Shaoxing: The Water Town of Scholars and Wine

Shaoxing, in eastern Zhejiang Province, is a city of canals, stone bridges, and literary ghosts. Just 70 kilometers south of Shanghai, it remains remarkably under-visited by foreign tourists despite its extraordinary cultural pedigree. This is the hometown of Lu Xun, modern China's most influential writer; the ancient capital of the Yue Kingdom; and the birthplace of Huangjiu, China's oldest rice wine.

Canals and Bridges

Like Suzhou, Shaoxing is built on water. But where Suzhou's canals are polished and touristed, Shaoxing's are lived-in and working-class. Narrow boats ply the waterways, vendors sell vegetables from canal-side markets, and locals wash clothes on stone steps leading to the water. The city has hundreds of ancient stone bridges — single-arched, flat-topped, covered — each with a story. The Bazi Bridge, built in the Southern Song Dynasty, is particularly elegant.

Lu Xun's Hometown

Lu Xun (1881–1936) is the towering figure of modern Chinese literature. His stories — especially "Diary of a Madman" and "The True Story of Ah Q" — were among the first to critique traditional Chinese society in modern prose. His former residence in Shaoxing is preserved as a museum, and the streets around it (including the famous Hundred Herb Garden and Three Flavor Study from his writings) have been restored. Walking here, you understand how deeply the city's alleys, temples, and opera stages shaped his imagination.

Huangjiu: The Ancient Wine

Shaoxing has been producing huangjiu (yellow wine) for over 2,500 years. Made from glutinous rice, water from local springs, and fermented with wheat-based qu, the wine is aged in clay jars for years or decades. Shaoxing huangjiu is categorized by age: 3-year, 5-year, 10-year, and even 30-year varieties are available. The older the wine, the deeper its amber color and complex flavor — mellow, slightly sweet, with notes of caramel and dried fruit. The Shaoxing Wine Museum offers tastings and demonstrations of traditional brewing techniques.

The Yue Kingdom

Two and a half millennia ago, Shaoxing was the capital of the Yue Kingdom. The king Goujian, after being humiliated by the rival Wu Kingdom, famously "slept on brushwood and tasted gall" — enduring hardship to strengthen his resolve. He ultimately destroyed Wu. The Yue legacy is visible in the Tomb of King Goujian and the ruins of the ancient capital.

Shen Garden and the Poem of Heartbreak

Shen Garden is famous for a tragic love story. The poet Lu You (1125–1210) was forced by his mother to divorce his beloved wife, Tang Wan. Years later, they met by chance in Shen Garden. Lu You wrote a poem on the garden wall expressing his grief; Tang Wan replied with her own. She died soon after. Their poems, carved in stone, still hang in the garden — a pilgrimage site for lovers.

Local Delicacies

Shaoxing cuisine is famous throughout China. Stinky fermented tofu (choudoufu), often sold by street vendors, is an acquired taste but beloved locally. Drunken chicken (cooked in huangjiu), braised pork belly, and river eel are staples. The city's soy sauce, fermented like its wine, is equally renowned.