n April 11th, 2019, I went to Guangfulin Country Park with my fellows to enjoy an outing in spring.  

Guangfulin Country Park is free of charge to public. Nevertheless, visitors are asked to select the visiting date, time and the number of people in advance. The Guangfulin Country Park opens all year round, from 8:00 to 18:00 daily in the months of May to September (no entrance at 17:00), or from 8:00 to 17:00 in the months of October to April (no entrance at 16:00).

On the Guangfulin Country Park official website or Wechat public account, we book the tickets and get the entrance QR codes (electric ticket), by which we can enter this park on the appointed day. For those who are unable to book, they can get a paper ticket by their ID card.

On our arriving at Guangfulin Country Park, we were all filled with excitement. Every street is embroidered with flowers, filling the air with a sweet fragrance. The sun smiled gently, which infected us. Thanks to the nice weather, the sky was clean and bright there, the wind was mild and pleasant, the air was sweet and fresh, and the scenery was so magnificent.

Shanghai Guangfulin Country Park is located in Songjiang District, Shanghai. The park is adjacent to the Guangfulin Cultural Site and is the sixth open country park in Shanghai. The total area is about 4 square kilometers. The park has 7 entrances and exits in total.

Guangfulin Country Park is built centering on the five core elements of “Farm, Water, Road, Forest and Village”. Based on the ecological landscape of farming, the park is composed of four sections: farmland picking, fruit forest scenery, wetland fishing village and camping site. The park also has various cultural projects such as the root carving exhibition hall, the people's stage, and outdoor movies to create a special service center.

Compared with the surrounding Chenshan Botanical Garden and Happy Valley, Guangfulin Country Park firmly sticks to its core——"country", which distinguishes itself from the other spots. Via managing the environment, enhancing service, and awakening people’s memories, Guangfulin Country Park becomes a park famous for its cultural relics and eco environment.

The Country Park houses four parking areas, including P2 in Guangfulin Road, P3, P5 in Chenta Road and P6 in Chenhua Road, with almost 900 parking lots. The car is able to enter the gate No.5 in Chenta Road 3488 and exit from the gate No.6 in Chenta Road3699. Because we are on foot, we enter the park from gate No.2 in Guangfulin Road 3918.

Due to the insufficient parking lots, it is recommended that visitor choose green travel by bus or other public transport to avoid traffic jam caused by parking waiting.  Many green ways are accessible for visitors. We can take Songjiang bus No.15, No. 1801 or No.24(outer circle, University Town direction) to Guangfulin Road-Sanxin North Road and then walk 800 meters to the west to the gate No.2. Taking Songjiang bus No.19 to Chenta Road-Chenhua Road, we are able to arrive at Gate No.4. Songjiang 19 Road, 95 Road and 96 Road are also available for visitors to Chenhua Road-Xinchen Road and then walk to the Gate No.7. In addition, we can take Metro line 9 to Songjiang University Town station and then head for the Songjiang Passenger Transport Center in the north to take a bus.

The Guangfulin Cultural Relics Park, widely renowned as the root of Shanghai culture, which lies beside the Guangfulin Country Park also attracted our attention. Guangfulin culture continued from Neolithic Age to the Qing Dynasty has never declined and is celebrated as the cradle of Shanghai’s civilization. We visited the Guangfulin Culture Exhibition Hall, a museum built under water, and experienced the historical changes of Guangfulin culture when wandering through the labyrinth of corridors. We learned from the guidebook that the Guangfulin Site was listed as a cultural relics protection site in Shanghai in 1977 and identified as the seventh batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units by the State Council in 2013. I think just as the Yellow river and the Yangtze river for the Chinese people, so the Guangfulin cultural relics for the people of Shanghai, in which Shanghai’s rich local culture is nurtured and developed. 

However, the cultural value of Guangfulin site seems not fully valued by society by now. If you now ask the people on the street which is the cultural representation of Shanghai in their own view, most people would answer the Bund, the Oriental Pearl Television Tower or Yu Garden without hesitation; nevertheless, the remote Guangfulin Cultural Relics Park would hardly come to their mind. Before this visit, I was one of those who have never heard of the place, let alone understand its tremendous cultural value. However, now I believe the ancient remains deserve more public attention and cultural preservation.

If you visit the Guangfulin Cultural Relics Park and Guangfulin Country Park, you will find that the towering modern structure may pale into insignificance in comparison with the historical and cultural values. It’s a memorable trip that brings pleasure and leisure to us. I think Guangfulin park is a place worth of visiting.