Stayed 8 nights in Shaoxing to truly understand! This is the Jiangnan soul that Lu Xun never fully captured

Who really gets it, fam! After spending a week in Shaoxing, waking up every day to the aroma of yellow wine and the oar sounds of black-awning boats, stumbling upon a stone bridge every three steps, turning a corner to find century-old shops, and even the air filled with the soft Wu dialect… This personally tested, no-fail guide helps you avoid 90% of the traps👇 📅 3 days 2 nights lazy itinerary (sleep in naturally every day) Day 1: Lu Xun’s childhood + old town vibes ⏰ Wake up at 10! Stay near Lu Xun’s hometown (recommend “Shusheng Hometown Homestay,” 180 RMB/night with a courtyard, stepping out onto stone pavements) - 🍜 Breakfast: Grandma’s yellow wine popsicle at the alley entrance (5 RMB) + Tongxinlou Shengjian buns (10 RMB/portion, crispy bottom, juicy inside, perfect with vinegar) - 📖 Lu Xun’s hometown (free! Book in advance via “Shaoxing Cultural Tourism Group”): - Must-see: Mulberry trees in Baicao Garden (fruit in June you can pick), the “zao” character in Sanwei Study (guide says it was actually carved by Lu Xun for his father) - Hidden photo spot: The beauty’s backrest at Lu Xun’s ancestral home, with slanting sunlight at 3 pm, perfect for vintage qipao photos - 🍲 Lunch: Kong Yiji Restaurant (must order fennel beans! The braised pork with preserved vegetables should be a mix of lean and fat, goes great with rice for two bowls) - 🌙 Evening: Night stroll on Cangqiao Straight Street (10 times more beautiful than daytime! When lanterns light up, sit on the stone bench by the river and listen to an old man playing the erhu, buy a cup of yellow wine milk tea for 5 RMB and sip slowly) Day 2: Black-awning boat + poetic landscapes - 🌅 Early morning: Go to East Lake at 7 am (50 RMB ticket, 80% fewer people than daytime)! Ride a black-awning boat (100 RMB/boat for 3 people, choose an old boatman wearing a felt hat who tells stories about East Lake’s stone quarry), look up when passing through Xiantaodong Cave, the moss on the cliff looks like an ink painting - 🥢 Lunch: “Lakeside Family” near East Lake exit, try Shaoxing’s three fresh delicacies (shrimp, meatballs, bamboo shoots so fresh it’ll blow your mind, about 60 RMB per person) - ✍️ Afternoon: Lanting (70 RMB ticket, don’t just look at Goose Pond! Follow the ladies in Hanfu to find the “Qu Shui Liu Shang” ruins, in April there’s a calligraphy gathering where you can try brush writing for free) - 🌌 Night: Xixiaolu Night Market (a local secret! Buy a freshly made cream puff skewer, 5 RMB each, crispy outside like an egg tart, creamy egg custard inside, pair it with wood lotus tofu from a nearby stall to cut the richness) Day 3: Slow life in ancient town + souvenir guide - 🌿 Morning: Anchang Ancient Town (free! 100 times less crowded than Zhouzhuang) - Must do: Watch grandma pull white sugar candy (15 RMB/bag, watch the pulling process live, sweet but not greasy), photograph the sausage corridor (hung all December, full of New Year vibes) - Hidden eat: Find the “Ancient Town Noodle Shop” by the river, 15 RMB a bowl of sauce duck noodles, duck leg stewed tender, soup scented with yellow wine - 🛍️ Afternoon: Buy souvenirs at Shusheng Hometown - Yellow wine popsicles (look for the “Guyue Longshan” brand, stronger aroma than regular ones) - Shaoxing fermented tofu (glass bottle from Xianheng Hotel, 20 RMB/bottle, perfect with plain porridge) - Bamboo woven small baskets (10 RMB each, great for holding small items with a Jiangnan flavor) 🍜 Local secret food list (with prices) - Yuexiang Wanglaohan stinky tofu: 5 RMB/portion, crispy bubbled skin, topped with sweet and spicy sauce, must add dried radish! (right at Lu Xun’s hometown exit, worth the 20-minute line) - Treasure hunt drunken crab: 38 RMB each, female crab full of roe, wine aroma seeps into the meat, paired with yellow wine milk tea (18 RMB/cup) tastes like drinking liquid dessert - Old Shaoxing restaurant’s salted fish chicken: 48 RMB/portion, salted fish and chicken steamed tender, so fresh you’ll lick the plate, great for elders - Street sticky rice balls: 6 RMB each, stuffed with fried dough sticks, preserved vegetables, salted egg yolk, the auntie will ask “spicy or not,” locals always say yes! 🚣‍♀️ Transportation tips to avoid traps 1. Don’t take the tricycles at scenic spots! They ask for 50 RMB, but a taxi only costs 10 RMB (Shaoxing city is very small, 15 minutes by taxi from Lu Xun’s hometown to East Lake) 2. Don’t take black-awning boats at Shenyuan! That’s stagnant water; East Lake has flowing water where you can see cliffs and water birds 3. Don’t take unlicensed cars from Shaoxing North Station to downtown! Metro Line 1 goes straight to Lu Xun’s hometown, 40 minutes/5 RMB, saves 30 RMB compared to taxi 💡 My hard-learned lessons 1. Wear non-slip shoes! The bluestone pavements are super slippery when wet, I saw 3 tourists fall on their butts 2. Don’t buy vacuum-packed sausages in Anchang Ancient Town! Look for freshly made ones hanging at the door, the owner will vacuum seal them for you, 10 times more fragrant than packaged ones 3. Don’t drink too much yellow wine milk tea! It hits hard; my bestie had two cups and almost fainted on the stone pavement while touring Lanting in the afternoon Shaoxing is truly one of those small towns where “once you come, you don’t want to leave,” without commercial noise, only the slow pace of “small bridges, flowing water, and people’s homes.” Before you go, sit by the river for a while, watch the black-awning boats row into the sunset, and you’ll understand why Lu Xun spent his life writing but never fully captured the beauty here~