In the alleys of ink wash and the fragrance of yellow wine, rediscover the old dreams of Shaoxing

🌿 Revisiting Shaoxing Notes: In the alleys of ink wash and the fragrance of yellow wine, rediscover the old dreams of Jiangnan 📜 Opening · The heartbeat of returning to the water town "A light boat eight feet long, a low canopy with three panels, dominating the misty rain of Pingzhou." Lu You's words are like a key that instantly unlocks my box of longing for Shaoxing. Visiting this "museum without walls" again after five years, I deliberately avoided the crowded Golden Week and chose the early summer rainy season—at this time, Shaoxing’s bluestone slabs glisten with water, black canopy boats shatter reflections, and the air is filled with the lingering scent of yellow wine and lotus. 🌧️ Morning · The time folds in the hometown of the Sage of Calligraphy Route: Jishan Street → Tishan Bridge → Jie Zhu Lecture Temple → Cai Yuanpei Former Residence The Zen morning light of Jie Zhu Lecture Temple: At 7 a.m. on Jishan Street, only a few locals carrying vegetable baskets pass by. The bright yellow courtyard walls of Jie Zhu Lecture Temple shine after being washed by rain; this was originally the old residence of Wang Xizhi, and the thousand-year-old ancient well in the courtyard still reflects the legend of the ink pool. Sitting under the corridor listening to the rain hitting the banana leaves, an old lady selling pastries hands me a freshly steamed "Jishan Cake," glutinous rice wrapped with red bean paste, warm and comforting in my palm. The living ink wash at Tishan Bridge: An old man at the bridgehead sets up an easel, painting the ink-colored eaves in the misty rain. I followed him and bought a paper fan with calligraphy (25 yuan), watching him write "Qu Shui Liu Shang" on the fan surface, the brush strokes like knives—at this moment, calligraphy is no longer a museum artifact but a breathing part of everyday life. 📝 Blogger tips: Jie Zhu Lecture Temple is free of charge, and before 8 a.m. you can enjoy tranquility alone; the Osmanthus rice wine cake at the Jishan pastry shop is a must-try, 3 yuan per piece, sweet but not greasy. 🛶 Noon · Black canopy boats navigating the secret water alleys Route: City Square Pier → West Xiaohe → Lü Mansion Unlocking a niche route: Giving up the popular East Lake line, I chose the North line black canopy boat (120 yuan per boat, can share with 3 people). The small boat enters West Xiaohe from City Square, with slanting wooden houses by the water on both sides, clothes poles crossing the river, and red lanterns swaying in the wind. The boatman rows with his feet, smiling and pointing to women washing clothes on the stone steps: "That is Shaoxing’s 'Along the River During the Qingming Festival'!" Time travel at Lü Mansion: Getting off at Xie Gong Bridge, a 5-minute walk leads to the Ming Dynasty Lü Mansion. Thirteen halls are hidden in deep alleys, and the nanmu wood pillars in Yong'en Hall require three people to embrace. Sitting by the fish pond in the back garden, watching koi nibble on moss, the silence of the old house seems to echo the rustling of official robes from four hundred years ago. 🍜 Lunch recommendation: No. 108 West Xiao Road "Hebutou Restaurant," order a plate of soy sauce river shrimp (48 yuan) with braised pork with preserved vegetables (38 yuan). The river shrimp jump into the pot, fresh and sweet; the fatty meat is soaked with preserved vegetables, tender and not greasy. After three bowls of rice, I realized I was full. ☕️ Afternoon · The slow philosophy of Cangqiao Straight Street Route: Baozhu Bridge → Qingteng Book House → Kong Yiji Tavern The collision of bookstore and coffee: Hide in "Wilderness Bookstore" in Qian Guan Alley, a ten-year-old shop full of out-of-print literature and history books. Order a yellow wine latte (32 yuan), the wine aroma balances the coffee bitterness, and outside the window, rain hits the bamboo leaves in the courtyard, echoing Xu Wei’s ink splash paintings across the air. The symphony of stinky tofu in the market: An old lady’s stinky tofu stall at the street corner has a long queue (10 yuan per serving). Bite through the golden crispy shell, hot tofu bursts out, dipped in spicy and sweet sauces—the "red and white double killers"—this "fragrant-stinky paradox" is the soul imprint of Shaoxing. 📝 Immersive experience: Qingteng Book House requires reservation (free), afternoon sunlight filters through banana leaves casting on Xu Wei’s stone statue, perfect for copying the poem on "Ink Grapes Painting." 🌙 Overnight · When modern Jiangnan meets old Tai Men Staying in the time gap of "Li Bai": Choose a pure white guesthouse at the foot of Tashan, the slide room makes children scream with joy. On the terrace in the evening breeze, Moroccan-style tiles and black-tiled horse-head walls form a strange harmony. Order a cup of yellow wine milk tea (28 yuan), the milk foam sprinkled with osmanthus, and when sipping the fermented rice grains at the bottom, a slight intoxication suddenly arises. Night visit to Shen Garden’s startling dream: Catch the last show of "Shen Garden Love" at 8 p.m. (128 yuan). When "red soft hands, yellow tied wine" sound in the pavilion, koi leap out of the pond splashing wet the clothes—eight hundred years of parting sorrow turns into a warm watery light in the corner of the eye. 🌿 The next day · Reading Shaoxing history on the tip of the tongue Route: Tongxin Building → Lu Xun’s Former Residence → Treasure Hunt Morning light in Shengjian buns: "Tongxin Building" smells fragrant at 6 a.m. (1.2 yuan each). Bite open the crispy bottom, hot meat juice gushes out, paired with shrimp oil wontons’ freshness, watching students in school uniforms crowd around wooden tables—this is the vivid morning song of the water town. The feast of drunken flavor: The drunken lobster (158 yuan) at "Treasure Hunt" amazes the palate. The aroma of Huadiao wine seeps into the shrimp roe, the meat tender as if kissed by Jian Lake water. Served with a plate of fennel beans, Kong Yiji’s spirit is present, and the waiter smiles adding wine: "Owe nineteen wen? Waived!" 📌 Ultimate practical tips Transportation tips: Choose the North line black canopy boat (City Square → Lü Mansion), more original than the South line, about 40 minutes boat ride; Best to walk the streets, wear soft-soled shoes! The bluestone roads are uneven like a "natural foot massage." Off-peak secrets: Visit popular spots (Shen Garden, Lu Xun’s Former Residence) before 8 a.m. or after 5 p.m. to avoid study tour crowds; The Sage of Calligraphy’s hometown has a local market early on Sundays, where you can find handmade bamboo crafts and preserved vegetables. 3. Food map: recommended dishes, shops, average cost, highlights Soy sauce river shrimp at Hebutou Restaurant 50 yuan - shrimp jump into the pot, extremely fresh and sweet Shaoxing three fresh at Dinglaixing Hotel 45 yuan - fish balls tender as tofu, milky soup base Yellow wine pudding at Huijingxuan 18 yuan - caramel crispy shell wrapped in wine-scented mousse 4. Souvenir list: Jishan Pastry Shop: handmade osmanthus cake (20 yuan/box); Wilderness Bookstore: out-of-print "Ancient Bridges of Shaoxing" (reservation required). 💌 Postscript · The "Contradiction Theory" of the water town "The magic of Shaoxing lies in its ability to blend the most mundane stinky tofu stall with the most elegant Lanting calligraphy into a vibrant cultural stew. When you stand on the Eight-character Bridge, watching electric tricycles roll over Song Dynasty stone steps, and delivery riders in blue zip past Ming Dynasty Tai Men—history has never died; it has just changed containers and continues to ferment."