (111 Longwu Road), in the southwest suburbs. While this famous beauty spot was sorely neglected during the cultural revolution (when it was allowed to become overgrown until it resembled a jungle), the Shanghai Botanical Gardens are a favourite spot for local picnickers, boasting a 5,000 square metre greenhouse with more than 2,000 tropical plants, small lakes and a lovely exhibit of miniature bonsai trees (though in Chinese these are known as penjing). The place also has beautiful pavilions and courtyards, making it a natural and culturally edifying experience for young and old.
