Zui Bai Chi: An Off-the-Beaten-Path Spring Journey in Songjiang

My kindergartener's teacher assigned the kids homework to find signs of spring. My child interpreted this as a mission to explore the facilities at Zui Bai Chi Park. 🤷‍♀️ So, taking advantage of the beautiful weekend weather, the three of us embarked on a journey to discover Zui Bai Chi Park. ⛺️🌺🌳 📌 Basic Information • 🎫 Opening Hours: Outer Garden: 6:00–17:00, Inner Garden: 7:00–17:00, Halls: 8:00–17:00. 🏷️ Ticket Price: 12 yuan. Free or half-price admission is available for certain groups. 📇 Address: 64 Renmin South Road, Songjiang District, Shanghai. 🚗 Transportation: Take subway line 9 to Zui Bai Chi Station, exit 3. By bus, take the Songmei Line, Husong Special Line, Songjiang Line 19, etc. 📌 Park Attractions 🏯 Ancient Architecture: Explore Ming Dynasty structures like the Zhujia Study, the Yi Fang, and the Reading Hall, as well as Qing Dynasty buildings such as the Pondside Cottage and the Baocheng Tower. The Simian Hall is where Dong Qichang once painted and recited poetry, and the Pondside Cottage, spanning the water, exudes an antique charm. 🗿 Stone Carvings and Steles: Admire stone carvings like the "Yun Jian Bang Yan Portraits," which depict portraits and eulogies of local scholars and celebrities from the Yuan to early Qing dynasties. Other notable stone carvings include the "Preface and Postscript to the Red Cliff" and "It's Hard to Be Confused." 🌆 Natural Scenery: The park centers around a pond, surrounded on three sides by winding corridors, pavilions, and terraces. Strange rocks stand around the pond, stacked using the Ming Dynasty technique of "seeing stones but not soil." The park boasts rich flora, including ancient ginkgo and camphor trees that are three to four hundred years old, and peonies over a century old. 📌 Suggested Routes • Highlights Route: Enter the park from the west gate on Renmin South Road and admire the large brick carvings. Walk east along the palm-lined path to visit the Qing Dynasty carved hall. Cross the arched stone bridge to see the lotus pond, and then pass through the cedar forest to enter the inner garden. Focus on the ancient buildings like the Pondside Cottage, Simian Hall, and Xuehai Hall, and appreciate the rocks and plants around the pond. • Cultural Experience Route: After entering the inner garden, visit the Bang Yan Portrait stone carvings and the historical art stele gallery to learn about Songjiang's historical and cultural figures. Then, head to places like the Simian Hall and Yi Fang, where scholars and poets once gathered, to immerse yourself in the cultural atmosphere.