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Voykit pocket guide · China
Shaoxing
绍兴
Give Shaoxing one full day and one night from Hangzhou (25 min by high-speed rail): old-town canals, Lu Xun's lanes and a yellow-wine tasting. Skip as a base.
Shaoxing is a 2,500-year-old canal town 25 minutes by high-speed rail from Hangzhou, known for Lu Xun's former residence, black-awning boats, East Lake and yellow rice wine. The historic core is compact and walkable; most sights sit in Yuecheng District. One day covers the centre, two days add Lanting or Keqiao. It works as a day trip or a single overnight, not a multi-night base.
- Country
- China
- Local name
- 绍兴
- Best months
- Oct–Nov, Mar–May
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (35°C and rain), Chinese New YearJul–Aug (95°F and rain), Chinese New Year
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- CNY
- Money
- Alipay and WeChat Pay accept Visa, Mastercard, JCB and Amex cards; single payments over ¥200 carry a fee of about 3% on a foreign card (smaller ones are free), and per-payment and yearly caps apply — check the app. Keep a second way to pay.
- Daily spend
- Budget ¥250–450 excl. bed · Mid ¥450–900 excl. bed · High ¥900+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- A roaming eSIM from outside China routes traffic through its home network, so Google, WhatsApp and Instagram work without a VPN — the simplest setup.
- Emergency
- Police 110 · Fire 119 · Ambulance 120
- Plugs
- Types A, C, I · 220 V · 50 Hz · Many sockets take flat two-pin (A), round two-pin (C) and angled three-pin (I) plugs; UK plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurants: No tip; upmarket hotels add 10–15% service.; Taxis and DiDi: No tip.; Tour guides and drivers: Expected on organised tours: about ¥100–200 a day for a guide, ¥50–100 for a driver.; Hotel porters: Not expected; ¥10–20 in luxury hotels.
- Water
- Not for drinking from the tap; bottled water ¥2–5, and kettles and free bottles in hotel rooms. Restaurants serve hot water or tea.
- Toilets
- Public toilets are frequent and free; squat toilets outside hotels and malls. Carry tissues — many have no paper.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | ¥20–40 |
| Noodle soup or rice dish | ¥15–35 |
| Beer: draught in a bar / can at a convenience store | ¥15–30 / ¥5–10 |
| 5 km taxi3.1 mi taxi | ¥15–25 |
| Metro or bus ride | ¥2–5 (check) |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | ¥50–100 |
| Museum or garden entry | ¥0–60 (check) |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- HGH · Hangzhou Xiaoshan International
- About 30 km west; shuttle bus, taxi or transfer to Shaoxing, roughly 1 hAbout 19 mi west; shuttle bus, taxi or transfer to Shaoxing, roughly 1 h
- NGB · Ningbo Lishe International
- About 120 km southeast; intercity bus or private transfer, 2 h+About 75 mi southeast; intercity bus or private transfer, 2 h+
- YIW · Yiwu Airport
- About 100 km southwest; smaller regional airport, bus or taxiAbout 62 mi southwest; smaller regional airport, bus or taxi
Typical fares
- Hangzhou East → Shaoxing North, high-speed rail
- about ¥30–40, 25 min (check)
- Taxi Shaoxing North → old town
- ¥40–60 (check)
- East Lake boat ride
- about ¥60 (check)
Get around
The old town is walkable. Buses cover the city and suburbs; shared bikes sit near stops and sights. DiDi ride-hailing works with Alipay or WeChat Pay. Most taxi drivers speak no English, so have your destination written in Chinese.
See and do
Known for
- Lu Xun's Former Residence
- East Lake (Donghu)
- Yellow rice wine
- Bazi Bridge and canal lanes
- Shen Garden
- Lanting (Orchid Pavilion)
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Hangzhou | High-speed rail from Shaoxing North or Shaoxing station, about 25 min | About 1 h |
| Ningbo | High-speed rail, about 1 h | About 1.5 h |
| Lanting (Orchid Pavilion) | Bus or taxi about 13 km southwest of the centreBus or taxi about 8.1 mi southwest of the centre | About 45 min |
| Keqiao and Jianhu Lake | Metro or bus from the centre | About 45–60 min |
| Wuxie Waterfall (Zhuji) | High-speed rail to Zhuji, then bus or taxi | 2–2.5 h |
Sleep
- Yuecheng District (old town)
- Walk to Lu Xun's Hometown, Shen Garden and Cangqiao Straight Street; best for one night.
- Shaoxing North station area
- High-speed rail hub about 10 km north; practical for early departures, thin on sights.High-speed rail hub about 6.2 mi north; practical for early departures, thin on sights.
- Keqiao
- Textile-trade district with Jianhu Lake and Lanting nearby; use only if business brings you.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | 你好nǐ hǎo |
| Thank you | 谢谢xièxie |
| How much is it? | 多少钱？duōshao qián |
| Can I pay by card? | 可以刷卡吗？kěyǐ shuākǎ ma |
| Where is the toilet? | 洗手间在哪里？xǐshǒujiān zài nǎlǐ |
| I don't understand | 我不懂wǒ bù dǒng |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and a nod; use surnames with a title; avoid: Hugs and cheek kisses
- Face: Disagree privately and indirectly; avoid: Correcting or embarrassing someone in front of others
- Gifts: Give with two hands; expect the gift to be refused once or twice and opened later; avoid: Clocks, umbrellas, white flowers, sets of four
- Business cards: Present and receive with both hands, read it, keep it on the table; avoid: Writing on it or pocketing it at once
- Queues and crowds: Hold your ground politely in scrums at buses and lifts; avoid: Taking pushing personally
- Temples: Walk clockwise around Tibetan stupas and prayer wheels; remove hats; avoid: Touching statues or photographing where signs forbid
- Politics: Listen; follow your host's lead; avoid: Raising Tibet, Taiwan, Xinjiang, 1989 or the party leadership
- Numbers and colour: Red and 8 are lucky; red envelopes carry money gifts; avoid: Writing names in red; the number 4
Scams and watch-outs
- Vehicles may not yield at zebra crossings: cross on the green pedestrian light, ideally with locals.
- Most drivers and station staff speak no English; carry addresses in Chinese.
- Foreign travellers should confirm hotel acceptance of foreign guests before booking, especially near stations.
- Book ahead for the October Yellow Wine Festival and Chinese New Year.
- International driving permits are not accepted; you need a Chinese licence to drive.
Shaoxing is a low-crime city; the real risks are traffic that ignores zebra crossings, summer heat and rain, and unposted bar prices. Ask the total before you sit.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Shaoxing yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Lu Xun's Former Residence
- East Lake (Donghu)
- Yellow rice wine
- Bazi Bridge and canal lanes
- Shen Garden
- Lanting (Orchid Pavilion)
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Shaoxing, revision 5308453 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5308453
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Shaoxing绍兴
请到这个地址
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No US or UK consulate in Shaoxing; the US consulate-general is in Shanghai and the UK consulate-general in Shanghai too. Keep your embassy's number for Shanghai or Beijing.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/shaoxing). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.