With several farms, wetlands and parks, Chongming Island’s a great getaway for nature lovers big and
small looking to escape the concrete metropolis that
is downtown Shanghai. Chongming barely scrapes a population of 820,000, so if your mini urbanites are used to big city life, get ready for fewer people and a quiet, laid-back environment.
Given the island’s size (it’s one of the largest in China), you could spend several days there and still not have seen and done everything, but if a one-day or weekend trip is all you have time for, here’s where to go.
Photograph: courtesy Mahota Farm 泰生农场
Chongming has several farms scattered throughout the island, among which is
Mahota Farm. This place is all about healthful eating, organic produce and sustainable farming practices – it recycles all its agricultural waste to reduce carbon emissions. Get an all-day tour, pick your own organic vegetables and feed farm animals for around 280RMB per person (140RMB for kids). To satisfy even more of your nature fix, head over to
Dongping National Forest Park, which covers 3.5 square kilometres, and offers kid-friendly activities like go-karting, rock climbing, paintball and more.
Photograph: courtesy Chongming Tourism Bureau
Getting there from downtown Shanghai takes around two hours on public transportation. Catch a bus from either Wenshui Lu station on Line 1 or the Science and Technology Museum station on Line 2. You’ll want Shenchong Line 2 or Shenchong Line 3, which will take you to Nanmen Station on the island.
