Shaoxing, Hometown of Celebrities
Click to Listen About 70 kilometers from Hangzhou, Shaoxing is sheltered by Kuaiji Mountain and nestled among Zhejiang province's abundant Yangtze-fed waterways. The architectural style and atmosphere is typical JiangNan, meaning the area south of the Yangtze river. White walls punctuated with black tiles line narrow cobbled streets, so that when harried city dwellers dream of an idyllic paradise and retirement home, they often dream of Shaoxing. Yet Shaoxing is more than just a quiet place, it's also served as the home to many of China's most renowned scholars, writers and poets. No city in China can claim to be the hometown of as many nationally known personalities as Shaoxing. This 4000-year-old city was established by the Yue Kingdom and later became the capital of this state, with legends remaining which stretch all the way back to this period. Six kilometers southeast of Shaoxing, tucked beneath the foot of Kuaiji Mountain, we can find the Great Yu Mausoleum. Befo...