(smartshanghai.com)
Updated: 2008-04-28 09:47

In those oft-mentioned glory days of Shanghai in the early 1900s, the mountains of Moganshan were a popular summer destination. The area provides a naturally cool climate and was a great way for city dwellers to beat the scorching heat of a Shanghai summer. The area was frequented by foreigners living in Shanghai, and by 1910 an estimate of about 300 foreigners (mostly Americans and Brits) had set up holiday homes in the hills. Most were abandoned and passed on to worker communities with the rise of the communist party in 1949. Remnants of older settlements remain and are points of interest along the many hiking trails in the area. These days with air conditioners, most people remain in the city during the summer and Moganshan has remained pristine and, for the most part, undeveloped.

Moganshan in general is perfect for hikes along the forest trails. These trails can be tough but achievable and fully rewarding, especially when you make it all the way to the top of the mountain passing old abandoned cottages, the hill-top towns, tea houses, and smiling old ladies. Walking down to in the valleys, you pass streams, tea farms, and bamboo forests.

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