Qingxi Country Park Travel Notes: Exploring the Wetland Secrets of Shanghai

In the early morning, I took Metro Line 17 from downtown Shanghai, heading west to the terminal station, Dongfang Green Boat Station. After exiting the station, I walked to the bus stop and transferred to Jinze Bus No. 7. About 40 minutes later, I arrived at Qingxi Country Park Station. Along the way, the scenery of lakes and water gradually intensified, and the hustle and bustle of the city quietly faded away, replaced by the tranquility of the countryside. What came into view was the vast water wetland, with boardwalks winding through the reeds, and occasionally, egrets skimming over the water, gently rippling the surface. Following the wetland route, I reached the park's core attraction—the Water Forest. This 60-acre pond cypress forest grows in shallow water, lush with greenery in spring, with egrets resting among the trees, creating the spectacle of "cypress forest and egret shadows." The ecological conservation area requires an ID card for free entry, with wooden boardwalks running through the forest, making it feel like a water maze. Turning to the lakeside route, the rippling waters of Dalian Lake, with three islands connected in the center, and wildflowers adorning the shore. The fishing village leisure experience area on the north side retains the original ecological village, with white-walled, black-tiled farmhouses interwoven with fish ponds, occasionally seeing villagers rowing boats and selling freshly caught river fish. The uniqueness of Qingxi Country Park lies in the symbiosis of its "wetland genes" and cultural heritage. As the only country park in Shanghai characterized by wetlands, it is home to 185 species of birds, including the rare Chinese merganser. On the way back, the sun set in the west, and the reeds along Lianxi Road were gilded with a golden edge. Qingxi Country Park uses wetlands as paper and ecology as ink, painting a Jiangnan ink painting far from the hustle and bustle. It is not only a paradise for bird watching and photography but also a station for urbanites to rediscover rural memories.