Chongming Dongtan Wetland is an important habitat for migratory birds and is home to the Shanghai Chongming Dongtan National Nature Reserve. The Dongtan Wetland Park is located adjacent to the reserve, and every autumn and winter, large numbers of migratory birds can be seen here. Originally, there were plans to develop Dongtan into an eco-city, but the project has since failed. When I visited on Saturday, it was drizzling lightly on the way over, but the rain had stopped by the time I arrived. The air was fresh and pleasantly cool after the rain. Visiting this park basically involves walking, walking, and more walking, so cloudy, rain-free, and not-too-hot weather is actually quite ideal. There are hardly any scenic spots within the park, and during this season, there aren’t many birds to see either. All it offers is good air far removed from the city and open vistas without buildings in the distance. Personally, I still prefer the experience of walking through wooded areas like those at Huqiu or Jiuxi.
Chongming remains primarily an agricultural island; aside from agritourism farmhouses scattered everywhere, there isn’t much else. It really is a very large island—on the map, Dongtan Wetland Park looks close to the Hyatt, but it’s actually over 20 km away. The natural landscapes on the island are honestly underwhelming. Both Dongping Forest Park and Dongtan Wetland Park are essentially parks—and man-made ones at that—not true natural landscapes. Even when I visited Dongping Forest Park ten years ago, I wondered why the trees were so small; they all looked newly planted. Visiting Dongtan now gives me the same impression. For trees, even ten years is far from enough time to mature.
The parking lot at the park entrance is fairly spacious with plenty of spots, charging a flat rate of 10 yuan with no time limit. Admission tickets cost 80 yuan on weekends and 50 yuan on weekdays, which feels like daylight robbery… Inside the park, it’s nonstop walking—the entire route is about 7 km long. If you’re worried about stamina, you can rent a bicycle, but that will significantly cut short your already brief visit. Along the walking route, there are almost no places to rest. At first, the path consists entirely of gravel roads. About 1 km past the entrance, you’ll see some sheep and geese. What I thought were scenic attractions—the Sea View Tower and Fragrant Grassland—turned out to be two restaurants… Only the Mudflat World area is somewhat decent: wooden boardwalks built entirely over water connect several small cabins displaying bird specimens~~ At least it’s a place where you can stroll around for a bit.
In summary, if you’re driving from Shanghai, visiting this place for a weekend trip is acceptable, but it’s a one-time visit—I won’t be coming back again…
Photos in this post taken with a SONY A5100 + 16-50 f3.5-5.6, post-processed in Lightroom.
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