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Home Travel in Zhejiang Travel in Shao Xing
Travel in Shao Xing
Travel in Zhejiang
 

altLocated in China’s eastern Zhejiang Province (zhè jiāng shěng 浙江省), Shaoxing (shào xīng 绍兴) is an ancient city that possesses beautiful scenery. Known as the city of river, the city of bridge, the city of calligraphy, and the city of soul, Shaoxing attracts tourists from around the world.
The city’s network of rivers and bridges give Shaoxing another name - the Oriental Venice (dōng fāng wēi ní sī 东方威尼斯). Experience this one-of-a-kind Chinese town by taking a boat trip along the winding canals and rivers. The Orchid Pavilion is one of Shaoxing’s main attractions. Here is where the noted calligrapher Wang Xizhi (wàn xī zhī 王羲之) grew up and later created his renowned style of calligraphy.



Shaoxing is the hometown of many politicians, philosophers, authors, and scientists in Chinese history. Lu Xun (lǔ xùn 鲁迅), arguably the most well-known writer in Chinese history, also hails from Shaoxing. His former residences and school are well-preserved in their original traditional Chinese architecture.
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The sites form another main attraction for tourists who seek to appreciate one of China’s legendary novelists. In recent years, many new tourist attractions have been developed, including Jian Lake, Ke Yan, and Lu Zhen to name a few. Shaoxing is an excellent choice for travelers seeking to discover Chinese culture and history in a smaller setting. The picturesque concept of "China’s Venice" is yet another reason to make Shaoxing a stop on your journey to China.

Tourist attractions

The East Lake
Address: Yuecheng District, Donghu Town
Transportation: No. 1,107,117,137,157,207 bus
Phone: +86 (575) 8649560

Along with the West Lake (xī hú 西湖) in Hangzhou and the South Lake (nán hú 南湖) in Jiaxing (jiā xīng 嘉兴), Shaoxing’s East Lake (dōng hú 东湖) make up the three most famous lakes in Zhejiang Province. The East Lake is smaller than its counterparts, but it is regarded as a magical lake by the Chinese. The combination of cliffs, grottos, and stone bridges is the reason why the East Lake deserves its magical reputation. Taking a boat ride on the East Lake, you can discover its natural beauty from a variety of viewpoints. You can also take the boat into the caves, and you will be simply awed by the scenery. From the mountain top beside East Lake, you can enjoy another unbeatable view of the "Oriental Venice".

The Orchid Pavillion
altThe Orchid Pavilion (lán tíng 兰亭) is 13 kilometers away from the city center. During the Spring and Autumn Period (chūn qiū shí qī 春秋时期), the king of Yue (yuè wáng 越王) planted orchids here and later a pavillion was constructed here during the Han dynasty. Thus, there is a pretty simple explanation for the name of this popular tourist attraction today. The Orchid Pavilion is Shaoxing’s most famous landmark. Visitors have been making the journey to see the Orchid Pavillion for more than 1600 years. In 353 A.D., the noted calligrapher Wang Xizhi wrote some of his celebrated calligraphy here. Since then, the Orchid Pavilion has been known as a home of Calligraphy.

The main sights in the Orchid Pavilion are: the Goose Pool Stele (é chí bēi 鹅池), the Orchid Pavilion Stele (lán tíng bēi 兰亭碑), the Orchid Pavilion River (lán tíng hé 兰亭河), and the Calligraphy Museum (shū fǎ bó wù guǎn 书法博物馆). The Goose Pool Stele was created by the calligrapher Wang Xizhi and his son Wang Xianzhi (wáng xàn zhī 王献之). Wang Xizhi’s favourite animal was the goose, and the goose theme is prevalent throughout the Orchid Pavilion. The Orchid Pavilion is not only one of the four famous pavilions in China, but is also a famed garden.

Luxun's Native Place
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Address: Luxun Middle Street
Transportation: No. 2,4,5,7,11,12,13,14
Tel: 86 575 5124580

Located on Luxun Middle Street (lǔ xùn zhōng jiē 鲁迅中街), the Luxun Native Place (lǔ xùn gù jū 鲁迅故居) has undergone significant development since its designation as a tourist attraction. The street contains a number of sites such as Luxun Museum, Luxun's Former Residence, and Sanwei Shuwu, where Luxun conducted his studies. Luxun Middle Street is also home to many traditional Chinese restaurants, cafes, and bookshops. When strolling along the street, you will feel as if you are part of one of Luxun's timelss novels. Luxun Native Place is a fantastic opportunity to soak in classic Chinese culture in the "Oriental Venice".

The Shen's Garden
The Shen’s Garden (shěn yuán 沈园) is located at Luxun Middle Street, about 200 meters away from the Luxun Native Place. This garden boasts more than 800 years of history. Shen is the family name of the garden’s former owner, hence the name, "The Shen’s Garden". This garden is also known altas the Love Garden, in accordance with one classic love story. Lu You (lù yóu 陆游, 1125-1210), one of China's most famous poets, actually authored more poems than any other poet in Chinese history, nearly 10,000! In the year 1151 Lu You met his lover Tang Wan in this very garden, and then composed a poem on the wall in the garden. In the Chinese tradition, parents are responsible for the marriages of their children. Young adults were not necssarily permitted to marry to the one he or she most desired. Sadly, Lu You and his lover suffered the same fate as they too were not allowed to marry. Their last date was spent in The Shen's Garden, so visitors come to the Shen’s Garden not only for the beautiful ambiance, but also to understand this heartbreaking love story. The Shen’s Garden is an obvious symbol of love, so young people often come here to display their love to one another.

Transportation
1.Shaoxing Airport
Tel: 86 571 86662539/85533549/55835262

2.Public Buses
Buses are the main form of public transportation in Shaoxing. The bus system covers all the tourist attractions, but not many the bus drivers or conductors speak English, so it is important to plan which line(s) you will ride ahead of time.

Buses cost 2 RMB which should be paid in change. Some special bus lines which travel outside the city center, such as Ke Qiao, have a ticket-seller onboard
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3.Boat
A boat trip through the canals of Shaoxing allows visitors to see why Shaoxing is often referred to as the "Oriental Venice".

You can take a boat trip from the Luxun Native Place. It costs 15 RMB per person. There are also boat trips provided at some other tourist attractions including Lu Town, Ke Yan, and others.

4.Taxi
Taxis in Shaoxing are much cheaper than most other cities in China. The meter starts at 5 RMB for the first 3 kilometers, and is 2.2 RMB per kilometer thereafter. If you take the taxi to a more distant location, the taxi driver will charge an additional 30% "returning fee" due to local rules.
Taxis are a convenient way for passengers to get to their destinations directly and quickly. Sometimes taxis are not readily available during rush hour, and other times taxi drivers may simply refuse to pick you up.

5.Railway

 

The train from Hangzhou to Shaoxing takes 50 minutes. The train is 1 hour and 40 minutes from Shaoxing to Ningbo.

To Ningbo

Train Number Route Start Arrive at Shaoxing Depart from Shaoxing Arrive at final destination
T741 Shanghai----Ningbo 06:30 08:45 08:47 10:00
T743 Shanghai----Ningbo 11:05 13:20 13:22 14:40
T745 Shanghai----Ningbo 14:40 17:16 17:18 18:31
N505 Shanghai----Ningbo 18:07 21:56 22:01 23:35
T747 Shanghai----Ningbo 19:10 21:25 21:27 22:40
N507 Shanghai----Ningbo 22:18 01:44 01:47 03:21
K255/8 Baotou----Ningbo 13:49 21:02 21:06 22:52
5023 Fuyang----Ningbo 17:45 06:29 06:33 08:13
K75/78 Jilin----Ningbo 05:59 05:23(next day) 05:27 07:14
N569 Hangzhou----Ningbo 07:30 08:17 08:21 09:50
N555 Hangzhou----Ningbo 07:58 08:53 08:55 10:23
N561 Hangzhou----Ningbo 10:20 11:10 11:12 12:38
N563 Hangzhou----Ningbo 13:48 14:35 14:37 15:57
N565 Hangzhou----Ningbo 16:10 17:02 17:04 18:46
N567 Hangzhou----Ningbo 19:10 19:57 20:01 21:30
1037/40 Chengdu----Ningbo 00:43 14:09 14:16 15:49
T739 Nanjing West----Ningbo 07:26 13:42 13:45 15:08
N552/3 Quzhou----Ningbo 15:06 21:14 21:17 23:03
K210/11 Guangzhou----Ningbo 14:58 17:40 17:43 23:03

To Hangzhou /Shanghai

Train Number Route Start Arrive at Shaoxing Depart from Shaoxing Arrive at final destination
T744 Ningbo----Shanghai 10:32 11:40 11:43 14:02 (Hangzhou East 12:18)
T748 Ningbo----Shanghai 19:00 20:11 20:13 22:35 (Hangzhou East 20:47 )
N506 Ningbo----Shanghai 12:23 13:57 14:01 16:59 (Hangzhou East 14:55)
N508 Ningbo----Shanghai 15:19 16:50 16:53 20:28 (Hangzhou East 17:38)
T742 Ningbo----Shanghai 07:00 08:13 08:16 10:35 (Hangzhou East 08:51)
T746 Ningbo----Shanghai 15:00 16:21 16:23 18:40 (Hangzhou East 16:56)
N564 Ningbo----Hangzhou 10:40 12:04 12:06 12:55
N570 Ningbo----Hangzhou 19:20 20:45 20:47 21:38
N566 Ningbo----Hangzhou 13:16 14:39 14:41 15:28
N568 Ningbo----Hangzhou 16:27 17:51 17:53 18:40
N562 Ningbo----Hangzhou 07:30 08:54 08:57 09:50
N556/7 Ningbo----Jinhua West 10:58 12:21 12:25 16:29 (Hangzhou 13:25)
N554/1 Ningbo----Quzhou 06:40 08:24 08:29 14:30 (Hangzhou 09:18)
K256 Ningbo----Baotou 08:00 09:23 09:26 21:58 (Hangzhou 10:17/Shanghai West 12:46)
T7401 Ningbo----Nanjing West 09:58 11:24 11:27 17:47 (Hangzhou East 12:02/Shanghai 13:35)
5024 Ningbo----Fuyang 09:36 11:09 11:13 01:00 (next day) Hangzhou East 12:55
K209/212 Ningbo----Guangzhou 08:25 09:58 10:03 12:33 (next day) Hangzhou 10:54
K76/77 Ningbo----Jilin 17:30 19:01 19:04 07:39 (the 3rd day) Hangzhou 20:02/Shanghai West 22:42
1038/1039 Ningbo----Chengdu 17:48 19:22 19:26 22:44(the 3rd day) Hangzhou 20:45

Hotels
Dynasty Hotel (绍兴王朝大酒店)
Address: Shengli Donglu, Shaoxing ( 绍兴市胜利东路 )
Phone: 86 575 5125888

Yuecheng Hotel (绍兴越城大酒店)
Address: 88, Xixianhuanhe, Jiefang Nanlu, Shaoxing
( 绍兴市解放南路西咸欢河88号 )
Phone:  86 575 5127878

Yadu Hotel (绍兴亚都大酒店)
Address:
218 Renmin Zhonglu, Shaoxing ( 绍兴市人民中路218号 )
Phone: +86 (0) 575 5112777

Shaoxing Hotel (绍兴饭店)
Address:
9 Huanshan Lu, Shaoxing ( 绍兴市环山路9号 )
Phone: +86 (0)575 5155888

International Hotel (绍兴国际大酒店)
Address:
100 Fushan Xilu, Shaoxing ( 绍兴市府山西路100号 )
Phone: +86 (0) 575 5166788

Xianheng Hotel (绍兴咸亨大酒店)
Address:
680 Jiefang Nanlu, Shaoxing ( 绍兴市解放南路680号 )
Phone: +86 (0)575 8068688

Qinwang Hotel (绍兴秦望大酒店)
Address: 515, Chengnan Dadao, Shaoxing ( 绍兴市城南大道515号 )
Phone: +86 (0) 575 8056789