Sheshan Hill　佘山

Sheshan Hill, about 13 km north of Songjiang District, Shanghai, is referred to as the best of the "Nine Hills in the Clouds". About 100 meters high, it is the highest hill in Shanghai.

The beautiful nine hills are green with trees, and rich in natural resources. It was referred to in ancient times as a "Retreat Away from the World".

The nine hills are the only forestry in Shanghai. The extremely bewitching scenery and the literary activities by people of letters from generation to generation have made the hills rich in cultural connotation. On each of the hills there are ancient architectures such as pagodas, halls, pavilions, etc. With either eight or ten scenic spots, each hill is a nice place for people to visit.

Of all the hills in Shanghai, Sheshan Hill is the best for the beauty and number of its scenic spots. On Sheshan Hill, the scenery is breathtaking because of dense forests and spurting fountains. The hill offers a specialty, i. e. the orchid bamboo shoots that are well known for its fragrance of orchids. It is said that Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty made tour inspections twice in Songjiang. He had quite a number of opportunities to enjoy the delicious dishes of the orchid bamboo shoots, and he appreciated and highly praised the refreshing taste of the orchid bamboo shoots. Later on, he dispatched an imperial envoy to award Sheshan with an imperial board. On the board was his majesty's inscription Lansun Shan, meaning the orchid bamboo shoots hill. That's why Sheshan Hill is also named Orchid Bamboo Shoots Hill.

Sheshan Hill has long been an attractive scenic spot for tourists. It has been a magnet for people to come and settle down, leaving behind many romantic legends and eternal literary works. As is recorded in a documentary, Xu Xiake, an illustrious geographer and traveler in China, came to Sheshan more than once and even made short stays here. On the Mid-autumn Festival of the 1st year (1628) of the Chongzheng Period of the Ming Dynasty, Xu came to Sheshan for the first time. And about three years later he came to Sheshan again. And it was in the 9th year (1636) of the Chongzheng Period that he came for the third time. In addition, Mo Shilong, the founder of Songjiang Genre of Painting, built his villa Paradise Garden on Sheshan Hill. He often met with his friends in the villa, drinking and painting.

And on Sheshan Hill there still exists a seven-story pagoda from the Song Dynasty. The pagoda is named Taoist Xiu or Yueying Pagoda. It is said that in the period of the North Song Dynasty, a Taoist by the name of Xiu participated in the construction of the pagoda. After its completion, the Taoist cremated himself in the pagoda. In memory of the Taoist, people named the pagoda Taoist Xiu. Moreover, on the hill there is a famous bush of white peony from the Ming Dynasty, which is said to have been planted by a monk of the Ming Dynasty. When the flowers blossom every year, they are large in size and bright in color, attracting many tourists. This peony bush is over 400 years old; it is still luxuriant, which is very rare.

On the top of Sheshan Hill is the grand Sheshan Catholic Cathedral ― the No.1 Cathedral, famous in the Far East. With an area of approximately 10 mu and its main building being about 38 m tall. Inside, the cathedral is tall and spacious, and the statues are exquisite and graceful. The colored windows on both sides are glistening.

Opposite the Cathedral is the Sheshan Astronomical Observatory, built by French missionaries in 1900, which was the earliest observatory in China and is at present the Sheshan Work Center of Shanghai Observatory. The astronomical telescope at this observatory has photographed a large quantity of astronomical data, and made great contributions to the astronomical cause in China and the world as well. On the west side of the Cathedral, there is another new astronomical observation station, in which has been installed a super-large 154-cm astronomical telescope, one of the best in the world. The silvery white dome of the observatory and the red walls and green tiles of the Cathedral enhance each other's beauty, thus making a wonderful view when looked at in the distance.

Since the 1980s, the European World of Amusement has been built in the area with the Tianma Countryside Golf Course, the Moon Lake, the largest artificial lake in Shanghai, as well as the cableway and holiday inns to cater to tourists. In June 1995, the State Council approved of Shanghai's proposal that Sheshan be built into a national tourist and vacationing region. The construction of these characteristic landscaping scenes has attracted many tourists, Chinese and overseas.

Address: Sheshan Town, Songjiang District

Open Hours: 7:30-16:30