There are an ever increasing number of reasons to visit already popular mountain resort Moganshan. Beyond naked Stables and Le Passage Mohkanshan, the region has a fresh big name attraction – the newly-opened Discovery Adventures Park, set in a valley between two of Moganshan’s distinctive pointed peaks.
Yes, that is Discovery of Discovery Channel fame, who have decided to leap forth from behind the screen to put their name on a real-world experience in partnership with APAX, the giant venture capital group you might associate more with Shanghai Fashion Week than roughing it on a muddy trail. But they have been the driving force behind the project, keen to expand beyond the events they have focused on previously in China. And with the park within a weekend break distance of Shanghai, they doubtless see this world’s first Discovery Park as an exciting opportunity.
The park, which is part of the J.Lalli Resort Area, officially opened last month with a truly grand opening ceremony, complete with a member of coaching staff zip-wiring onto stage with a magnum of Champagne.
‘The aspects of curiosity, adventure and exploration which you find on the channel you will find in the park too’, said Nicolas Bonard, Senior Vice President of Discovery Global Enterprises. ‘There are a few more [parks] in the pipeline – we hope to have more parks opening in the next few years.’
So what's inside? The park is essentially a collection of outdoor activities and challenges, including an impressive high ropes course, zip-wires that zig-zag over the valley and – somewhat bizarrely – a giant man-made climbing wall in front of, you know, a mountain. It is, however, China’s biggest climbing wall (as a plethora of signs constantly remind you), and it is quite a sight.
One of the best activities on site is the guided hiking, where one of Discovery’s highly-trained coaches take you and your team-mates through some of the park’s trails, which have pleasingly been left as natural as possible and include challenging steep downhill scrambles. This, like many of the activities here, seems designed with corporate team-building in mind, but is also something suitable for children.
One of the hiking routes also features a ‘challenge course’ where you can actually climb some real rocks, with the reward at the end being a triumphant zip-wire across the gorge you have just conquered. Or at least, that’s what’s meant to happen. Unfortunately our zip-wire experience ended up with us coming to a slow stop in the middle of the wire in a Boris Johnson-esque scene, necessitating a hasty drag to safety by one of the coaches. Hopefully similar teething problems will be ironed out in due course.
The hike also includes regular stops not only to catch your breath/check your phone but also for your guide to impart survival tips, from how to know if you can eat that mushroom to how to build a long-term shelter. Coaches have to go through a gruelling 48-hour boot camp to be considered for the Discovery team, over the course of which they claim to ‘break you physically, mentally and emotionally’, according to our guide Ken. If that sounds like your kind of weekend, Discovery have their next recruitment camp coming up this month.
It’s not cheap, which is why, unless you’re willing to part with the cash for a couple of days of family bonding, you’re most likely to come here on the much-feared corporate team-building trip. This, however, might be one you actually enjoy. Just remember to bring sturdy footwear.
Get full details on the new Park and how to book by clicking 'Read more' below.