Lu Xun Native Place
Preserved quarter around the home of writer Lu Xun (1881-1936), with his Former Residence, the Zhou family house, the Three Flavours Study, Baicaoyuan Garden, the Lu Xun Memorial Hall and Xianheng Tavern.
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About Shaoxing
Shaoxing is a canal-laced historic city in northern Zhejiang, about 60 km east of Hangzhou, and one of the cradles of Yue culture. The state of Yue made its capital here in the 5th century BC under King Goujian, and the city took its present name in 1131 during the Southern Song. It is the hometown of the writer Lu Xun and of the revolutionary Qiu Jin, the setting of the Orchid Pavilion where Wang Xizhi wrote his famous calligraphy in AD 353, and the home of Shaoxing huangjiu, the amber rice wine that is among China's oldest. Visitors come for stone-arch bridges and black-awning wupeng boats, the Song-era romance of Shen Garden, the tomb of the legendary flood-tamer Yu the Great, and the lakes and quarries of Keyan and East Lake. This guide covers the best hotels, attractions, restaurants and experiences in Shaoxing.
- Capital
- Shaoxing
- Largest city
- Shaoxing
- Population
- About 5.27 million in the prefecture-level city and about 2.96 million in the urban area (2020 census)
- Languages
- Mandarin Chinese (Putonghua); Shaoxing dialect, a Wu Chinese variety, is widely spoken locally
- Currency
- Renminbi (Yuan)
- Time zone
- China Standard Time (CST, UTC+8, no daylight saving)
Explore Shaoxing by topic
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Best places to visit in Shaoxing
The 14 destinations our editors recommend — from iconic landmarks to under-the-radar finds.
Shen Garden
Song-dynasty garden famous for the poet Lu You's 'Phoenix Hairpin' poem about his lost love Tang Wan, with ponds, rockeries, pavilions and a poem wall.
Cangqiao Straight Street
Well-preserved canal-side lane of old Shaoxing houses with arched bridges, tea shops, small eateries and wupeng boat moorings.
Bazi Bridge
Ancient stone arch bridge in the Song-dynasty style, reportedly dating to about 1256, where streets and canals meet at angles that form the Chinese character for eight.
Qiu Jin Former Residence
Memorial site on the family home of Qiu Jin (1875-1907), the feminist poet and revolutionary executed in Shaoxing after a failed uprising.
Zhou Enlai Ancestral Home
Restored family home of Zhou Enlai's ancestors, a modest Ming-era house in the old town; Zhou Enlai (1898-1976) became China's first premier.
Recommended itineraries
Pick a length, follow the route. Each itinerary balances headline sights with breathing room.
5-Day Shaoxing Explorer
- Day 1Arrive in Shaoxing, explore city center
- Day 2Visit top attractions and museums
- Day 3Day trip to nearby highlights
- Day 4Local markets and hidden gems
- Day 5Final sightseeing, departure
7-Day Classic Shaoxing
- Days 1-2Shaoxing city highlights
- Days 3-4Regional exploration
- Days 5-6Cultural immersion and local experiences
- Day 7Return and departure
14-Day Ultimate Shaoxing
- Days 1-3Shaoxing comprehensive city tour
- Days 4-6Northern region exploration
- Days 7-9Eastern highlights
- Days 10-12Southern attractions
- Days 13-14Return to Shaoxing, departure
Where to stay in Shaoxing
Three tiers, every traveller covered — from cost-conscious to flagship hotels.
Budget ¥280-400 (about $41-59 USD)
Hostels, budget hotels, and guesthouses offer affordable stays without sacrificing experience.
Mid-range ¥650-1,100 (about $96-163 USD)
Boutique hotels and well-located accommodations provide comfort and convenience at reasonable prices.
Luxury ¥1,800-4,000 (about $267-593 USD)+
World-class resorts and premium hotels deliver unforgettable experiences.
Le Meridien Shaoxing Yuecheng
A five-star Le Meridien that opened on 18 August 2025 in Yuecheng's core commercial area, with an adults-only indoor heated pool, an executive lounge, a gym, and both a Chinese restaurant and a European buffet restaurant. Free parking and EV charging are on site; the hotel runs no airport transfers.
Check rates on Booking.comSheraton Shaoxing Shangyu
A five-star Sheraton opened in 2020 on the bank of the Cao'e River in the Shangyu Economic Development Zone, about 40 km east of Shaoxing's old town. It has an executive lounge and executive floor, a restaurant and cafe, conference rooms, and accessible rooms.
Check rates on Booking.comCrowne Plaza Shaoxing
A Crowne Plaza by IHG on Shengli Road East in Yuecheng District, scored about 4.3 out of 5 on Hotels.com from roughly 100 reviews. A separate Crowne Plaza Shaoxing Binhai New Area is a different property at 888 Xincheng Avenue, Lihai, so travelers should check which one they book.
Check rates on Booking.comThe Xianheng Hotel
A Lu Xun-themed hotel named after the Xianheng Tavern in Lu Xun's stories, about 170 m from the Lu Xun Native Place metro stop and 2.6 km from Shaoxing Railway Station. It has 206 rooms, 47 themed private dining rooms, a spa, gym, sauna and executive lounge; some reviewers describe the facilities outside the rooms as aging.
Check rates on Booking.comWhere to eat in Shaoxing
Cafés, neighbourhood gems, and tasting menus worth the table reservation.
Xianheng Hotel Restaurant (Xianheng Jiujia)
Xianheng is the restaurant most visitors to Shaoxing associate with Lu Xun, whose story Kong Yiji is set in a tavern of this name.
Kong Yiji Yueyan
Kong Yiji Yueyan stands at No.
Xiao Shaoxing Jiayan (Luxun Middle Road)
Xiao Shaoxing Jiayan is a family-banquet style Shaoxing restaurant at No.
Laoweidao Shaoxing Cai Restaurant
Laoweidao is a Shaoxing-cuisine restaurant at Zhishui Square on Huancheng South Road, listed as a three-diamond local dining venue and recommended for intangible-heritage Shaoxing dishes and dazao rice cooked in a traditional stove.
Jishan Pinfu Hotel Restaurant
Jishan Pinfu is a hotel dining venue inside Jishan Park at No.
Xunbaoji Zhuangyuanlou (Cangqiao Zhijie)
Xunbaoji Zhuangyuanlou stands on Cangqiao Zhijie, the preserved canal-side street in the old city.
Book a food tour in Shaoxing We may earn a commission from bookings made through this link.
Getting around Shaoxing
Shaoxing is reached by high-speed rail, mainly at Shaoxing North Railway Station (Shaoxing Bei) on the Hangzhou-Ningbo line, about 20-30 minutes from Hangzhou. Inside the city, Shaoxing Metro Line 1 opened in 2021 and runs through the Keqiao and Yuecheng districts; buses, taxis, Didi and public bike-share cover the rest. The old town is compact and best explored on foot and by canal boat. The city has no commercial airport; the nearest are Hangzhou Xiaoshan (HGH) and Ningbo Lishe (NGB).
Budget breakdown
Daily spend by tier in CNY, broken out by category.
| Category | Budget | Mid-range | Luxury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation | ¥80-160 (about $11.85-24 USD) in a hostel bed or budget guesthouse near the old town or Shaoxing North Railway Station | ¥300-550 (about $44-81 USD) in a 3- to 4-star hotel in the old-town area | ¥900-2,500 (about $133-370 USD) at a 5-star hotel |
| Food (per day) | ¥50-90 (about $7.41-13.33 USD) at noodle shops, dumpling stalls and canal-street snack stalls | ¥160-280 (about $24-41 USD) at casual restaurants and a Shaoxing-cuisine dinner with huangjiu | ¥400-900 (about $59-133 USD) at the city's best restaurants and a private huangjiu tasting |
| Transportation | ¥10-25 (about $1.48-3.7 USD) on city buses, Metro Line 1 and short bike-share rides | ¥40-120 (about $5.93-17.78 USD) including taxis and Didi | ¥200-500 (about $30-74 USD) with a private car and driver |
| Activities | ¥40-120 (about $5.93-17.78 USD) (Lu Xun Native Place and Cangqiao Straight Street are free; one paid sight such as Shen Garden or the Orchid Pavilion) | ¥150-300 (about $22-44 USD) (Shen Garden, Orchid Pavilion, Yu Mausoleum, or a canal boat ride) | ¥300-800 (about $44-119 USD) for private guides and a private canal-boat charter |
| Daily total | ¥280-400 (about $41-59 USD) | ¥650-1,100 (about $96-163 USD) | ¥1,800-4,000 (about $267-593 USD)+ |
Best time to visit Shaoxing
Weather through the year in Zhejiang
Best time Shoulder Worth avoiding
Average daytime temperature in °C. Figures are for Zhejiang.
Shaoxing is best visited in spring or autumn, when temperatures are mild and canal walks are pleasant. June is the wettest month and July-August the hottest, while Golden Week is the main crowd hazard.
Spring and autumn are comfortable for walking the canals; November is quiet with good visibility. Ancient-town sights are best on weekday mornings.
Essential travel tips
- Link Alipay or WeChat Pay before arrival; Shaoxing is largely cashless
- Install a VPN before arrival; Google and WhatsApp are blocked
- Reserve Lu Xun Native Place in advance, bring a passport for the free ticket, and expect short bag-screening queues
- Take the 20-30 minute train from Hangzhou East for an easy day trip, or stay two nights to cover the outlying sights
- Order huangjiu warm in winter, as locals do, and ask for the sweeter styles if the dry ones are too strong
Safety information
Carry the passport at all times; hotels, trains, reserved attractions and police checks all require it, and a photo copy is not accepted at train gates.
Install a VPN before arriving in China for Google, Gmail, WhatsApp, Instagram or Facebook; these are blocked and VPN apps are hard to download once inside the country.
Set up Alipay or WeChat Pay with a foreign card, and download Didi, Amap or Baidu Maps (Google Maps is unreliable) and an offline translation app.
Save the hotel's name and address in Chinese on the phone to show taxi drivers; few drivers in Shaoxing speak English.
Hotels register foreign guests with the police automatically, but private guesthouses must do so within 24 hours; confirm the host has done it.
Cross roads carefully: electric scooters and bikes often run on pavements and ignore red lights, and cars rarely yield to pedestrians.
Avoid photographing military or government compounds, and respect rules on photographing people at temples and memorial halls.
Frequently asked questions
Is Shaoxing worth visiting from Hangzhou?
Yes. Shaoxing is 20-30 minutes from Hangzhou East by high-speed train and offers canal streets, Lu Xun's hometown, Shen Garden and the Orchid Pavilion. Two days is ideal; a day trip covers the old-town cluster.
What is Shaoxing famous for?
Shaoxing is famous for huangjiu (Shaoxing rice wine), canals and wupeng boats, the writer Lu Xun, the Orchid Pavilion where Wang Xizhi wrote his calligraphy in AD 353, and the Mausoleum of Yu the Great.
Is Lu Xun Native Place free?
Yes. Admission has been free since 2008, but visitors should reserve in advance and bring a passport or ID. Check the official Shaoxing tourism channels for current hours.
How do I get from the airport to Shaoxing?
Shaoxing has no airport. Fly into Hangzhou Xiaoshan (HGH), reach Hangzhou East Railway Station by shuttle bus or metro, then take a 20-30 minute train to Shaoxing North. A taxi directly from HGH costs roughly ¥250-350 (about $37-52 USD).
Is Shaoxing safe?
Yes. It is very safe by global standards; common issues are small tourist scams and the language barrier. Emergency numbers: police 110, ambulance 120, fire 119.