Shaoxing alive(2)

City signatures

Sitting on the boat to Shenyuan Garden, the boatman asks if I know the three "blacks" and three "vats" of Shaoxing. "If not, don't tell people that you've been to this city," he says.

He explains proudly, the three "blacks" refer to the black cover boat, black felt hat and dried black vegetable, and three "vats" refer to vats of wine, dye and sauce. These six things symbolize Shaoxing as a whole.

The boat moves smoothly through the water, passing under stone arch bridges, drawing ripples on the peaceful surface of the water.

Shenyuan Garden, which used to be the private garden of a rich businessman, is a perfect place for lovebirds, not only because of the attractive scenery but also because of its history as the spot a poignant love story took place between a patriotic poet, Lu You, and his ex-wife, Tang Wan, in the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279).

Lu and Tang were deeply in love but were separated by Lu's mother. Years later, they met each other in the garden. Lamenting their past happiness, Lu wrote a poem, Chai Tou Feng, to mourn their love. The poem is carved in the wall and is widely known.

Shaoxing is not only famous for its rivers but also for its mountains. The Donghu Lake is a perfect place to appreciate both. The man-made lake and a green rocky hill excels in its unique-shaped cliffs and caves.

Since the Han Dynasty (202 BC-AD 220), this area has become a quarry, supplying stones for building the city. Years of excavation turned the mountain into 50-meter-high cliffs, and a pool came into existence due to underground work.

Take a boat and point it in the direction of a small hole on the foot of the hill. A different world gradually opens up. The mountain is hollow with a hole at the top allowing light to enter.

The well-shaped cave is the result of much hard work and drudgery by past generations. Those laborious workers dug and removed millions of tons of stones by manpower. Amazed by their perseverance, I feel like I am a frog in a well when looking up at that circle of sky.

If you go

There are more than 20 trains every day shuttling between Shanghai and Shaoxing.

A bullet train ride from Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station takes about one and a half hours and costs 60 yuan ($9.75) for a ticket.

The former residence of Lu Xun

Address: 229 Middle Luxun Road, Yuecheng district, Shaoxing, Zhejiang province

Telephone: 0575-8513-2084

Open hours: 8:30 am to 7:00 pm, seven days a week, free to visit

Shenyuan Garden 

Address: 318 Middle Luxun Road, Yuecheng district, Shaoxing, Zhejiang province

Telephone: 0575-8806-4863

Open hours: 8:00 am to 9:00 pm, seven days a week

Ticket price: 40 yuan for a daytime ticket and 60 yuan for a night ticket

Donghu Lake

Donghu Lake is at the city's eastern outskirts.

You can take bus No 1 from the City Square in Shaoxing and get off at the Donghu Lake scenic area station, which takes half an hour. Traveling by taxi is an alternative and can save you 15 minutes.

Open hours: 8:30 am to 5:30 pm

Ticket price: 40 yuan per person