Gucun Park is located at No. 4788 Hutai Road, Gucun Town, Baoshan District, Shanghai. It stretches from Hutai Road in the east to Chenguang Road in the west, borders Jingbohu Road in the north and relies on the Outer Ring Expressway in the south. It is a national 4A-level tourist attraction and the first national 4A-level tourist attraction in Baoshan District. As a large urban suburban forest park integrating ecological protection, landscape viewing, leisure and fitness, cultural entertainment, tourism and vacation, and science popularization, it is also the largest urban suburban forest park in Shanghai. The total planned area of the park is 430 hectares, constructed in two phases. Phase I covers 180 hectares and Phase II covers 244.7 hectares, with a total water area of about 48 hectares. Featuring cherry blossom landscapes as its core attraction, Gucun Park has a cherry blossom planting area of over 1,600 mu, with 126 varieties and more than 16,000 trees, making it the largest and most diverse cherry blossom resort in Shanghai. The Shanghai Cherry Blossom Festival held from March to April every year has become a highly influential cultural and tourism IP in Shanghai.
History and Culture
Gucun Town, where Gucun Park is situated, is an ancient town with a history of more than 700 years and is also known as the "Hometown of Chinese Folk Culture and Art", boasting profound cultural heritage. Instead of being built from scratch, the park inherits and highlights the regional historical context by integrating wetlands, forests and ancient bridge relics on the historical vein of Gucun Ancient Town.
The park was formerly a slag dump of Shanghai No.1 Iron and Steel Plant. The ecological reconstruction project started in 2006 and the park officially opened to the public in 2008, becoming the largest suburban park in Shanghai at that time and filling the gap of large-scale ecological leisure places in northern Shanghai. During construction, the park specially preserved and reconstructed a number of historical ancient bridges carrying local memories, such as Guangfu Bridge, Mengxiong Bridge and Taiping Bridge. Guangfu Bridge is named after Guangfu Village in Gucun Town. The original Guangfu Temple, known as the No.1 Temple in the South of the Yangtze River, was destroyed in the Battle of Shanghai on August 13. The newly built white marble seven-arch bridge in the park is named after it to commemorate the history. Mengxiong Bridge was first built in the 33rd year of the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty and is the only double bridge in the park. Its name comes from The Book of Songs, embodying the good wishes of traditional folk customs. Taiping Bridge, also known as the Chinese Zodiac Bridge, has 24 zodiac animals carved on its railings, witnessing the changes of the local area from the Qing Dynasty to the present.
In 2011, the park launched the first Shanghai Cherry Blossom Festival relying on a 300-mu cherry blossom forest. Since then, the scale of cherry blossoms has continued to expand, from less than 200 mu at the beginning to over 1,600 mu today. The park also integrates Baoshan's industrial culture and international folk art culture into park construction and activities, and has set up a Cherry Blossom Culture and Art Exhibition Hall, forming a unique connotation based on natural ecology, with cherry blossom culture as the core, and integrating ancient and modern diverse cultures.
Main Attractions
Cherry Blossom Viewing Area
The Cherry Blossom Viewing Area is the core attraction of Gucun Park, with a total area of over 1,600 mu, located in Phase II of the park. It is planted with more than 16,000 cherry blossom trees of 126 varieties, including early, middle and late-blooming cherry blossoms, with a flowering period lasting from late February to mid-April. The main landscapes include Cherry Blossom Avenue, Fuying Forest, Meiren Road Early Cherry Blossom Tunnel, and Cherry Blossom Variety Garden. Cherry Blossom Avenue is a hundred-meter-long embankment, forming a spectacular sea of flowers when the Yoshino cherry blossoms on both sides are in full bloom; Meiren Road is dominated by early cherry blossoms, forming a romantic flower tunnel when blooming; the Cherry Blossom Variety Garden displays various rare cherry blossom varieties. During the Cherry Blossom Festival, night cherry blossom light shows are held in some areas, where lights and blooming flowers interweave.
Oriental Bird World
Located on the east side of the park, Oriental Bird World covers an area of 25 hectares and is a large-scale ecological bird-themed park. It is home to more than 1,000 rare birds of over 60 species from all over the world, covering six categories: swimming birds, wading birds, climbing birds, songbirds, birds of prey and running birds. The main exhibition areas include Flamingo Bay, Peacock Flying Southeast Performance Venue, Avian Knowledge Hall, Parrot World, Swan Lake and Ostrich Garden. Visitors can watch and feed birds up close, with peacock flying performances staged regularly every day. The Avian Knowledge Hall displays more than 100 kinds of bird specimens and eggs, combining ornamental and popular science values.
Nature Valley Dinosaur Park
Nature Valley Dinosaur Park covers an area of about 100,000 square meters and is an immersive Jurassic theme park. More than 60 full-size simulated dinosaur models are arranged in the park, distributed between forests and waters. With sound, light and electricity technology, the dinosaurs can move and roar. The park is equipped with a 7D dynamic cinema, an archaeological excavation experience area, a dinosaur science exhibition hall and other facilities. Through interactive experiences, visitors can learn about prehistoric creatures, making it a popular spot for parent-child tours.
Yuelin Lake
Yuelin Lake is the central water area of Gucun Park, with a wide water surface surrounded by metasequoia forests and lawns. The lake area has a water sports base providing boats, kayaks and other water activities. The lake surface contrasts beautifully with cherry blossom forests and the Ferris wheel, making it one of the best waterscape and cherry blossom viewing spots in the park. In spring and autumn, camping, markets and other activities are often held by the lake, which is also a core area for leisure walks and photography check-ins.
Children's Forest Carnival
Children's Forest Carnival is a parent-child amusement area in the park, equipped with a variety of gentle amusement facilities such as a cherry blossom-themed Ferris wheel, small train, bumper cars and carousel. The cherry blossom Ferris wheel, one of the park's landmarks, is about 40 meters high. Riding it offers a panoramic view of the entire cherry blossom sea and the park, making it a must-visit landmark for tourists.
Rose Garden
Located on the southwest side of the park, the Rose Garden is planted with 128 varieties of roses, divided into 8 themed small gardens of different styles. The roses in the garden are rich in colors, including red, yellow, pink, white and other colors, with a flowering period lasting from spring to autumn. The park adopts a European-style flower border design, matched with trellises, fountains and lawns, forming a colorful and romantic flower border with flowers in all seasons.
Exotic Style Garden
The Exotic Style Garden consists of European, Japanese, Chinese and other themed gardens with different architectural styles. The garden is equipped with characteristic lawns, landscape lakes, leisure trellises and art sculptures, with a quiet and elegant environment. Visitors can experience the garden aesthetics of different regions here, suitable for rest, photography and small gatherings.
Forest Barbecue Garden
The Forest Barbecue Garden is the designated outdoor barbecue area in the park, equipped with fixed barbecue grills and leisure tables and chairs. Visitors can bring their own ingredients or rent grills and buy ingredients on site to enjoy outdoor barbecue fun between forests and lakes. The barbecue area has an open environment surrounded by green trees, making it a popular choice for family and friend gatherings.
Tour Routes
Gucun Park covers a vast area, and two classic routes are recommended. One-day essential cherry blossom viewing route: Enter from Gate 2, visit Meiren Road Early Cherry Blossom Tunnel, Fuying Forest and Cherry Blossom Avenue in sequence, then take the cherry blossom Ferris wheel for a panoramic view, go to the Cherry Blossom Variety Garden, walk to Yuelin Lake for a boat ride, climb Wangying Pavilion for a full view of the park, and finally exit from Gate 1. This route connects the core cherry blossom attractions and landmarks, taking about 5 to 6 hours. Parent-child leisure route: Enter from Gate 3, first visit Yuelin Lake and Forest Barbecue Garden, then go to Children's Forest Carnival to experience amusement facilities, visit Nature Valley Dinosaur Park, and finally go to Oriental Bird World to watch birds and performances, exiting from Gate 2. This route focuses on parent-child interaction and popular science experience, taking about 4 to 5 hours.
Travel Tips
- The cherry blossom season (March to April) is the best time to visit, with the best viewing effect when Yoshino cherry blossoms are in full bloom in mid-to-late March.
- There are many tourists on weekends and holidays. It is recommended to enter the park before 7:00 a.m. to avoid the peak crowds.
- The park is large. It is recommended to wear comfortable sports shoes and choose sightseeing cars or bicycles in the park for transportation.
- During the cherry blossom season, it is recommended to bring a picnic mat to rest on the sunny lawn and experience the outdoor leisure atmosphere.
- Parent-child visitors should prioritize the three major areas: Nature Valley Dinosaur Park, Oriental Bird World and Children's Forest Carnival.
- Photography enthusiasts can take backlit photos of cherry blossoms from 4 to 5 p.m., with transparent petals and excellent light and shadow effects.
- During the night cherry blossom opening period (extended hours of the Cherry Blossom Festival), discounted night tickets are available for entry after 16:30.
- There are few catering spots in the park. It is recommended to bring your own drinking water and simple meals, or eat at the Cherry Blossom Festival market.
Notes
- It is strictly forbidden to break flower branches, shake cherry blossom trees or step into flower fields. Special shooting platforms are set up in the park.
- During large passenger flow periods, follow the guidance of staff, queue in order, and take good care of the elderly and children.
- Stay away from the edge of the water area, wear life jackets when boating, and abide by water safety regulations.
- Special feed must be used to feed birds in Oriental Bird World, and it is forbidden to bring your own food for feeding.
- It is forbidden to bring flammable and explosive materials into the park. The Forest Barbecue Area is the only designated barbecue area.
- Smoking, spitting and littering are prohibited in the park to maintain environmental hygiene.
- Parking lots are tight during the cherry blossom season. Public transport by subway is preferred, and self-driving visitors are advised to arrive before 8:30.
- Visitors with allergies are recommended to wear masks and stay away from pollen-dense areas when visiting the park in spring.
Transportation
- Metro: Take Metro Line 7 or Line 15 to Gucun Park Station, exit from Gate 5 and walk about 300 meters to reach Gate 2 directly.
- Bus: Take Jiatai Line, Bus 963 or 527 to Gate 1; take Baoshan Line 3 or Baoshan Line 29 to Gate 2; take Bus 1604 to Gate 3.
- Self-driving: Parking lots are set at Gate 1, 2 and 3 of the park, with a total of about 6,000 parking spaces.
Opening Hours
Daily opening hours are from 6:00 to 18:00, with entry stopping at 16:30. During the annual Shanghai Cherry Blossom Festival (usually March to April), some areas are open extended until 21:30, subject to the official announcement.
Tickets
Tickets start from 30 yuan per person. You can search for the official account "顾村公园" on WeChat to get the latest updates.
Online Booking
Click here to jump to the Trip.com ticketing platform for ticket purchase.