The Shanghai Botanical Gardens are in bloom and now is an excellent time to visit. The temperature now is just right, that springtime sweet spot of warm and sunny, and not yet the sweat-through-your-back, shower-three-times-a-day summer weather. We went on a sunny day to check out the 200 acre park, near Shanghai South Railway Station.
Get ready for a lot of retirees practicing their amateur photography. Bring along a blanket to lie down on the many grassy fields (You can lie on the grass! We have lain there to test it!) and some food since the stalls only sell ice cream and instant ramen. You can also buy a kite (40rmb for a small one, 70rmb for a big one), rent a bicycle kart for 50rmb an hour, or drive a boat along the river for 50rmb for a half hour.
Indoor venues, like the two conservatories, Chinese Cymbidium Room and the Garden's restaurant, are still closed due to epidemic restrictions. Other adjustments involve three check points when you enter the park. First for your green suishenma, second for your reservation and third to buy tickets.
Reservations are required to cap the number of daily visitors and can be made as you wait in line via the Garden's Chinese-language WeChat account (上海植物, Shanghai zhiwu). Entrance costs 15rmb, while special areas like the bonsai (penjing) Garden cost an extra 7rmb (cash only) inside.
There is currently a special Shanghai International Flower Show showcasing gardens in styles from around the world. The exhibit is going on from April 25 to May 24. You will also find hydrangeas, foxgloves and lupines in bloom along with the mainstay gardens, though the peony garden is currently under renovation.
The Shanghai Botanical Gardens are located at 947 Longwu near Baise Lu. Click here for the full listing.
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