Where to go in Wuxi on the weekend – Shaoxing edition

When the weekend weather is good, you have to go out and enjoy the scenery! Based on my recent travel experiences, I plan to start a weekend trip series for nearby cities to recommend spots and warn against others. First, let's talk about my recent trip to Shaoxing! Cultural Highlights 1. Lu Xun’s Former Residence If you don’t have school-age children to take for an educational life class, I don’t recommend going to Lu Xun’s Former Residence! It’s extremely crowded, all spots require queuing to enter, and the park is quite packed, making it hard to take photos with a clean background. 2. Shenyuan Garden + Cangqiao Straight Street For cultural history, I recommend the nearby Shenyuan Garden (the love story of Lu You and Tang Wan) and Cangqiao Straight Street (Shaoxing’s old street, full of local delicacies). Especially Cangqiao Straight Street, college students and food lovers can go all out here—spend the morning strolling and eating along the street until full, then climb the nearby Fushan Park at noon, and after coming down in the afternoon, find a place to have some tea. 3. The Sage of Calligraphy’s Former Residence If you have enough time and energy, you can visit the Sage of Calligraphy’s Former Residence to the north. Wang Xizhi’s Ink Pool, his old house, and the Fan Inscription Bridge are all worth a visit. Natural Scenery 1. Fushan Park Highly recommended for fewer people and beautiful scenery. It’s really a shame that Shaoxing’s cultural tourism isn’t promoted more. The hike is basically not difficult—anyone with legs can climb it. Every step offers views and various ancient sites and cultural landmarks. It’s a perfect blend of natural scenery, urban culture, and historical architecture! Definitely worth a visit! The best route is to go up from the south side, along Fushan Straight Street → Yue King’s Platform → Small Waterfall → Feiyi Building → Wen Zhong’s Tomb → Cliff Inscriptions → exit down the north side. You can see almost all the attractions this way. Recently, the plane trees by the north exit are in their most beautiful withered leaf phase (photo 13), very much like the plane tree avenue in Nanjing before it became popular. 2. Donghu Lake Not recommended unless you have nowhere else to go. It’s a place where even one or two hours feels too long, and the small entrance fee is 70 yuan. For similar scenery, I recommend the Keyan Scenic Area to the west of Shaoxing, which is larger and can be enjoyed for three to four hours.