A Zen Day in Shanghai

When the hustle turns to hassle, why not take a mindful wander through Shanghai’s gardens, forests and galleries? Here are our favourite Zen escapes.

But a bridge-skip across the Yangtze (albeit one of the world’s longest) awaits the yawning, flat, windswept solitude of Chongming Island. Hire a bike to explore the lakes and bamboo gardens of Dongtan Wetlands Park, complete with own goat population; or the rather dotty Dongping National Forest Park has grass skiing, a Tibetan yak-down workshop and an organic farm with arts n’ crafty activities.

Armed with a map and comfy flats, ask the Pen bellhop to hail you a cab for the 25-minute journey southwards to the West Bund Cultural Corridor. Due to its slightly far-out location and relative newness, this vast cultural corridor offers space and respite in spades, and is home to gigantic ex-aeroplane hangar Yuz Museum (currently undergoing renovation, but you can still peek inside), small but innovatively formed Shanghai Centre of Photography, contempo trailblazer ShanghART, and last but definitely not least, the Long Museum West Bund.

Barely 30 minutes from central Shanghai, on the banks of the Huangpu River, is 131-hectare Gongqing Forest Park, which really comes into its own in spring. For grassy knolls and shady strolls, head to the north section of the park to explore cedar alcoves filled with fiery orange blossoms, landscaped gardens and peaceful canals, before stopping for a picnic in one of the meadows – just be sure to bring your own snacks as onsite offerings aren’t great.

Also known as Yuyuan Garden, Yu Garden is an ornamental enclave featuring waterfalls, rockeries and lush foliage. Dating back to the Ming Dynasty, this divine little green patch was designed by a government officer to be a place of tranquillity for his parents to enjoy in their twilight years. Ah, how sweet.

Now, you’ve earned yourself a serious 5-star pamper. Prepare to bliss out at the luxurious Peninsula Spa with its menu of holistic top-to-toe therapies riffing on Ayurvedic, Chinese and European traditions, including a chakra-aligning hot-stone ritual, jetlag-busting aromatherapy rub, seaweed facial, salt and oil scrub. Finish with a leisurely dip in the mint-green, Art-Deco pool, followed by tea on the leafy vista-wrapped terrace. And, exhale...

Gongqing Forest Park / Nenjiang Lu / Yangpu / +86 21 6574 0586 / 6am-5pm daily

Yu Garden / 218 Anren Lu / Huangpu / +86 21 6326 0830 / 8.30pm-5pm daily

The Peninsula Spa / 3/F / 32 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu / Huangpu / +86 21 2327 6599 / 11am-midnight Mon-Fri, 10am-midnight Sat-Sun /  shanghai.peninsula.com