Escaping the Jungle for the Forest

Shanghai is a great city, it is also a massive and heavily populated city.  Population based on Shanghai resident permits is approximately 22 million, but we've heard actual population estimates ranging from 28 million to 40 million.  And with little green-space, it is often referred to as the concrete jungle.  It is easy to go months without stepping foot on grass.  Though there are a number of small parks scattered throughout the city, you are not supposed to walk on the grass in most.  In fact, I only know of two parks where you're able to walk on the grass.  One is a 20 minute walk from our place and is completely under construction at the moment, the other is a 40 minute Metro ride across the city.  As someone who enjoys the outdoors and the solitude of a hike through nature, escaping the city is one of the more difficult things about living here for me.

Some time ago, it was with a fair bit of excitement that I had Anthony (our driver) take me an hours drive out to the Sheshan National Forest.  Sheshan is not so much a forest as it is a series of tree-covered hills all within about 20 minutes drive of each other with the occasional historic structure at or near a "peak".  Sheshan also contains the highest point in Shanghai at 97m above sea-level.  Downtown Shanghai averages 3m above sea-level.  Sheshan is where Shanghainese go to "climb a mountain".  I "climbed" the highest, Heaven Horse Mountain, and two others.  It takes about 15 minutes.

It was great to be amongst nature again.  I saw and heard birds that weren't for sale in a cage and I scared off some sort of wildlife along the way.  Didn't catch a glimpse of it, but I'm assuming it was a deer.  I don't think there are many other larger animals around these parts.  Despite the quick ascents, there were enough trails in the two sections of the forest I visited to kill the better part of a day.  Only unfortunate part, as you'll see below, is "the mist" is ever-present across all of Shanghai and far beyond it's boundaries.

West Sheshan Park:

View from the "peak"

I believe the Family Feud question was:
Things you don't expect to see in Shanghai?

The Church of Our Lady of Sheshan.  The biggest
church in Southeast Asia and a Catholic church.

Urinal just outside the church.  Anybody
else wondering why you need an outdoor
urinal with all those trees around?

Astronomical Observatory.  Think it goes without
saying that it's no longer in operation.

Never thought somebody actually looked through
a scope in one of these huge observatories.

Not sure what this is.  Seems like the top deck
was a sundial that time has deteriorated.

Bamboo forest

These were everywhere throughout the bamboo forest.
Didn't think a bamboo forest would be so susceptible
to fire, but I'm not going to knock one of the few
 safety precautions I've come across while here.

Just a bathroom

Tianmashan Park:

Entrance gate

Balance is an important concept to the Chinese

Uhhhhh ... okay?!?

Huzhu Pagoda.  Over 900 years old and tilted at
 an angle greater than the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

This may show the angle better/

Buddhist temple at one peak.

Not a good PMI day.

At the peak of Heaven Horse Mountain, 97m above
sea level.  I'll save you the close up of the horse.
It's made in an attempt to look real, but is missing
key facial components that gives you the creeps.

This is just a bathroom in the forest, but it's funny
because of the doors.  The Chinese seem to have
an aversion to removing the protective plastic that
 adorns aesthetically important, but transportationally
fragile items.  This drives some people crazy.  These
doors on perhaps the most remote bathroom in
Shanghai still have the protective plastic on them.

Pretty certain this is not the longest word, but at 23 letters,
it is the longest word I have ever seen actually used
without being prefaced by "the longest word is ...".