Editor's note:

This year is the 21st anniversary of the opening of the Shanghai metro. The subway has facilitated more than 13 billion journeys during its 21 years, and half of Shanghai citizens cite the metro as their favored mode of transport. To commemorate the anniversary, each week the Global Times will take an in-depth look at one metro station and its surroundings. In the case of downtown stations, we will focus on points of interest within walking distance; while for suburban areas, we will cast our net a little wider.


Sitting next to the core areas of Shanghai Sheshan National Tourist Resort in Songjiang district, Sheshan Station of Metro Line 9 brings you to this picturesque land in the southwest part of Shanghai.

With numerous funfairs, parks and hospitality facilities established over the past decade, the neighborhood has become one of the most popular tourist destinations in the city. To attract more local traffic, most facilities provide free shuttle bus services from the Metro, which make Sheshan Station an ideal transfer hub.

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Happy Valley

Opened in 2009, Happy Valley (3355-2222, sh.happyvalley.cn) in Songjiang district is the brand's fourth development in China, following previous projects in Shenzhen, Beijing and Chengdu. Covering 900,000 square meters, it is divided into seven themed parks with a 2.5-kilometer canal.

It offers a wide selection of rides, from a breathtaking wooden roller coaster to a charming merry-go-around. To celebrate its fifth anniversary, Happy Valley is opening an ocean theme park this summer, with a suspension roller coaster, a virtual roller coaster ride and a 4D cinema. As well as these state-of-the-art facilities, the park is also going to introduce sea lion shows and present colorful jellyfish.

A one-day pass to the venue costs 200 yuan ($31.98) per person. Happy Valley opens from 9:30 am to 6 pm on weekdays and 9 am to 6 pm on weekends and national holidays.

A shuttle bus service is available across the street of Sheshan Road Station.

The wooden roller coaster in Happy Valley

Playa Maya Water Park

Sitting next to Happy Valley, Playa Maya Water Park (3779-2222 ext. 3333, sh.playamaya.cn) is the city's second-largest water park, although it packs in more than its larger rival Dino Beach in Minhang district.

The park is open from June every year, and closes in the fall, usually around the end of September. It covers 200,000 square meters with more than 30 different exciting rides. It also has the city's largest man-made beach and wave pool, allowing you to get an inland ocean experience.

Business hours and ticket prices for this year have yet to be confirmed. The information will be released via the park's official website.

A shuttle bus service is available across the street of Sheshan Road Station.

Shanghai Sculpture Park

Funded by a Taiwanese businessman, Shanghai Sculpture Park (http://www.yuehussp.com/) is the city's first and largest sculpture theme park, with more than 60 works showcased in an 860-square meter outdoor space.

The park is divided into four sections, namely spring, summer, autumn and winter. The sculpture works and plants in each section present the characters of each season.

In the summer section, there is a man-made beach, a kids' play ground and a small funfair for children. The autumn section houses the Yuhu Museum of Art, where exhibitions and conventions are regularly held.

The park opens 9 am to 5 pm daily and tickets cost 100 yuan on weekdays and 120 yuan on weekends. Families going to the park on weekends can get a buy-two-get-one-free package.

Take Songjiang Bus No.92 or Bus Huchen from Sheshan Station and get off at Yuehu Stop.

A stone sculpture in Shanghai Sculpture Park Photos: CFP

Sheshan National Forest Park

As one of the city's most prestigious national parks, Shanghai Sheshan National Forest Park (5765-7231, ssgy.forestry.gov.cn) contains more than 1,000 varieties of plants, and is filled with stunning scenery.

Sheshan Marian Basilica, known as the "Far East's First Church," was built in 1874. The original church was demolished in 1925. Chinese Portuguese priest Francesco Xavier Diniz designed the new cathedral. The reconstruction project took a decade and the cathedral reopened to the public in 1935. To this day, local Catholics still worship at the church on a daily basis.

Another attraction in the park is Sheshan Observatory, which sits on the top of West Sheshan Mountain. It is one of the oldest astronomical observatories in China. The silver hemispherical building stands in contrast to the nearby Marian Basilica.

In 1962, Sheshan Observatory was merged with Xujiahui Observatory and renamed the Sheshan Workstation of Shanghai Observatory by the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Admission to the forest park is free, but the observatory charges 20 yuan per person.

To visit, take Bus Huchen at Sheshan Station and get off at Chenfangqiao.