A statue in honor of Xu Xiake stands tall in East Sheshan Park. In 1624, Xu met Chen Jiru, who was living in seclusion in the area at the time, and the two became friends. [Photo/WeChat ID: sheshanlvyou]

Chinese super traveler Xu Xiake (1587–1641) visited several places in the Sheshan area, which is now the Shanghai Sheshan National Tourist Resort in Shanghai's Songjiang district, and his travel route, known as the "Xiake Ancient Route", has attracted many followers.

According to records, Xu set off from Sheshan Mountain, and trekked across Chenshan Mountain, Tianmashan Mountain, Hengyunshan Mountain, and Xiaokunshan Mountain, and eventually ended up at the Maohe River on the western side of Xiaokunshan Mountain.

Xu's travel route passes through today's tourist attractions including Sheshan National Forest Park (East Sheshan Park, West Sheshan Park, Tianmashan Park and Xiaokunshan Park), Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden, Tianma Country Golf Club, InterContinental Shanghai Wonderland and Shimao Dream City Theme Park.

The route is full of cultural relics and scenic spots and is attractive for those who want to follow Xu's footsteps.

In China, Xu was compared to Marco Polo, a 13th-century Western explorer. He traveled through China for 35 years and visited the Sheshan area five times. Xu once praised the Sheshan area, one of the sites he visited the most, as a fascinating place.

Xu explored Shehan in 1624, 1625, 1628, 1631, and 1636. When Xu first visited Sheshan in 1624, he met Chen Jiru (1558-1639), a well-known painter and writer who was living in seclusion in East Sheshan, and the two became friends. According to records, Xu visited Chen four times. In 1636, the last time Xu visited Sheshan, he started his long four-year journey to the southwest.

Shanghai Sheshan National Tourist Resort is famed for its gorgeous mountains and forests, former residences of cultural celebrities, and Buddhist monuments. It is now home to many high-quality facilities including five 4A-level tourist attractions and three five-star hotels.

West Sheshan Park features both man-made landscapes and natural scenery. In the middle of a dense forest at the top of the mountain, sits an imposing building known as "the grandest church in the Far East". [Photo/WeChat ID: sheshanlvyou]

Chenshan Mountain is also called God Mountain because legend has it that gods reside there. Its southern slope is now a "mine garden" due to the half-walled deep pit formed by quarrying. It is now commonly recognized for its Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden, the largest botanical garden in East China. [Photo/WeChat ID: sheshanlvyou]