Maple Leaf Island in Langxia, Jinshan, Shanghai, a hidden gem in the suburbs!

One-day tour of Maple Leaf Island in Langxia, Jinshan, Shanghai, a suburban secret · an autumn-exclusive red maple fairy tale! 📍 Highlights: Maple Leaf Island is not an isolated island but a themed maple forest peninsula located within the Langxia Town Ecological Park in Jinshan—covering about 300 acres, planted with over 30 varieties including North American red maple, Japanese red maple, and chicken claw maple. It features wooden boardwalks, viewing pavilions, waterside platforms, and wetland reed beds. It is one of the few large-scale, high-density maple viewing spots in Shanghai. In late autumn, the forest is dyed in layers of color, like a spilled palette. 🎫 Opening hours: 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM (free admission, some activities charge extra) 🚌 Transportation: Take Metro Line 22 to Jinshanwei Station, transfer to the Jinfeng Line to Langxia Town Government, then a taxi for about 5 minutes; driving is recommended for convenience. 📅 Autumn highlights itinerary: 9:00 AM Enter the park and step into a painting: stroll slowly along the island’s wooden boardwalk, with dancing maple shadows and shimmering water—every snapshot looks like a traditional Chinese masterpiece. 10:30 AM Climb the Maple Whisper Pavilion to overlook the entire island, with views of Langxia’s vast farmland and egrets flying overhead. 11:30 AM Try maple leaf printing or make a handmade bookmark (materials provided at the park’s cultural corner) to take autumn home with you. 12:30 PM Taste Langxia specialties: grandma’s zongzi, braised duck, freshly ground soy milk, or picnic on the maple forest lawn. 2:00 PM Stroll through the adjacent Langxia Ecological Park to see rice field art, feed cute animals, and pick seasonal fruits and vegetables (tangerines available for picking in October–November). 📷 Tips: The best viewing period is from mid-November to early December; wear dark clothes to better complement the red maples; cell signal is weak on the island, perfect for truly unwinding. ✨ No need to travel far to Kyoto, the southwest corner of Shanghai has its own fiery autumn maples.