Shanghai Gongqing Forest Park is the only national-level forest park located in the central urban area of Shanghai. It covers an area of 1965 mu, with a forest area of 1870.6 mu. The park has a 605-meter long riverside scenic route and over 200 species of trees, totaling more than 300,000 trees. It has been rated as a civilized unit in Shanghai for 12 consecutive years and has been successively awarded the titles of "Shanghai Five-Star Park" and "National AAAA-level Tourist Attraction". The park is divided into two sections, the North Park and the South Park, each with its own unique style. The North Park focuses on forest scenery, with hills, lakes, and grasslands, while the South Park is known for its bamboo garden, flowing streams, and a southern landscape.

The park was originally a mudflat along the Huangpu River. In 1956, the Shanghai Municipal People's Government dredged the river, reclaimed the mud, and turned it into a nursery. In 1982, as a key practical project to increase the public green space area, the northern section of the Gongqing Nursery was transformed into the "Gongqing Forest Park". In 1986, Comrade Jiang Zemin, the then mayor of Shanghai, personally planted trees in the park and wrote the inscription "Greening Shanghai, Benefiting the People". Since then, the forest park has officially opened to the public as an urban oasis in Shanghai.

Shanghai Gongqing Forest Park adheres to the concept of "natural, wild, tranquil, and rugged". It fully utilizes the forest vegetation, natural water system, and topography of the park to present a unique viewing experience of "seemingly surrounded by forests and water, yet amidst a sea of flowers". The park combines tranquility with activity, allowing visitors to enjoy the greenery while also participating in over 30 special recreational activities in the park, such as barbecuing, horseback riding, boating, and forest trains. Visitors can experience the charm of nature in these fun and forest-themed entertainment activities.

The park hosts multiple themed cultural events every year. The Urban Forest Carnival, Beer Festival, and Forest Music Festival have become distinctive brands of Gongqing Forest Park. As a national popular science education base, the park also organizes various popular science education activities, such as night forest exploration, plant fragrance recognition, and bird and insect observation, enabling visitors to get close to nature, understand nature, and appreciate nature in an enjoyable way.