# Shaoxing travel guide (绍兴) Zhejiang Province · East China, China · 25 places Canonical: https://cnatrip.com/en/destinations/zhejiang/shaoxing ## Quick itinerary - **Day 1:** Shen Garden → Lu Xun's Former Residence → Qingteng Study → East Lake → Cai Yuanpei's Former Residence - **Day 2:** Lanting Scenic Area → Mount Kuaiji - **Day 3:** Shaoxing → Keyan Scenic Area - **Day 4:** Shaoxing → Zhuji ## The feel of the place - **Clear Spirit:** Shaoxing's clear spirit lies not only in its abundance of water, but in the way its people still hold an independent attitude toward the world. If you eat at a restaurant in Shaoxing after closing time, the staff will still give you a warm welcome. Shaoxing's pedicab drivers are something almost every visitor encounters: they wear felt caps like the one Runtu wears in Lu Xun's stories, crack packaged melon seeds and haggle over fares with a relaxed air, more like chatting with a neighbour. The old town's architecture follows one rule in particular: white walls with black roofs. This city, as if steeped in water, has long drifted away from the everyday rules we know, and it converses calmly with history while standing its ground against the present. - **City of Bridges:** This is one of Shaoxing's nicknames. Here you can see stone-beam bridges, heptagonal bridges, stone-arch bridges and more. There is truly no market without a bridge, no road without a bridge, and no village without a bridge, and ancient bridges make up a large share of them. Shaoxing is one of the regions in China with the greatest variety and number of preserved ancient bridges. - **Shaoxing Wine:** Anyone who drinks knows the names of several Shaoxing yellow wines: Nü'er Hong, Zhuangyuan Hong, Jiafan Wine and others. Yellow wine improves the longer it is stored, so Shaoxing families traditionally bury a jar of wine when a child is born, which is why yellow wine is also called ‘old wine’. Shaoxing people grow up surrounded by the scent of wine. The wine is not only delicious, its names also carry the soft, gentle character typical of the Jiangnan region. Riding a black-canopy boat and drinking Shaoxing wine is an essential experience. ## The feel of the place ### Shaoxing's Cultural Atmosphere Although Shaoxing is in Zhejiang, its character differs from other Zhejiang cities. Locals are also very gracious, the food is not only delicious but lets you feel its history, and a stroll through the city centre is enough to soak up its rich cultural atmosphere. ### Touring Shaoxing by Pedicab in the Rain Shaoxing is a classic Jiangnan water town. On a rainy day, you can hire a pedicab to tour the city, which takes about 5 hours in total and costs ¥80–90. Shaoxing is famous for its famous figures, and former residences are found everywhere, so it is well worth a visit. ### Preparation and Advice ### Language The Shaoxing dialect can sound somewhat abrupt. In most situations, you can use Mandarin when talking with young locals. ### Climate and Best Time to Visit Shaoxing has distinct seasons. For the surrounding scenic areas, especially Wuxie, May–October is the best time, when water levels are high. In March and April, the Houshan area holds a peach blossom festival, making this the best season in Shaoxing for enjoying flowers and tasting wine. ## Getting there & around ### Getting In and Out ### By Air Shaoxing has no airport, but it is only 30 km from Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport. It is most convenient to fly to Hangzhou and then take the airport shuttle bus to Shaoxing. Shuttle stops along the route: Keqiao (beside Jinghu Hotel) and Shaoxing (at the entrance of Margaret Hotel). Enquiry hotline: 0571-96299 ### By Rail Shaoxing has four railway stations: Shaoxing Station (绍兴站), Shaoxing North Station (绍兴北站), Shangyu North Station (上虞北站) and Zhuji Station (诸暨站). Shaoxing Station is the most convenient for visiting the city's sights, while Zhuji Station is more convenient for scenic areas such as Wuxie and Xishi's Hometown. ### By Road Because road transport in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang region is highly developed, Shaoxing, like other neighbouring cities, has a passenger transport center plus five bus stations: East, West, South, North, and the central terminal. ### Long-Distance Bus Stations and Destinations ### Getting Around Town Shaoxing's city transport relies mainly on buses (city buses and minibuses) and taxis, with pedicabs also available. ### Getting In and Out ### By Air Taizhou Airport is located at the intersection of Airport Road and Dongyingbin Avenue in Luqiao District, Taizhou, Zhejiang Province. It opened in 1987 and was China's first county-level civil aviation airport. It currently operates flights to 17 cities, including Chongqing, Guiyang, Beijing, Shenyang, Xi'an, Changsha, Kunming, Jinan, Guangzhou, Wuhan, Qingdao, Chengdu and Shenzhen. ### By Rail Taizhou Station is an intermediate stop on the Hangzhou–Taizhou high-speed railway, with high-speed trains to cities including Beijing, Zhengzhou and Shanghai. Taizhou West Station was originally called Taizhou Station; after the current Taizhou Station opened, it was renamed Taizhou West Station. It is an important stop on the Ningbo–Taizhou–Wenzhou Railway and the Jinhua–Taizhou Railway. ### By Road Expressway links from Taizhou to the four major cities of Hangzhou, Ningbo, Wenzhou and Jinhua are all fully connected. ### By Water Taizhou's inland waterways include three main trunk channels (the Lingjiang, Yongning and Jinqing Xin Port rivers), five important branch routes (the Zhawen Line, Qitiaohe Route, Huanglujin Line, Wensong Line and Qiansi Line), and numerous other branch channels. There are 96 classified waterways, with a classified navigable length of 993 km, providing access to both coastal and inland areas. ### Getting Around Town Taizhou's urban area consists of three relatively independent districts (Jiaojiang, Huangyan and Luqiao), which are 14–17 km apart. Bus routes beginning with '1' serve Jiaojiang District, those beginning with '2' serve Huangyan District, and those beginning with '3' serve Luqiao District. Bus No. 901 is the urban loop line, circling all three districts; it is 48 km long. - **Passenger Transport Center** — (Intersection of the North Bypass of National Highway 104 and Shaosan Road, 0575-88022222) - **East Bus Station** — (235 Dongchi Road, 0575-88650990) - **West Bus Station** — (1600 Chengnan Avenue, 0575-85151026) - **South Bus Station** — - **North Bus Station** — - **City Bus** — Departures every 3–10 minutes; last buses run early. Flag fall is ¥1. - **Taxi** — Flag fall is ¥10 for the first 3 km; beyond 2.5 km, the fare is ¥2.4 per km, plus a ¥2 fuel surcharge. Shaoxing's urban area is compact, so taxis are good value within the city, but trips out of town get expensive. - **Wupeng Boat** — Charged at ¥40 per half hour, though you can bargain the price down to as low as ¥1 per minute. Boats for hire are mainly available at Lu Xun's Former Residence, Cangqiao Street, Donghu Scenic Area, Anchang Ancient Town, Keyan Scenic Area, and Keqiaotou in Keqiao Town. ## Eat & drink Shaoxing cuisine relies mainly on river fish, poultry and bean and bamboo-shoot ingredients. Because Shaoxing wine is added during cooking, the dishes are fragrant and savoury, with a clean, salty flavour and none of the greasiness. ### Highly Recommended ### Don’t Forget to Buy Good Liquor Loose-bulk liquor is sold at the outlet stores of the Dongfeng Winery and the Guyue Longshan Winery. They offer a wide range of varieties at low prices with excellent quality. It’s worth tasting before you buy (shop staff allow this), so you can pick out the one you like best. ### Local Specialties Shaoxing’s famous local specialties include Shaoxing fermented tofu (furu), Pingshui pearl green tea, Shaoxing duck, Zhai Damao osmanthus cakes and Ding Daxing New Year cakes. Shaoxing lace, Mubei satin and Wumao caps (black felt hats) are well-known local handicrafts. - tip: Shaoxing’s “Xianheng” Shaoxing has two “Xianheng” establishments. One is the Xianheng Hotel on Lu Xun Middle Road, the tavern frequented by Kong Yiji in Lu Xun’s story, known locally as “Little Xianheng.” The other is the Xianheng Grand Hotel on Jiefang South Road, known as “Big Xianheng.” ### Shaoxing Pickles Shaoxing’s pickled foods are also well regarded, including pickled duck, pickled goose and pickled vegetables. And of course there are the fennel beans that Kong Yiji could never forget. ### Shaoxing Wholesale Markets Large specialist wholesale markets are scattered around the outskirts of Shaoxing. The most influential include the China Textile City in Keqiao Town, Shaoxing; the Zhedong Garment and Tie Market in Shengzhou City; and the Zhuji Pearl Market, the largest pearl market in China. ### Recommended Shopping Spots Shaoxing Antiques Market: Fuhe Street, central Shaoxing Shaoxing Flower Market: Lizhu Town, Shaoxing Shaoxing Bird and Flower Market: next to Ta Shan on Jiefang Road Shaoxing Famous Tea Market: Chetou, Jijiang Town, Shaoxing ### Where to Stay in Shaoxing Good options in the old town include Lao Taimen Inn, a century-old Song family mansion converted into a guesthouse; the Shaoyanji Guesthouse, which overlooks the Hundred Herb Garden; and the Zhezhi Hotel beside the Lu Xun Memorial Hall. Prices range from ¥60 to ¥220. - **Shaoxing Rice Wine** — Shaoxing rice wine is brewed with water from Jian Lake, premium refined glutinous rice and high-quality yellow wheat. This is why its amber liquid is so mellow and sweet. Shaoxing rice wine is considered the finest of China’s yellow wines. Its main varieties include Zhuangyuan Red, Jiafan, Shanniang, Xiangxue and Huadiao. Gu Yue Long Shan Jiafan and Shaoxing Huadiao Jar Wine are both official state banquet wines and have won repeated international gold medals. - **Braised Pork with Preserved Vegetables** — This is a must-try dish in Shaoxing. Pork is braised and then steamed with the local preserved vegetables, producing a rich, deeply fragrant flavour that goes wonderfully with rice. - **Stir-Fried Shrimp in Wine Lees** — A dish seasoned with Shaoxing wine lees. Fresh river shrimp are soaked in the lees sauce, giving them snowy-white, tender flesh. - **Xianheng Hotel** — Today’s Xianheng Hotel is very different from the one in Lu Xun’s story, but preserved vegetables, fennel beans, Shaoxing wine and Wumao caps are still everywhere. A spend of ¥30–40 per person is considered very fair, and the stinky tofu, fennel beans, braised pork with preserved vegetables and yellow wine here are authentic. (179 Lu Xun Middle Road, 0575-85127179) - **Xunbaoji Shaoxing Cuisine (Zhuangyuan Building Branch)** — Authentic Shaoxing flavours in an antique-style setting. It has an excellent reputation among visitors. You can order half portions so you can sample more dishes. Recommended dishes include drunken chicken, Shao San Xian (three Shaoxing delicacies) and stinky tofu. (114 Cangqiao Straight Street, 0575-85223317) - **Laobian Restaurant** — A 30-year-old establishment whose signature dish is the old duck dumplings. The rich broth carries a faint herbal fragrance, and the flavour is very delicious. (577 Jindai Road, Huangyan District, 0576-84222873) ## Nightlife In the evening, you can stroll around the city centre square, where a map of the old city of Shaoxing is carved into the ground. It makes for an interesting sight. Shaoxing is also the home of folk storytelling and is the birthplace of Yue opera. Catching a performance of Shaoju opera or Lianhualuo (lotus-flower folk ballad) in a theatre or teahouse is probably the most memorable experience you can have here. - **Shaoxing Grand Theatre** — (405 Jiefang North Road, Shaoxing) - **Shaoxing Theatre** — (61 Renmin Middle Road, Shaoxing) - **Shaoxing Opera Arts Centre (Theatre)** — (491 Yan’an East Road, Shaoxing) ## Shopping ### Recommended Shopping 1. Margaret Commercial Centre, opposite the railway station. 2. Golden Era Plaza, opposite the Xianheng Hotel. 3. International Mall Shaoxing, with many specialty restaurants. - **Antiques City** — Like similar markets found in many cities, this one sells antiques, calligraphy and paintings, stamps and coins. It is also a concentrated picture of city street life. What sets it apart is that its architecture still retains much of the charm of old times. (Intersection of Jiefang Road and Lu Xun Road) ## Where to stay Shaoxing has mostly mid- to low-range accommodation. The only four-star hotel is the Xianheng Grand Hotel. Three-star options include the Shaoxing Hotel and the Yadu Grand Hotel. Backpackers can try the Baicaotang Guesthouse and the Jiajia Hotel, which are clean and inexpensive. - **Jinjiang Inn (Shaoxing Shengli Branch)** — Directly across the main road from the hotel is the “Yuanpei Middle School” bus stop, where buses run direct to Lanting, Donghu Lake and Keyan, with transfers available to Houshan and the Great Yu Mausoleum. The hotel is also on the east bank of the moat, so the night views are lovely. (748 Shengli West Road, 0575-85175888) - **Taizhou Kaiyuan Hotel** — Convenient transport, elegant guest rooms, with dining, entertainment and conference facilities on site. (458 Donghuan Avenue, Jiaojiang District, 0576-88586888) - **Youth Sunshine Boutique Hotel** — (Taizhou Wanda Branch) (Room 1218, Floor 12, Building 2, Wanda Plaza SOHO, Jiaojiang District, 18072528666) ## Things to see - **Lu Xun's Former Residence** (★★★★): Admission Free admission, but advance reservation is required; Opening hours 9：00—16：00; Time needed 1–3 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/lu-xun-s-former-residence - **Lu Xun Memorial Hall** (★★★★): Admission Free; Opening hours 8：30—17：00; Time needed 2–3 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/lu-xun-memorial-hall - **Historic Residences Tour** (★★★): — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/historic-residences-tour - **Shen Garden** (★★★★): Admission Daytime: ¥40; Shen Garden Night Show: Seat A ¥138, Seat B ¥118, Seat C ¥80; Opening hours 8：00—17：00；18：30—21：00; Time needed 2 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/shen-garden - **Cangqiao Zhijie Historic Street** (★★★★): Admission Free; Opening hours Open all day; Time needed 1–2 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/cangqiao-zhijie-historic-street - **Mount Kuaiji** (★★★★): Admission ¥60; combined ticket ¥140 (includes Mausoleum of Yu the Great, Bird Garden and Incense Burner Peak); Opening hours 8：00—17：00; Time needed 2–4 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/mount-kuaiji - **Bazi Bridge** (★★★): Admission Free; Opening hours Open all day; Time needed 15–20 minutes — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/bazi-bridge - **East Lake Scenic Area (Shaoxing)** (★★★★): Admission ¥50; Opening hours Winter 08:00-17:00 (last ticket sales at 16:20); summer 08:00-17:30 (last ticket sales at 16:50); Time needed 2–3 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/east-lake-scenic-area-shaoxing - **Shaoxing Yellow Wine Town** (★★★): Admission Free; Opening hours 08:30-17:00; Time needed 1-3 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/shaoxing-yellow-wine-town - **Jianhu Lake (Mirror Lake)** (★★★★): Admission Three-zone combined ticket ¥130 (includes boat ticket); Opening hours 8:00–17:00 (1 May–7 October); 8:30–16:30 (8 October–30 April of the following year); Time needed 1–2 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/jianhu-lake-mirror-lake - **Luzhen Town** (★★★★): Admission Three-zone combined ticket ¥130 (includes boat ticket); Opening hours Open all day; Time needed 2–3 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/luzhen-town - **Zhuji** (★★★): Admission Free; Opening hours Open all day (an administrative district, not a ticketed attraction) — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/zhuji - **Houshan Hill** (★★★★★): Admission ¥40; Opening hours 8：00—16：30; Time needed 2 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/houshan-hill - **Anchang Ancient Town** (★★★): Admission Admission to the ancient town itself is free, but the town's museums charge entry. Combined ticket for the Shaoxing Legal Advisers Museum, Anchang Folk Customs Museum, former Bank of China site and others: ¥50; Opening hours Open all day; Time needed 0.5 days — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/anchang-ancient-town - **Xinchang** (★★★): Admission Great Buddha Temple ¥100; Wozhou Lake Scenic Area ¥60; combined ticket for Great Buddha Temple, Qianzhang Valley, Chuanyan Nineteen Peaks and Tianzhu Fairyland ¥220; Opening hours Open all day (an administrative district, not a ticketed attraction) — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/xinchang - **Chuanyan Nineteen Peaks** (★★★★): Admission ¥60; small train ¥30; Opening hours 7:00–17:00 (summer); 7:30–16:30 (winter); Time needed 0.5–1 day — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/chuanyan-nineteen-peaks - **Ziyang Street** (★★★★): Admission Free; Opening hours Open all day; Time needed 2–4 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/ziyang-street - **Taizhou Prefectural City Wall** (★★★): Admission ¥60; Opening hours 7：00—17：00; Time needed 1–2 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/taizhou-prefectural-city-wall - **Potan Ancient Town** (★★★★): Admission ¥36; Opening hours 8：00—16：10; Time needed 2–3 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/potan-ancient-town - **Dachen Island** (★★★★): Admission Free; Opening hours Winter 08:00-17:00; summer 07:30-17:30; Time needed 3–4 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/dachen-island - **Changyu Dongtian (Changyu Caves)** (★★★★): Admission ¥112; Opening hours 7:30–17:00 (summer); 8:00–16:30 (winter); Time needed 0.5–1 day — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/changyu-dongtian-changyu-caves - **Shepan Island** (★★★★): Admission Mud Slide Park: ¥50; combined ticket (including Pirate Village and Wild Man Cave) ¥100; Opening hours January 1–April 29: Mon–Fri 9:00–16:00; Sat–Sun 8:00–17:00. April 30–May 4: 7:30–17:00. May 5–December 31: Mon–Fri 8:00–17:00; Sat–Sun 8:00–17:00; Time needed 0.5–1 day — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/shepan-island - **Shenxianju (Fairy Residence Scenic Area)** (★★★★): Admission ¥110; Opening hours 8：00—17：00; Time needed 3–4 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/shenxianju-fairy-residence-scenic-area - **Shitang Peninsula** (★★★★): Admission Free; Opening hours Open all day; Time needed 0.5–1 day — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/shitang-peninsula ## Day trips & beyond - **Keyan Scenic Area** (★★★★): Admission Combined ticket for Keyan, Jianhu and Luzhen scenic areas: ¥130 (includes boat ticket); Opening hours 8:00–17:00 (May 1–October 7); 8:30–16:30 (October 8–April 30 of the following year); Time needed 4–5 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/keyan-scenic-area --- Source: China Self-Guided Travel 2025 (《中国自助游》, Tianjin Science & Technology Press, Aug 2024), pp. 1159–1187. Prices, hours and transport details are as printed in the August 2024 edition and may have changed. Always confirm with the venue before you travel.