Now that the National Day holiday has arrived, many of us will find ourselves with some extra time – perfect for venturing beyond the familiar confines of central Shanghai.

With the forecast promising a mostly pleasant week ahead, we've curated a few top picks to help you break out of the inner ring roads and discover some of the city's coolest outdoor escapes. Think country parks, beaches, firework displays, picnic spots, and more.

It's time to step outside, soak in the scenery, unwind in nature, and dive into activities that make the most of this rare break from the city's hectic pace.

Here's what we've uncovered...

Jinshan City Beach: The "Blossoms Over the Sea" Fireworks Show

The Jinshan City Beach Fireworks Festival is set to light up the skies on October 4 and 6. Beyond the spectacular evening fireworks displays, visitors can dive into a full day of festivities at the accompanying fairs.

During the day, immerse yourself in hands-on activities like lantern fan painting, straw weaving, and applying traditional Chinese makeup. Try your hand at classic games like Touhu (pitch-pot), catch the enchanting fish-shaped lantern parade, and marvel at traditional acrobatics. And, of course, don't miss the chance to indulge in a variety of street foods throughout the day.

Tickets are priced at 178 yuan (US$25) and are available at digital retailers Meituan and Maoyan.

If you go

Date: October 4 and 6

Venue: Jinshan City Beach

Address: 7555 Huhang Highway 沪杭公路7555号

How to get there: Take a train from Shanghai South Railway Station to Jinshanwei Railway Station (金山卫站), then transfer to bus Jinshan No.2 (from Jinshanwei Station 金山卫站 to Huhang Highway and Qijiadun Road Station 沪杭公路戚家墩路站, which will take you around 25mins) or take a taxi (around 20 yuan) to Jinshan City Beach.

Jiabei Country Park: Straw Culture Festival

The Jiabei Straw Culture Festival runs through October 31, offering an array of activities during the National Day holiday.

Free live music performances will take place in the afternoons of October 2, 3, 5, and 6. In addition to the performances, visitors can explore impressive large-scale straw sculptures, crafted into various shapes, adding a creative twist to the experience. A bazaar will also be on hand, offering coffee, Yunnan chestnuts, Japanese yakitori, and more.

For families with children, several engaging activities are planned:

1. Cycling Event (October 5): Families can join a cycling adventure through the fields, where participants complete fun tasks along the route. Four sessions will be held throughout the day, and families with children aged 5-14 are welcome. Tickets are 128 yuan per person. For details, contact 131-2766-3937.
   
2. Paddy Harvesting and Scarecrow Making (October 1–7): Participants can join these activities in the morning or afternoon. Tickets are 68 yuan per person. Grape-picking is also available for 35 yuan per person. For more information, contact 134-8205-1718.
   
3. Camping Events (October 1–5): Enjoy bonfire parties and outdoor movie screenings. Tickets are 68 yuan per person, with additional activities like stand-up paddling available at extra cost. For details, contact 131-2766-3937.
   

If you go

Date: through October 31

Venue: Jiabei Country Park

Address: 5051 Huyi Highway 沪宜公路5051号

How to get there: Take Metro Line 11 to Jiadingbei Station (嘉定北站), then transfer to bus Jiading No.57 (from Chengbei Road Pingcheng Road Station 城北路平城路站 to Huyi Highway and Pengmen Zhongxin Road Station 沪宜公路彭们中心路, and then walk about 113 meters ) or take a taxi (around 25 yuan) to Jiabei Country Park.

Pujiang Country Park: National Day Holiday Bazaar

Pujiang Countryside Park's autumn bazaar is a mashup of old-school culture and modern creativity, where you can browse everything from handcrafted trinkets to local eats, all set to a festive backdrop.

The park's night light show is on now, running until October 27, with plenty of pyrotechnics to keep you staring up. Think Datiehua, fire pots, and fire-breathing – ancient performances throwing sparks and heat in every direction. Tickets for the night light show can be purchased via this link on WeChat, which can be translated into English, currently priced at 39.9 yuan per person.

If you go

Date: October 1 to 7

Venue: Pujiang Country Park

Address: No. 8, Lane 2578 Puxing Highway 浦星公路2578弄8号

How to get there: Take Metro Line 8 to Shendu Highway Station (沈杜公路站), then walk from Exit 2 for 10 minutes to Pujiang Country Park.

Changxing Island Country Park

During the holiday, visitors can catch high-energy circus performances, zoom down the rainbow slide, or feast on a lineup of specialty eats. For the outdoor crowd, the park throws in camping and fruit picking for a change of pace.

At Shanghai's island sports park, it's all about action – whether you're casting a line lure fishing, paddling a kayak, tearing through trails on a bike, or testing your aim in archery or real-life CS battles. There's even horseback riding for a different kind of rush.

If you go

Venue: Changxing Island Country Park

Address: 666 Qiugan Rd 秋柑路666号

How to get there: Take Metro Line 6 to Wuzhou Avenue Station (五洲大道站), then transfer to bus Shenchong Line 4 (申崇四线) to Fengfu Road PanYuan Highway Station (丰福路潘圆公路站), and walk for 20 minutes or take a taxi (around 70 yuan) to Changxing Island Country Park.

Wusong Paotaiwai National Wetland Park: Shanghai Tent Music Season

The inaugural Shanghai Tent Music Season is going to have A LOT of stuff going on. It will take place at Wusong Paotaiwan Wetland Park, with outdoor adventures that include music, nature and culture.

There's a lot to unpack here, but the Shanghai Tent Music Season event will have, tent camping, live music performances, park walks, marine scientific research activities, stargazing, exhibitions of popular anime and gaming IPs, displays of intangible cultural heritage, family activities and vibrant bazaars.

If you go

Date: through October 6

Venue: Wusong Paotaiwai National Wetland Park

Address: 206 Tanghou Rd 塘后路206号

How to get there: Take Metro Line 3 to Shuichan Road Station (水产路站), then transfer to bus Wusong Binjiang Line (吴淞滨江线) (from Tongji Road Shuichan Road Station 同济路水产路站 to Tanghou Road Paotaiwan National Wetland Park Station 塘后路炮台湾湿地公园站) or take a taxi (around 35 yuan) to Wusong Paotaiwai National Wetland Park.

Langxia Country Park: Life Season

The Life Season at Langxia Country Park will feature performances, and a variety of stalls offering both new and second-hand goods, while a treasure hunt and a tranquil deer park create moments of discovery and relaxation.

Circus performances will take place daily from October 1 to 7. Live music concerts will be held from October 1 to 3, running from 5:30pm to 7pm. Traditional performances of Huohu (fire pot) will have two sessions daily at 6pm and 8pm from October 1 to 7, lasting 5-8 minutes each. Tickets are available for purchase on-site.

During the National Day holiday, barbecue and tea brewing over a charcoal fire will be offered for you to enjoy with family and friends. For more details, contact 021-5739-5433.

If you go

Date: October 1 to 20

Venue: Langxia Country Park

Address: 9133 Caolang Highway 漕廊公路9133号

How to get there: Take Metro Line 1 to Lianhua Road Station (莲花路站), then walk from Exit 4 for 7 minutes to Lianhua Road Station North Square Bus Station (莲花路地铁站北广场公交站), and transfer to bus Lianlang Line (莲廊专线) (from Lianhua Road Railway Station 莲花路地铁站(北广场) to Langxia Nongjiale Station 廊下农家乐站), then walk about 3 mins to Langxia Country Park.

Gucun Park: Autumn Garden Party

Gucun Park's doing autumn right. You've got the sweet smell of osmanthus in the air, pink muhly grass waving in the breeze, and some picture-perfect scenery to boot.

It's not just about the views, though. The Garden Party is happening, with peacocks, parrots, and cormorants doing their thing. Wanna feed some animals? Try hanging out with swans or maybe even ostriches. And yeah, vultures and flamingos get their own demos – turns out, they're kind of fascinating.

Plus, dinosaurs. There's a whole park with huge models and 60+ dino scenes. Throw in sports, fun facilities, and barbecue grills, and you've got yourself a solid autumn day out.

Admission tickets to the park are priced at 20 yuan per person and can be purchased via the ticketing website from Gucun Park's WeChat account, available in English. Some activities may require an additional fee.

If you go

Data: through October 20

Venue: Gucun Park

Address: 4788 Hutai Rd 沪太路4788号

How to get there: Take Metro Line 7 to Gucun Park Station (顾村公园站).