Shaoxing is stunning, but I truly don't recommend going in July because.........

Shaoxing: An old Jiangnan dream sleeping by the water, a millennium of poetry with black-awning boats and the aroma of yellow wine Shaoxing, an ancient city soaked in a network of waterways, is the deep affection in Lu You’s “Shenyuan Inscription,” the childhood fun in Lu Xun’s “Hundred Herb Garden,” the elegant gathering in Wang Xizhi’s “Curved Water Flowing Wine Cup,” and the smoky warmth of mellow yellow wine and preserved vegetables. Here lies the longest sound of black-awning boat oars in China, with the tenderness of the “Venice of the East” and the heroic spirit of the “Jianhu Heroine” Qiu Jin. Come to Shaoxing, listen to the rain on the stone steps of Bazi Bridge, enjoy a drink under the wine flags on Cangqiao Straight Street, and practice calligraphy by the Goose Pond at Lanting. Let this “museum without walls” help you understand the character and gentleness of Jiangnan culture. 1. The Charm of the Water Town: From Black-Awning Boats to the Millennium Pulse of Bazi Bridge Black-Awning Boats: Jiangnan stories in the sound of oars One of Shaoxing’s “Three Blacks” (black-awning boats, black felt hats, black preserved vegetables), the boat canopy is ink-black, with boatmen rowing with their feet and hands, gliding between stone bridges and white walls. Classic routes: Lu Xun’s hometown → Shenyuan (20 minutes, listen to boatmen sing Shaoxing Lotus Flower Opera); East Lake Scenic Area (boat ride through caves, feel the “water and stone grand bonsai”); Hometown of the Sage of Calligraphy (visit Wang Xizhi’s former residence, see boat shadows reflecting on Tishan Bridge). Bazi Bridge: China’s earliest overpass bridge, built in the Southern Song Dynasty, where three streets and four rivers converge. The stone steps are weathered, black-awning boats come and go beneath, and blue printed cloths dry on the bridge, a living version of the “Along the River During the Qingming Festival” painting. Secret experiences: Wait at the bridgehead at 6 a.m. to capture “water town morning mist” and washerwomen; Listen to Pingtan storytelling at the “Old Tai Gate” teahouse by the bridge, paired with a plate of fennel beans; Find the “Bazi Bridge Café” under the bridge arch, a fusion of Eastern and Western artistic vibes. Night tour of the city moat: A flowing Jiangnan night feast Take a painted boat around the city, passing Ying’en Gate, Jishan Garden, and Water Control Square, watching the lights on both banks outline the “Jishan and Jianhu” silhouette. Onboard, you can taste yellow wine and listen to Yue opera. 2. Tracing the Literary Heritage: From Lu Xun’s Hometown to the Ink Fragrance Scroll of Lanting Lu Xun’s Hometown: Childhood scenes from textbooks revived The “Early” character on the desk at Sanwei Study, the soapberry tree in Hundred Herb Garden, the Kong Yiji statue at Xianheng Tavern—all textbook scenes restored. In-depth activities: Wear a long gown and melon cap to experience private tutoring at “Sanyu Study”; Buy “Lu Xun-themed cultural products” (brass bookmarks engraved with the character “Early”); Try fennel beans with Taidiao wine, and learn a Shaoxing phrase: “Duo hu zai? Bu duo ye” (Is it too much? Not really). Shenyuan Garden: The eternal love poem of Lu You and Tang Wan The reunion place of Lu You and Tang Wan, where the “Chaitou Feng” poem was inscribed on the wall. In spring, there are crabapple blossoms; in autumn, osmanthus flowers. Night tours (18:30-21:00) offer Yue opera “Shenyuan Love.” Poetic spots: Read “Two Poems of Shenyuan” in front of the Lone Crane Pavilion; Release lotus lanterns by the Gourd Pond to pray for blessings; Try the “Shenyuan Yellow Wine Popsicle” at Songjing Pavilion (rich wine aroma). Lanting: The Wei-Jin elegance of Curved Water Flowing Wine Cup The birthplace of Wang Xizhi’s “Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Collection,” with Goose Pond Stele, Imperial Stele Pavilion, and Flowing Wine Cup Pavilion built by the water. You can experience the elegant gathering of “Curved Water Flowing Wine Cup” (reservation required). Calligraphy pilgrimage: Copy the long scroll of “Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Collection”; Find the “Ink Pool” inside the “Youjun Shrine” (said to be where Wang Xizhi washed his brush); Attend the “Lanting Calligraphy Festival” in spring (March-April) to watch hundreds of calligraphers write live. 3. The Flavor of the Market: From Cangqiao Straight Street to Anchang Ancient Town’s Culinary Journey Cangqiao Straight Street: A living Ming and Qing dynasty old street 1.5 kilometers of stone slabs, with old Tai gates, river piers, taverns, and teahouses on both sides. Winner of UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Protection Award. Must-eats: Kong Yiji Restaurant (braised pork with preserved vegetables, drunken crab); Creamy Xiaopan (Shaoxing-style egg tart, handmade by an old lady); Huijingxuan (yellow wine milk tea, yellow wine popsicles, popular online shop). Anchang Ancient Town: The flavor code of the twelfth lunar month In the twelfth lunar month (December-January), Anchang is filled with the scent of sauce duck, sausages, and dried fish hanging from eaves. You can participate in intangible cultural heritage experiences like “pulling white sugar” and “hoop making.” Ancient town activities: Take a black-awning boat to tour Renchang Sauce Garden, see rows of soy sauce vats like soldiers; Visit the “Shiye Hall” to learn about Shaoxing’s “No Shaoxing, No Office” Shiye culture; Stay overnight at “Shaoxing Shiye Inn,” listening to oars by the water.