The spacious 200 acres of gardens here offer an escape from Shanghai’s synthetic cityscape. The floral displays are truly impressive, especially during the Shanghai International Flower Show, which runs from late March to early May. In the summer heat you may be out of luck outdoors, but the indoor Tropicarium will allow you to get up close to tropical flora.
Once inside you can take the lift to the 5th floor for a bird's-eye view. If visiting during spring there's plenty to explore, from peony, conifer, magnolia, fern and rose gardens to a Chinese cymbidium garden. The colours and volume of flowers are staggering and the routes are very pleasant to walk. The northern side of the gardens has a dusty memorial temple, originally built in 1728. It’s dedicated to Huang Daopo, said to have kick-started Shanghai’s cotton industry by bringing the knowledge of spinning and weaving to the region from Hainan. It's a 20-minute walk from Shilong Rd metro stop.