Shaoxing is located 1.5 to 2 hours (by train ride) south of Shanghai. We visited the town since we were visiting Ben’s Grandpa. It’s not a major city in China so most tourists traveling to China probably would not be adding this town to their itineraries. But should you find yourself in Shaoxing, these are some of the things we did (there isn’t much to do):

1. Climb the Ying Tian Tower – my friend, Google, didn’t tell me much about the history of this tower. But if you find yourself in Shaoxing, this is a nice spot to get a view of the city. There is no entry fee. Just be mindful of the operating times. We went near closing and only made it 3/4 ways to the top before a groundskeeper told us to come back down

   

   

   

   

2. See where Lu Xun used to live. Lu Xun was a Chinese writer, essayist, and poet. If you’re like me, and had no idea who he was, it’s still nice to be able to walk around the home of where a famous writer used to live. I’d imagine that the American equivalent would be Emily Dickinson or Robert Frost
3. Drink or cook with some Shaoxing wine. This is where it’s originated from, after all

   

4. Shop at the mall – now I don’t remember the exact name of the mall, but it was located across the street from where we stayed, which was the Xianheng Hotel. It’s not crowded, and there are plenty of stores

   

Like I said – not much to do around these parts. I’m sure there are more spots (not the mall) that are worth checking out and have more Chinese history behind it. But we were only here for two days, and we did what we could!