Songjiang

No reviews yetCity Shanghai, China

Xilin Temple Main Hall, Songjiang Shanghai, Songjiang, Shanghai, China

Beinei Road Greenland and River, Songjiang, Songjiang, Shanghai, China

Zuibaichi Park, Plum Blossom Hall, Songjiang, Shanghai, China

Square Pagoda of Songjiang, Songjiang, Shanghai, China

About Songjiang

Long before the Bund existed, Songjiang was the place that mattered. Shanghai calls this south-western district its cultural root: Huating County, organised here in 751, was the first county-level administration within today's Shanghai, and in the Yuan dynasty Songjiang prefecture grew rich on cotton after Huang Daopo brought new spinning and weaving methods to the area.

That long history survives in a handful of remarkable monuments. The Song dynasty Square Pagoda rises over a park in the old town, a brick tower on Tianma Hill leans at an alarming angle, and Zuibaichi is one of Shanghai's five classical gardens. On the hills of Sheshan a Romanesque basilica and a Jesuit-founded observatory look out over the plain.

Modern Songjiang is just as busy: a huge university town, Thames Town's English-style streets, film studios and a large theme park. Metro Line 9 links it to central Shanghai in about an hour, and a full day here feels like a trip to a different city.

Best seasonMarch to May and October to November for mild weather and garden colour

Ideal stay1-2 days

ArrivingMetro Line 9 from central Shanghai; Songjiang South Railway Station is on the high-speed line to Hangzhou

12 Unforgettable Things to Do in Songjiang

Landmarks 2

Square Pagoda of Songjiang

The district's emblem is a slender nine-storey brick and wood pagoda built in the Northern Song dynasty, between 1068 and 1077, on...

Huzhu Pagoda

High on Tianma Hill in western Songjiang, this brick pagoda was built in 1079 and has tilted noticeably over the centuries, earnin...

Gardens 2

Zuibaichi Park

One of the five classical gardens of Shanghai, Zuibaichi traces its origins to the Song dynasty and was developed further in later...

Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden

One of the largest botanical gardens in China, Chenshan spreads around Chenshan hill with themed gardens, large display greenhouse...

Temples and Shrines 1

Xilin Temple Songjiang

Xilin Chan Temple is a working Buddhist monastery in the old heart of Songjiang, rebuilt in the 1980s around older foundations and...

Churches 1

Sheshan Basilica

Built between 1924 and 1935 on the summit of West Sheshan Hill, this Romanesque basilica is one of the most important Catholic pil...

Museums 1

Sheshan Observatory

Founded by French Jesuits at the start of the 20th century, the observatory on Sheshan Hill houses a historic refracting telescope...

Nature 1

Sheshan National Forest Park

The low hills of Sheshan are rare high ground in flat Shanghai, covered with bamboo groves, mixed woodland and walking paths. The...

History 1

Guangfulin Relics Park

This cultural park was created around an archaeological site where finds from the Liangzhu culture and later prehistoric periods w...

Neighborhoods 1

Thames Town

Built in the early 2000s as part of a plan to give satellite towns European themes, Thames Town recreates an English market town w...

Entertainment 2

Shanghai Film Park

In Chedun town, this working film and television studio has built full-size streets of 1930s Shanghai, including a recreation of o...

Shanghai Happy Valley

Shanghai's large theme park at the foot of Sheshan offers themed zones with roller coasters, water rides, family attractions and l...

Reviews

No reviews yet. Been to Songjiang? Be the first to share your experience.

Write a review

Share what you loved, what to skip and tips for other travelers.

Share your photos

Been to Songjiang? Add your best shots to the gallery.

More places in Shanghai

Jiading

Shanghai, China

Shanghai

Shanghai, China

Pudong

Shanghai, China

Tai’an

Shandong, China

Chengdu

Sichuan, China

Nanyang

Henan, China

Suzhou

Jiangsu, China

Jieyang

Guangdong, China

See all places in China →

Photo credits

Photo: Tim Wu, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Szalai.laci, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Acot一杯茶, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Fayhoo, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: CyberCop, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0

Photo: 钉钉, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: 猫猫的日记本, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Kgbkgbkgb, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Narjuko, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: 钉钉, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: 猫猫的日记本, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Christopher, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Photo: Fayhoo, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: User:Mountain, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: HouZ42, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: 三斤, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

Photo: derivative work: Gugganij (talk) Sheshan_hill_Songjiang_District_Shanghai.jpg: 三, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

Photo: Fayhoo, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Huai-Chun Hsu, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Photo: CyberCop, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0

Photo: Galaxyharrylion, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Brookqi, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Ermell, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Szalai.laci, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: lucia wang, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0