Opening hours: 7:30am-5:30pm (East hill), 7:30am-4:30pm (West hill), 8am-6pm (Sculpture Park)

Address: Tanongkou Sheshan, Songjiang District

Admission: 30 yuan (Forest Park), 80 yuan (Sculpture Park)

Real eye-opener

China Sex Culture Museum in the peaceful countryside of Tongli, Jiangsu Province, was originally on Nanjing Road E before eventually finding a home in Tongli.

Opening hours: 7:45am-5:30pm

Admission: 20 yuan (over 18 years old only)

Website: www.chinasexmuseum.com

Other canal towns

The Shanghai Sightseeing Bus Center (Shanghai Stadium, Gate 5, 666 Tianyaoqiao Rd) provides daily tourist buses to nearby Shanghai attractions.

Zhujiajiao

Location: Qingpu District

Admission: 50 yuan

Website: http://lyw.sh.gov.gov.cn/en/scenic_spot/zhujiajiao.aspx

Xitang

Location: Jiashan City, Zhejiang Province, just outside Shanghai

Admission: 30 yuan

Website: www.xitang.com.cn

Zhouzhuang

Location: Jiangsu Province

Admission: 45 yuan

Website: www.zhouzhuang.net

Wuzhen

Location: northern Zhejiang Province, not far from the border of Jiangsu Province

Admission: 60 yuan

Website: www.wuzhen.com.cn

(Shanghai Daily April 30,2008)