Gongqing National Forest Park (共青国家森林公园)
Park · Yangpu · Shanghai. Downtown Shanghai's only forest park: 131 hectares of woods, lawns and lakes.
Source: https://chinafootnotes.com/places/gongqing-national-forest-park · Data checked 2026-10-02 · Rendered for 2026-10-03 (Asia/Shanghai). Facts carry their status; "not found yet" means we searched and found no reliable source.
Notices in effect
- 2026-10-01 to 2026-10-07: 40th-anniversary carnival: three stages at Camphor Square (香樟广场) and the flower-show entrance, two costume parades daily, 林涧集 art market in the West Gate wetland, sports meet on the West Gate lawn.
- 2026-09-24 to 2026-12-31: Nenjiang Road car park closed for Metro Line 20 works; free shuttle from Shiguang Road Exit 4 recommended.
- 2026-09-30 to 2026-10-03: Metro Line 8 runs extended late service.
Why go
Gongqing Forest Park (共青森林公园) is the closest thing to a real forest inside Shanghai's ring roads: 131 hectares of tall trees, lakes and lawns on the Huangpu River in Yangpu. Locals come to camp on the lawns, ride the forest train and barbecue. It feels far wilder than the city-centre parks.
What to do
- Walk under the tall trees. Follow the shaded paths through the woods and the wetland forest (水森林湿地) near the West Gate. The park lists ten signature landscapes, from lakeside planting to bird-watching areas.
- Ride the forest train. A small train runs on a loop of track through the woods, starting near the West Gate. It is a paid ride and popular with children.
- Picnic or pitch a day tent. Shanghai families set up tents on the big central lawn. A waterside barbecue area and horse riding are paid extras inside the park.
- Don't miss: The West Gate lawn stays open until 19:30, after the rest of the park closes at 18:00 — good for sunset.
- Best time: Spring and autumn weekdays
- Skip if: Skip it on a short city trip: it is in the far north-east and takes most of a half day.
Practical details
- Hours: Daily 05:00–18:00 · West Gate to 19:30
- Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun: 05:00–18:00
- Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun: 05:00–19:30
- After 18:00 only the big lawn by the West Gate stays open.
- Admission: Free · rides and activities paid
- Forest train: price not found yet — Per person
- Free since 2021; barbecue, horse riding, go-karts and fairground rides are paid separately.
- Booking: No booking; walk in
- Passport accepted: not_applicable — No ticket or ID check for entry.
- Last admission: No separate last-entry time published
- Time to allow: Half a day
- Getting there: Line 8 · Shiguang Road · Exit 4 + free shuttle
- Metro Line 8 to Shiguang Road (市光路), Exit 4, about 25 min walk
- Show a taxi driver: 共青森林公园西门，杨浦区军工路2000号
- Map: Apple Maps · Amap 高德
- Since September 2026 Line 20 works have closed the Nenjiang Road car park, losing about 300 spaces. Use the metro.
- Address: 上海市杨浦区军工路2000号 / 2000 Jungong Road
- Foreign visitors: Free walk-in; no ID needed
Not found yet
- admission.paidExtras[0].amount: Forest train fare appears only on undated aggregator pages. (searched: WebSearch, government, Trip.com)
- lastAdmission.time: District guide gives closing times only, no last-entry time. (searched: government, WebSearch, media, Trip.com)
Traveler tips
- Take Line 8 and the free shuttle. Ride Metro Line 8 to Shiguang Road (市光路) and leave by Exit 4. On weekends and public holidays from March to June and September to December, a free 'Forest Express' (森林直通车) leaves there every 15 minutes, 08:00–18:00, stopping at the Darunfa supermarket and ending at the Baicheng Road footbridge (白城路天桥), about 200 m from the West Gate (西门, 军工路2000号). On weekdays there is no shuttle: the West Gate is roughly 2 km from Exit 4, about 25 minutes on foot along the same route, or a short taxi ride to 共青森林公园西门. source
- Don't drive in autumn 2026. Since September 2026, construction of Metro Line 20 has closed the Nenjiang Road car park (嫩江路停车场), cutting about 300 of the park's 603 spaces. On public holidays the remaining lots have usually filled by about 09:00. If you use a taxi or ride-hailing, ask to be dropped at the West Gate rather than trying to park. source
- Leave by 18:00 except at the West Gate. The East, South and North gates and the Wanzhu Garden section open 05:00–18:00 every day. The West Gate stays open until 19:30, but after 18:00 only the big lawn beside it remains open. If you are deep in the woods at 17:30, head for the West Gate. source
- 40th-anniversary carnival. During the 2026 National Day holiday the park runs a carnival for its 40th year. Three stages host folk and percussion under the big camphor tree, pop bands on Camphor Square (香樟广场), and Chinese and classical instruments at the flower-show entrance. Two costume parades a day go along the tree-lined paths, and the 林涧集 art and craft market fills the West Gate wetland (西门水森林湿地). source
- Bring a picnic and day tent. Locals set up white tents and picnic mats on the large central lawn on fine weekends, and there is a waterside barbecue area. Horse riding, go-karts, a forest train and fairground rides are paid extras. Bring water and snacks; the park is large and kiosks are spread out. source
- Ride the forest train near the West Gate. The park’s small forest train runs through the woods near the West Gate. It is a short, paid ride that children enjoy; ask at the station for the current fare and departure times. Caveat: A 2025 reporter saw a train at 10:00; that observation is not a timetable, and the source does not place the station south of the West Gate. source
- Residents call it Shanghai's best park. On r/shanghai, one long-time resident says 'Best park is Gongqing Forest Park. By far', while noting it is far out. Choose it over Century Park if you want woods rather than lawns, and allow about an hour each way from central Shanghai. Caveat: One resident's view (April 2025); travel time is editorial. source
- Visit the spring flower show. Each spring the park runs the Urban Forest Flower Show (都市森林百花展); the 2026 edition opened in April with free entry. If you are in Shanghai in April or May, this is when the lawns and flower beds are most colourful. source
Sources
- Shanghai Municipal People's Government (published 2023-12-29)
- Yangpu District People's Government (published 2026-06-15)
- Shanghai Landscaping and City Appearance Administration (published 2021-06-23)
- Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism (published 2026-04-10)
- Yangpu District People's Government (published 2025-03-03)
- Yangpu District via Shanghai Municipal People's Government (published 2026-06-15)
- Shanghai Landscaping & City Appearance Administrative Bureau (published 2021-06-23)
- Shanghai Municipal People's Government (published 2023-12-29)
- 上观新闻 (via Sohu) (published 2026-09-24)
- Yangpu District Government (published 2025-03-03)
- 纵相新闻 via NetEase (published 2026-10-01)
- Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism (published 2026-04-10)
- 上海杨浦 (Tencent News) (published 2025-05-03)
- Reddit r/shanghai (published 2025-04-28)
- Shentong Metro / Shanghai Municipal People's Government (published 2026-09-28)