Avoid these 3 trendy spots in Shaoxing | Local's Guide to Avoiding Pitfalls: The Really Worthwhile 5km Artistic Route
Having lived in Shaoxing for eight years, the most controversial thing I ever did was to persuade a girl taking photos of herself holding up a cup of Shaoxing rice wine and milk tea at the East Gate of Lu Xun's Former Residence: "Locals never drink this stuff. The real free traditional courtyard houses are just 200 meters behind you."
This isn't to say that Shaoxing's tourist attractions are bad, but rather that the "guided tour" approach to Shaoxing has presented its worst side to tourists. Every year I take friends on the same 5-kilometer old city loop, and no one ever goes back to queue for the popular tourist spots. Let me first clarify three "why not even enter" spots, and then I'll give you a typical walking route for local artsy folks.
Avoid these spots first: Even locals wouldn't go into these three "artsy photo spots" if they were passing by.
The cream puff stall in the middle of Cangqiao Straight Street always has a long queue, but locals rarely buy from it. The outer crust is soggy, and the filling is so sweet it's almost bitter; holding it up to take pictures easily makes your hands smeared. For the real water town alleys, turn west onto Fushan Straight Street; the walls are cleaner, and no one rushes you to give up your spot.
The Shaoxing rice wine milk tea shop outside the east gate of Lu Xun's former residence is a tourist trap, turning Shaoxing rice wine into "milk tea." The wine flavor is so weak it tastes like caramel water, a waste of good rice wine. Locals passing by will only buy the chilled Shaoxing rice wine yogurt from the small shop next door, which has a much more refreshing taste.
The Calligraphy Master's hometown, the Tishan Bridge, is touted in travel guides as the "most artistic photo spot," but in reality, the bridge is short and crowded. During peak season, you have to squeeze sideways to cross it, and there are gray footprints on the white walls in the background. If you want to hear the stories behind the calligraphy fans, you'd be better off going to the nearby Hipo Alley. The alley is narrow and so quiet you can hear the wind.
Xixiaolu - Fushan Park: Shaoxing in the morning is not at the park entrance.
Turning off from the south end of Xixiaolu, you'll see residents along Xiegong Bridge washing mops and drying preserved vegetables by the river—this isn't a staged scene, it's their daily life. Stop for ten minutes to admire the door knockers, well platforms, and bamboo chairs at the alley entrances of the old houses; they're far more authentic than the replica bronze statues in Lu Xun's hometown.
The shooting location was on the north side of Xie Gong Bridge, standing in the middle of the bridge and looking north. The old walls along the river and the clotheslines created a sense of depth; the slanting sunlight at 7:30 am had just passed over the gable walls. Nearby, there were stalls selling pickled vegetable pancakes and soy milk at the alley entrance, all inexpensive and more substantial than the breakfasts in the scenic area.
A cultural and creative park in an unofficial old factory: An independent exhibition next to an old machine tool.
The old textile warehouses outside the side gate have been transformed into a small creative park, without tour buses. A ten-minute stop allows you to see old machine tools, skylights, and occasional print exhibitions. The space feels spacious and airy, making it more worthwhile to linger than many paid art galleries.
The best spot to take photos is under the red brick stairs and old steel beams when you turn left after entering the park. On a cloudy day, the gray tones are perfect for capturing the essence of a Shaoxing winter. Nearby, at the park entrance, there's a small coffee shop offering hand-drip coffee and light meals; it's affordable, quiet, and a good place to rest.
Wasteland Bookstore: Browsing through books is more important than taking photos on the second floor of the old-style house.
The bookstore is tucked away on the second floor of an old-fashioned courtyard house, its selection leaning towards local Shaoxing chronicles and poetry. The owner isn't particularly enthusiastic, but he'll tell you which book about Xie Lingyun and Mount Kuaiji is the best to read. Spending ten minutes flipping through a few pages is much more interesting than taking selfies with a book in hand at the entrance.
The camera position was by the wooden window on the second floor, looking out the window frame at the rooftops across the street and the Fushan Flying Wing Building; the warm indoor light in the evening contrasted perfectly with the blue hues outside. Nearby, downstairs from the bookstore, there was a noodle and pastry stall, its aroma of scallions filling the air—a local students' after-school habit, and it was inexpensive.
Zhang Guiming Art Museum and City Square Small Theater: Free Theater Performances - Avoid Shenyuan Hall
Zhang Guiming Art Museum is located in a back alley of Cangqiao Straight Street. It regularly hosts small to medium-sized exhibitions by local calligraphers and painters, which are free and not crowded. On weekends, there are often short performances of Lianhualuo (a type of folk ballad) or Shaoxing opera at the Turning City Square. The audience consists mainly of nearby residents who bring their own teacups, and there is no artificial crowding.
For good vantage points, you can take silhouette photos of visitors in front of the gray wall in the art gallery's atrium, or take photos of the side curtains and musicians tuning their instruments before a performance at the small theater. Nearby, on the west side of the plaza, there's an old-style restaurant serving steamed pork with fermented tofu skin; the flavor is pungent but goes well with rice, and it costs a few dozen yuan per person—a favorite among locals.
Fushan Straight Street Market: The artistic route ends with the smell of green vegetables and fish.
Leaving the vegetable market as the last stop is meant to suggest that Shaoxing's artistic charm isn't in the decorations, but in the early morning shouts, the fishy smell of river delicacies, and the muddy roots of water chestnuts. The market is freshest from 7 to 9 a.m., and the elderly people buying vegetables will tell you which stall's soy-braised duck is truly sun-dried.
The camera was positioned in front of the seafood stalls at the South Gate, using a wide aperture to capture the splashing water droplets and the gleaming silver fish. The warm red lights of the braised food stalls were perfect for finishing the shot. Nearby street stalls offered savory soy milk, fried dough sticks, and rice cakes; buying some for breakfast was all inexpensive.
Finally, here are 5 tips you shouldn't ask locals about:
1. This route is about five kilometers long, mostly paved with stone slabs and riverside alleys. Flat shoes are the most stable. Do not wear Hanfu or high heels, especially after rain when there is a lot of moss, and even locals will walk slowly.
Second, spring and autumn are the best seasons, with April and May and the end of October being the most comfortable. Avoid walking along the Fushan section in the afternoon during summer, as there is not enough shade and it is easy to feel stuffy. Choose a sunny day in winter, as the smell of the vegetable market is much less and the air is clearer for taking photos.
3. If you want to avoid the crowds, choose a weekday morning. Before 9 a.m., you can see the real pace of local life. On weekends, it is recommended to leave before 8 a.m. Once it is past 10 a.m., even Fushan Straight Street will be full of tourists.
Fourth, there's no need to make a special trip to try the yellow wine popsicles, yellow wine milk tea, and creamy mini-steamers. The chilled yellow wine yogurt from roadside stalls is more authentic, not too sweet, and you don't have to queue.
5. Do not record videos for extended periods when attending small theater performances or exhibitions, and especially do not use flash. Local audiences are polite but will directly remind you. If you want to take photos of the stage, wait until before the performance starts or during the curtain call to take a couple of pictures.