Xiaokunshan Park Loop
Xiaokunshan Park South Gate (Shanxi Road 4) 小昆山园南大门 → Xiaokunshan Park South Gate (Shanxi Road 4) 小昆山园南大门
Plan Your Route
Quick Facts
| Start | Xiaokunshan Park South Gate (Shanxi Road 4) 小昆山园南大门 |
| Finish | Xiaokunshan Park South Gate (Shanxi Road 4) 小昆山园南大门 |
| Area | Songjiang Hills |
| Best season | Autumn is the pick — clear, cool, and quiet, with the temple ginkgo turning gold by late October. Spring runs a close second, with rapeseed fields around the hill in full bloom and the cherry avenues on Zhongde and Guanghua roads at their best. Summer is hot but shaded on the ring path; winter is doable on dry days, when the pavilions and temple are emptier still. |
| Transport | Metro Line 9 to Sheshan Station, then the Songjiang 67 bus to the Xiaokunshan bus hub and a ~2.4 km walk, or a taxi/ride-hail direct to 小昆山园 |
| Crowd level | Nearly empty even on weekends. Sheshan and Tianma take the crowds; Xiaokunshan stays local — weekday mornings can mean the whole hill to yourself, and even sunny weekend afternoons are light. |
Route Summary
Shanghai’s Songjiang hills are usually summed up by Sheshan’s basilica and Tianma’s leaning pagoda, but the range’s smallest and southernmost peak keeps the quietest half-day of all. Xiaokunshan (小昆山, Xiǎokūnshān) is one small hill — about 54 m above the plain, roughly 500 by 400 m — and the whole of it is the Xiaokunshan Park of Sheshan National Forest Park. The hill’s nickname, Ox-Head Hill (牛头山), fits the shape better than the map does, and its name just means ‘Little Kunshan’, to keep it apart from the larger Kunshan in Jiangsu. There is no scrambling, no crowds, and almost nothing to plan: a ticket at the South Gate, an easy ring path to a hilltop temple, and you are back at the same gate in a couple of hours.
What makes the walk worthwhile is what the hill used to be. This is the literary birthplace of the Western Jin brothers Lu Ji and Lu Yun — grandsons of the Wu general Lu Xun — who spent ten years in seclusion here. Their study produced Lu Ji’s Wen Fu, often called China’s first essay on literary theory, and the Pingfu Tie, the earliest surviving authenticated calligraphy by a named master. Lu Yun’s courtesy name gave Songjiang its poetic alias, Yunjian, and Lu Ji’s reported last words — ‘Will I ever hear the cranes of Huating again?’ — became one of the most quoted farewells in Chinese literature. The Erlu Thatched Cottage marks the study, the Reading Terrace marks the reading, and a cliff inscription signed with Su Shi’s courtesy name hangs above the descent.
The practical side is as simple as the walking. Entry is ¥6 (¥3 concession, children under 1.2 m and visitors 65+ free), the last entry is 16:00, and the free parking lot sits beside the South Gate. Metro Line 9 to Sheshan Station plus the Songjiang 67 bus reaches the hill without a car, though the final ~2.4 km from the bus hub is a real walk. The temple — Shanghai’s only Buddhist temple built on a hilltop — reportedly closes for lunch between 12:00 and 14:00, so time the visit around it.
A note on the map: markers cover the gate, the Erlu Thatched Cottage, Crane-Release Pavilion, Jiufeng Chan Temple and the Erlu Reading Terrace, which have AMap location records. The Huating and Wanluan pavilions and the cliff inscriptions do not, so they appear in the text and name pills but not as markers. AMap’s walking network for this small park is coarse: the routed loop runs gate → cottage → temple → reading terrace → gate on internal footpaths only, and the recorded POI positions sit anywhere from a few metres to about 80 m from that line. The markers are therefore snapped to the nearest route point for display, and the on-site positions of the cottage, pavilions and terrace are pending field verification — the raw AMap responses behind the map are archived under _verification/xiaokunshan-park-loop/. The 2–3 km figure is a guide until the loop is measured on the ground.
Route details on this page are based on researched sources — Songjiang district and Shanghai media, heritage records, OTA ticket listings, AMap POI and walking data — and will be refined as field checks are completed. The map data, pavilion positions, temple hours, and the Su Shi attribution are pending verification.
Step-by-Step Route
Route notes are based on local knowledge and will be refined with field checks. Approximate times assume a relaxed pace with short photo stops.
South Gate to the Erlu Thatched Cottage
~20 min (0.5 km)Buy a ticket at the South Gate booth (小昆山园售票处) — ¥6 adult, ¥3 concession, free for children under 1.2 m and visitors 65+ per the park's published policy, with last entry at 16:00. The ring path climbs the shaded east flank on a mix of packed-earth path and stone stairs, and at mid-slope you reach the Erlu Thatched Cottage (二陆草堂, èrlù cǎotáng): a flat-roof wood hall with a connecting brick exhibition room, rebuilt in the 1990s (one source says 2002 — flagged). Inside, family-tree charts trace the Western Jin brothers Lu Ji and Lu Yun, and a facsimile of Lu Ji's Pingfu Tie — the earliest surviving authenticated calligraphy by a named master — sits in a glass case.
Caution: The first stone stairs are slick after rain — take them slowly.
Photo suggestion: The cottage courtyard reads well in soft afternoon light.
Wanluan, Huating and Crane-Release pavilions near the summit
~15–20 min (0.5 km)Above the cottage, bamboo and broadleaf canopy closes over the path. Wanluan Pavilion (婉娈亭) opens the first real overlook, and near the summit sit Huating Pavilion (华亭) and Crane-Release Pavilion (放鹤亭). The pavilion names and exact positions vary between sources — some place Huating at mid-hill, others near the summit — so treat the layout as unverified until an on-site check. 放鹤亭 has an AMap location record, but the walking network does not route the spur that reaches it, so on the map its marker sits beside the drawn route. The name Huating echoes the old name of Songjiang and the story of Lu Ji's 'Huating Crane's Cry' — his reported last words before execution in the War of the Eight Princes: 'Will I ever hear the cranes of Huating again?'
Photo suggestion: Late-afternoon light through the bamboo near the summit pavilions is the most photogenic stretch of the loop.
Jiufeng Chan Temple on the north peak
~25–30 min (0.3 km)The path swings north to Jiufeng Chan Temple (九峰禅寺, jiǔfēng chán sì — AMap lists it as 九峰寺), the only Buddhist temple in Shanghai built on a hilltop. The site began as Sizhou Tower Court (泗洲塔院), founded in 1165 by the monk Shi Xinggu beside the Tang-dynasty Ciyu Tower (661) of Sengjia, the Western Regions monk known as 'the Sizhou Monk'. In 1648 the Shunzhi Emperor ordered the main hall reoriented to face north — a layout unique in Shanghai — and Kangxi granted the plaque 奎光烛影 in 1705. The painter-monk Shitao took tonsure here around 1665–66. The temple was destroyed by war, occupied by Japanese troops in 1941, and largely leveled by the 1950s; rebuilding began in 1997, with phase one complete by 2001. Inside the grounds stands a 500-year-old ginkgo, 25 m tall and a Grade-1 protected tree since 1986. The temple reportedly closes for lunch between 12:00 and 14:00 — verify before relying on it.
Caution: The temple is reported to close 12:00–14:00 for lunch; plan the visit around it.
Photo suggestion: The ginkgo and the north-facing hall read well in the afternoon light.
Erlu Reading Terrace, the inscription, and the descent
~15–20 min (0.5 km)Just below the temple, the Erlu Reading Terrace (二陆读书台, èrlù dúshūtái) is the stone platform and screen cliff where the Lu brothers are said to have studied during their ten years of seclusion — the years that produced Lu Ji's Wen Fu, often called China's first essay on literary theory. Nearby, the four-character cliff inscription 'Sunset on the Hill' (夕阳在山) is signed 子瞻, the courtesy name of the Song-dynasty poet Su Shi. It was discovered by a visitor in the 1980s–90s and attributed to Su Shi by Song-history scholars after comparison with his Lushan inscription — an attribution worth hedging until a field check. The descent runs down the west-center path through bamboo and back to the South Gate.
Caution: The stones around the terrace and inscription are wet and slippery after rain.
Photo suggestion: The inscription catches raking light late in the afternoon; the terrace itself opens a quiet view over the plain.
Optional: the scramble by the cottage
+10–15 min extraJust right of the Erlu Thatched Cottage, an unmaintained rocky slope offers a short hands-on scramble for those who want more than the ring path. It is loose underfoot and without railings, its status as an official path is pending field verification, and most families with young children or seniors will prefer to stay on the main loop. The entire circuit, with the scramble and a temple visit, fits comfortably in 1.5–2.5 hours.
Caution: Unmaintained, loose rock, no railings — skip after rain and skip entirely for young children or seniors; treat the path's status as pending.
Photo suggestion: The scramble is its own photo stop if you take it — keep the phone stowed while on the rock.
Getting There & Back
By metro (recommended)
BestTake Metro Line 9 to Sheshan Station (佘山站), then the Songjiang 67 bus (松江67路) to the Xiaokunshan bus hub (小昆山公交枢纽站) — roughly every 17–26 minutes between 06:40 and 19:00 — and walk the final ~2.4 km to the South Gate (AMap walking: 2,414 m). A taxi or ride-hail from the station covers the last stretch in about 10 minutes. From central Shanghai, allow roughly 1.5–2 hours door-to-door.
By bus
Songjiang 67 links Sheshan Station to the Xiaokunshan bus hub; Songjiang 20, 28 and 83 also serve the town bus station (小昆山汽车站). Confirm the current routes in AMap before setting out — local services change.
By taxi / ride-hailing
Ask the driver for 小昆山园 or show the park address 山西路4号. From Sheshan Station the ride takes roughly 15–20 minutes; from central Shanghai expect 60–90 minutes in traffic. All the Chinese names you need are listed as copyable pills above.
By car & parking
A free parking lot sits beside the South Gate (小昆山园停车场, 山西路4号) — confirmed by multiple sources. When it fills, overflow parking is reported on Hexi Street (鹤溪街) to the south. Arrive before ~10:00 on sunny weekends.
Return from the South Gate
The loop finishes at the same South Gate, so the return mirrors the approach: walk ~2.4 km back to the bus hub or call a taxi/Didi. If you came by car, you are already at the lot.
Return from the South Gate
ReturnThe loop finishes at the same South Gate, so the return mirrors the approach: walk ~2.4 km back to the bus hub or call a taxi/Didi. If you came by car, you are already at the lot.
Practical Notes
Footwear
Packed-earth paths, stone stairs, and wet stones around the inscription — grippy trainers are fine, walking shoes better after rain.
Bring small change or a QR app
The ticket booth takes ¥6 (¥3 concession). Mobile payment works; carry a little cash as backup in case the booth's reader is down.
Visit at the temple's open hours
The temple reportedly closes for lunch 12:00–14:00. If the temple matters, arrive mid-morning or after 14:00.
Water and snacks
Carry ~1 L. There are kiosks at the gate and nothing on the loop; Xiaokunshan town, a short walk south, has restaurants and markets.
Save the Chinese names
The twelve pills above cover taxis and AMap. You will type 小昆山园 most often; 山西路4号 is the address to show a driver.
Combine with Sheshan or Tianma
Xiaokunshan sits about 20–30 minutes from Sheshan and Tianma by car. A morning on Xiaokunshan plus an afternoon at Sheshan works well; see the nearby routes below.
Xia Lin and the Neolithic site
The Xia Lin memorial garden (夏林) — the tomb of the Ming loyalists Xia Yunyi and Xia Wanchun, with a stele inscribed by Chen Yi in 1961 — and the Tangmiaocun Neolithic site are both close and free, worth an hour after the loop.
Spring extras
In spring, rapeseed fields surround the hill and the cherry avenues on Zhongde and Guanghua roads are in bloom — the loop doubles as a countryside walk.
Safety Notes
- The stones around the Reading Terrace and inscription stay wet and slippery after rain — slow down on the descent.
- The optional scramble by the cottage is unmaintained, loose and without railings; skip it after rain, and skip it entirely for young children or seniors.
- The summit pavilion area has open edges in places — keep children back from the drop.
- Last entry is 16:00; start early enough to finish the loop before the gate closes.
- The path from the bus hub to the gate runs along 山西公路 and 翔昆路 for part of the way — use the sidewalk and cross at crossings.
Best Time to Go
Spring
Fresh greenery on the ring path, rapeseed fields around the hill, and the cherry avenues on Zhongde and Guanghua roads in bloom. Weekend mornings stay quiet.
Summer
Hot at the ticket plaza and on the open terrace, but the ring path and bamboo sections shade well. Mornings are best; carry extra water.
Autumn
RecommendedThe best balance: clear, cool, thin crowds, and the temple ginkgo turning gold by late October. Perfect for the pavilion and temple photos.
Winter
Cold and damp on the open north peak, and the emptiest time of all. Doable on dry days; the stone sections stay slick longer after rain.
Frequently Asked Questions
Short answers to common planning questions about transport, Chinese place names, timing, and safety for this route.
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How hard is the loop for children or seniors?
Genuinely easy. The hill is only about 54 m high with roughly 50–60 m of cumulative climbing, all on packed-earth paths and stone stairs — no scrambling on the main route. Families with young children and seniors walk it regularly; plan 1.5–2.5 hours including the temple. -
What does it cost?
Entry is ¥6 for adults and ¥3 for students or seniors; children under 1.2 m and visitors 65+ are free per the park's published policy. The parking lot beside the South Gate is free. Getting there adds the metro fare plus ¥2 for the Songjiang 67 bus. -
When is the temple open?
The temple reportedly closes for lunch between 12:00 and 14:00; outside that window it is open as part of the park. Park hours are commonly listed to 16:00 last entry, with closing times given as both 16:30 and 17:00 in different sources — verify before you go. -
How do I get there without a car?
Metro Line 9 to Sheshan Station (佘山站), then the Songjiang 67 bus (松江67路) to the Xiaokunshan bus hub (小昆山公交枢纽站), then a ~2.4 km walk to the South Gate — or a taxi/ride-hail from the station, about 10 minutes. -
What is the Huating Crane's Cry story?
Lu Ji, the Western Jin writer who grew up here, is said to have faced execution in the War of the Eight Princes and asked whether he would ever hear the cranes of Huating again — Huating was his grandfather Lu Xun's fief and Songjiang's old name. The line is remembered as his last words, but it is a story of a death sentence, not simply nostalgia. -
Is one gate enough?
Yes — the whole hill is one park and the loop starts and finishes at the same South Gate. There is no second gate to plan around; the free parking lot and the bus-hub walk both land you at the ticket booth. -
Can I combine it with Tianma or Sheshan?
Easily. Xiaokunshan is about 20–30 minutes from Tianma Mountain and Sheshan by car, and roughly 40 minutes by bus via the Songjiang town services. A quiet morning here plus an afternoon at Sheshan's basilica is a full, varied day. -
Is the scramble worth it?
Only if you want a few minutes of hands-on rock on an otherwise gentle walk. The slope is unmaintained, loose, and without railings, and its status as an official path is pending — skip it after rain and skip it entirely with young children or seniors.
Nearby Routes
Other trails starting from the same area, worth combining or visiting on another day.
Tianma Mountain East Gate Loop
The quirkiest of the Songjiang hills, 20–30 minutes away — a leaning pagoda, a torch-lit cave, and a pig-nose tree.
Sheshan East-West Traverse
The two forest hills of Sheshan — bamboo boardwalks, a Song-dynasty pagoda, and a papal basilica.
Chenshan Botanical Garden Loop
A planned flat loop inside the botanical garden — big lawns, lakes, and glasshouses.
Planned