[2025 Shaoxing Attraction] Travel Guide for Shaoxing Museum (Updated Apr)

Shaoxing Museum, a national first-class museum, is located at No. 75 Pianmen Straight Street, Yuecheng District, Shaoxing City, Zhejiang Province. With a site area of 6,053 square meters and a total construction area of 9,533 square meters, it is a comprehensive regional museum directly under the Shaoxing Cultural Relics Administration Bureau. Established in 1992, Shaoxing Museum was initially located at No. 481 Yan'an Road, Yuecheng District, Shaoxing. In July 2010, it was relocated to the Yue King City Historical and Cultural Protection Area. The museum occupies 6,053 square meters of land with a total building area of 9,533 square meters. The exhibition halls cover 3,720 square meters, with the main exhibition hall spanning 1,800 square meters. The museum consists of two floors, above and below ground, featuring both permanent and temporary exhibitions. Upon entering the exhibition hall, visitors are greeted by three large antique-style bronze mirrors, symbolizing both the dazzling splendor of ancient Yue culture and serving as a historical reflection for future generations. In the center of the plaza stands a 12.8-meter-tall, 8-ton abstract bronze sword sculpture. The front of the blade is inlaid with a 280-character "Chronicle of Shaoxing City." Below the sculpture lies a 40-meter-long bronze "Hardship Path" engraved with 25 historical milestones of Shaoxing, from "King Jing of Zhou's 30th year (490 BC) when Goujian ordered Fan Li to build the city" to "July 27, 1983, when the State Council approved Shaoxing's transformation from a prefecture to a city." The entire sculpture ensemble symbolizes determination and perseverance through hardship to achieve greatness. In January 2023, Shaoxing Museum was listed among China's Top 100 Most Searched Museums of 2022. Shaoxing Museum

🏮Travel through a Jiangnan ink painting, enjoy yellow wine and delicacies, visit Lu Xun's Hometown, and just returned from Shaoxing. Here is a complete itinerary, including routes, tickets, and tips! ………… D1️⃣ Shen Garden–Lu Xun's Hometown–Bazi Bridge–Hometown of the Sage of Calligraphy–Jishan Hill 📍Shen Garden ( 💰40) The place where Lu You and Tang Wan's love was witnessed! The Song Dynasty garden is a great place for photos. Remember to take a photo in front of the Stele of "Phoenix Hairpin". 📍Lu Xun's Hometown (🆓, reservation required in peak season) Sanwei Study and Baicao Garden are fully restored. Buy a yellow wine popsicle (💰5) and enjoy it while you stroll around. Remember to take photos of the water town at the Wupeng Boat Wharf. 📍Bazi Bridge (🆓) An 800-year-old Southern Song Dynasty bridge, the earliest overpass, with a strong sense of life and beautiful scenery of small bridges and flowing water. 📍Hometown of the Sage of Calligraphy (🆓) The former residence of Wang Xizhi, with the Ink Pool and Tishan Bridge, is a great place for photos. There is a bookstore run by an old man hidden in the alley. ⛰️Climb Jishan Hill (🆓) You can climb the Wenbi Tower on the hill to overlook the whole city. The light and shadow in the evening are amazing! D2️⃣ Lanting Pavilion–Mausoleum of Yu the Great–East Lake–Cangqiao Straight Street 📍Lanting Pavilion (💰70) The place where Wang Xizhi wrote the Preface to the Poems Composed at the Orchid Pavilion, with a real-life restoration of the Qushui Liushang. 📍Mausoleum of Yu the Great (💰60) Climb 957 steps to see the ancestor of the Chinese nation. The bronze statue is very impressive. If you are not physically fit, you can take a sightseeing bus (💰5–10). 📍East Lake (💰50) Take a Wupeng boat through the cliffs (boat ticket 💰35), the filming location of the 1986 version of Journey to the West. It is recommended to visit in the afternoon to take photos of the sunset through the cave, which is stunning! 📍Cangqiao Straight Street 🆓 Night tour of the water town food street! You can enjoy noodles, Muliantofu, and other delicacies. When the lanterns are lit, you will feel like you are in the Southern Song Dynasty. D3️⃣ Shaoxing Museum–Xu Wei Art Museum–Qingteng Study–Shaoxing Shiye Museum–Qiu Jin's Former Residence–Tashan Park 📍Shaoxing Museum (🆓) From the bronze sword of the Yue Kingdom to the relics of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, you can learn about 2,500 years of history in 2 hours. 📍Xu Wei Art Museum (🆓) One of the three great talents of the Ming Dynasty, his artistic achievements are out of this world. The pure white building is a great place for photos. 📍Qingteng Study (🆓) The former residence of Xu Wei is very quiet, and the banana trees in the courtyard are very Zen. 📍Shiye Museum (🆓) Discover the culture of Shaoxing Shiye, the think tank of ancient times. 📍Qiu Jin's Former Residence (🆓) The deeds of the heroine are impressive, and the back garden is beautiful. 📍Tashan Park (🆓) Climb the Yingtian Tower to overlook Shaoxing in 360°, and the lights in the evening are even more dreamy! ………… 🚅Transportation ▫️The train station is in the city. The North Station is far away, and the station is currently under construction, so you need to take a shuttle bus to the Daqingsi subway station. ▫️There are now 2 subway lines in Shaoxing. Line 1 connects to Line 5 in Hangzhou. The attractions in the ancient city are concentrated, and you can get around on foot or by bike. ▫️It is recommended to take a taxi to the attractions around the city, which is not very expensive and saves time. 🏨Accommodation It is recommended to stay near Lu Xun's Hometown, where you can find attractions right outside the door. 🍜Food ▫️Ciwudamian: Sanxian Soup Noodles are a must-try! The handmade noodles are very chewy. ▫️Yellow wine popsicle: Available everywhere, the red label is more mellow. ▫️Yellow wine milk tea: Light wine aroma, not too sweet. ▫️Xunbaoji: Classic Shaoxing cuisine, Shaoxing Sanxian, Drunken Crab, and Yellow Wine Pudding are must-tries! 💡Tips: The tickets to the attractions are really expensive. Remember to buy a pass or joint ticket on the "Shaoxing Cultural Tourism Group" official account. I bought a pass for East Lake, Lanting Pavilion, Mausoleum of Yu the Great, Shen Garden, and Yangming's Hometown (choose 5 out of 4) and saved 30%!

When people come to Shaoxing, they all go to visit Lu Xun’s hometown, leaving the museum for me to visit! Feel the charm of ancient Yue culture and start a cultural journey through time and space [Loupe] ………… 🌟Shaoxing Museum is not simple. The shape of the main exhibition hall is taken from the unearthed cultural relic Jiyue Bronze House in Shaoxing (now in the Zhejiang Provincial Museum). It has a bronze four-slope roof and the exterior walls are decorated with Shaoxing East Lake bluestone. In the middle of the square stands an abstract sculpture of a bronze sword that is 12.8 meters high and weighs 8 tons. Below the sculpture is a 40-meter-long bronze "firewood road" engraved with 25 historical records of Shaoxing from "In the 30th year of King Jing of Zhou, Gou Jian ordered Fan Li to build a city" to "On July 27, 1983, the State Council approved the establishment of Shaoxing as a city". The whole group of sculptures implies courage, sleeping on firewood, and striving for strength. 🌟This may be the most down-to-earth museum I have ever visited. The venue faces north and south, and the main entrance is full of locals who come to bask in the sun, chatting and watching people dancing in the square, having a great time. There are few people in the venue, making the visit as comfortable as possible! ………… 🏠Address No. 75, Pianmenzhi Street, Renmin West Road, Yuecheng District, Shaoxing City 🚌Transportation Shaoxing Ancient City Tourist Bus Loop Line, Route 6, Route 18, Route 23, Route 28, Route 52, Route 177, Route 302, Special Route 1001 🎫Tickets Free, no reservation required 🕰Opening hours Closed on Monday Tuesday to Thursday 9:00-16:30 Friday-Sunday, summer and winter vacations, statutory holidays 9:00-20:00 ⌚️Visit duration 2 hours 🔥Stamp There are 3 free stamps at the entrance service desk and 6 free stamps at the entrance of the Helan Mountain Rock Paintings temporary exhibition hall. Stamping machine stamp card 38/set. ………… 🌟The museum is not big, with two floors above and below the ground. There is only one basic exhibition: Spring and Autumn Period in Yue Land - Shaoxing History and Culture Exhibition, which is divided into six parts: "Xian Yue, Yue State, Kuaiji County, Yuezhou, Shaoxing Prefecture, and Modern Shaoxing", systematically displaying the history and culture of Shaoxing from the Paleolithic Age to the founding of New China. 🌟There are two temporary exhibitions in the special exhibition hall on the first floor: 1️⃣Dialogue between man and stone – Helan Mountain rock painting special exhibition, opening up the fierce competition between northern and southern cultures💥 2️⃣ Archaeological Shaoxing – Exhibition of archaeological excavation results in Shaoxing in recent years. The cultural relics on display are all unearthed in Shaoxing, showing the big picture from the small and the profound from the shallow. 🌟Important collections Huiji Bronze Mirror, King Yue's Sword, Southern Qi Weiwei Stone Buddha Although there are no national treasures, there are quite a few "eye-catching" cultural relics, which are more interesting than the crowded tourist attractions. 💃🏻

The huge sword in front of the Shaoxing Museum is the most eye-catching part of the museum. According to official data, "It is an abstract sculpture of a bronze sword 12.8 meters high and weighing 8 tons. The front of the sword is inlaid with 280 characters of "Records of Famous Cities of Shaoxing". Below the sculpture is a 40-meter-long bronze "firewood road" engraved with 25 historical records of Shaoxing, from "Gou Jian ordered Fan Li to build a city in the 30th year of King Jing of Zhou (490 BC)" to "July 27, 1983, the State Council approved the establishment of Shaoxing as a city". The whole group of sculptures implies courage, hard work and striving for strength." Shaoxing Museum is located at the foot of Fushan (park) in the ancient city of Shaoxing, not far from Yuewangtai. It belongs to the "Yuewangcheng Historical and Cultural Protection Area". The design of the museum also has a strong Yue style. My impression of Shaoxing Museum is that it doesn't look big from the outside, but it's quite big inside. Because the museum adopts a downward-looking space design, with the main exhibition hall on the first floor and underground, it breaks the traditional design of comprehensive museums that always go upwards. After entering the museum hall, visitors can take the escalator down clockwise to the underground floor to continue their visit. The basic exhibition "Spring and Autumn Period of Yue Land - History and Culture of Shaoxing" takes Shaoxing's historical and cultural geography as the geographical scope, Shaoxing's historical development as the context, and Shaoxing's important historical periods as nodes. It is divided into six parts: "Pre-Yue, Yue State, Kuaiji County, Yuezhou, Shaoxing Prefecture, and Modern Shaoxing", which systematically displays Shaoxing's history and culture from the Paleolithic Age to the founding of New China. The exhibition displays more than 1,000 cultural relics and specimens (sets) Get off at Luxun's Hometown Station on Metro Line 1 and walk there. No reservation is required. Just scan your ID card on site. 09:00-16:30. Closed on Mondays √ Free stamping and free baggage storage in the lobby on the first floor The museum is not big and the whole journey takes about 1 hour Visitors to Shaoxing Museum can visit Yuewang Terrace and Fushan Park-Feiyi Tower for free. In addition, this place is very close to Cangqiao Zhijie Street, just a hundred meters walk away.

How can you not visit the Shaoxing Museum when you come to Shaoxing? ✨✨ Shaoxing Museum Established in 1992, it was relocated in 2010 to the historical and cultural conservation area of the Yue Kingdom City (No. 75 Pianmen Zhi Street). The square features a 12.8m high, 8-ton bronze sword statue, with the front of the sword body inlaid with the 280-character 'Record of the Famous City of Shaoxing' and a 40m long bronze firewood path, the whole sculpture symbolizes courage and perseverance. The architecture, designed by Tang Yu'en, is modeled after the 'Musicians Bronze House' unearthed in Shaoxing, featuring a four-sloped roof and the exterior walls are decorated with Qing stone from Shaoxing's East Lake, making the overall building rely on the historical and cultural background of the Yue Kingdom City, displaying the simple and pragmatic local cultural elements, and integrating the beautiful ecological natural environment of Fushan. The exhibition hall is not large, divided into upper/lower two floors, and it takes about 1-2 hours to have a rough look. Upper floor: displays the ancient Yue, Yue Kingdom, and Kuaiji Prefecture Lower floor: displays Yuezhou, Shaoxing Prefecture, and modern Shaoxing ✨ Museum Highlights ⬇️ ✅ Neolithic fish-fin-footed pottery ding ✅ Sword of King Yue Goujian ✅ Eastern Han Dynasty chariot and immortals painted mirror ✅ 'Jian'an Tenth Year' heavy-ranked mythical beast mirror ✅ Weiwei Zun Buddha The museum has more than 18,300 pieces (sets) of cultural relics, a number that also supports the history of more than 2,500 years. However, most are marked as 'replicas', meaning they have been requisitioned by provincial or national museums Small tips 🚗 Transportation Bus: Shaoxing Metro Line 1️⃣, get off at Lu Xun's Hometown station, about 8 minutes by shared electric bike Self-driving: Navigate to 📍No. 75 Pianmen Zhi Street, Yuecheng District, Shaoxing City 🎫 Tickets | Free, 🔍 'Shaoxing Museum' online reservation 🕒 Opening hours | 09:00-16:30 (entry stops at 16:00, closed on Mondays, extended to 18:00 during the National Day period) 🎧 Audio guide | Available for rent on the left side of the entrance Stamping | Free stamping at the service desk, 9 small stamps + 1 museum stamp, stamp collectors must not miss 🛅 Luggage storage | Free storage available on the first floor

📖 Recently, the picture books that the child has been reading contain many elements of the Jiangnan region, and it is said that to see the spirit of Jiangnan, one must experience Shaoxing. 🥓 The first stop is Anchang Ancient Town, a 1.5-hour drive from Shanghai, followed by another half-hour drive to stay in the Yuecheng District, which is dense with attractions. Anchang is known as the hometown of the 'Shiye', and it is the most lively and authentic ancient town. The biggest difference from other ancient towns is the streets full of cured meats, adding a lot of festive atmosphere to the Chinese New Year. However, the streets here are narrow, the floor tiles are uneven, and it is difficult to push a stroller, and the sanitation is not very good. 🏫 The second stop is the Shaoxing Museum, to learn about the ancient capital of the Yue Kingdom before officially starting the tour. The museum is small but exquisite, following a timeline, it displays Shaoxing's history and culture from the Stone Age to modern times. There are two free guided tours every day. Although the child cannot read, she is happy looking at the various exhibits, as if treasure hunting. 👀 The must-visit attractions on the loop are not far from each other, with short distances walkable and longer distances just a starting taxi fare away. ✔️ Cangqiao Straight Street: A snack street, not difficult to push a stroller, with various snack stalls and popular restaurants such as Xunbaoji, Kong Yiji, and Lantingji, etc. These stores also have branches on other streets. We ate Shaoxing's 'Shao San Xian', yellow wine pudding, and stinky tofu at Xunbaoji, which tasted good. We had the old goose soup at Lantingji, which was quite fresh. Xunbaoji is very crowded, so it's better to scan the code in advance and wait in line. ✔️ The Former Residence of the Sage of Calligraphy: A cultural street, quieter than Cangqiao Straight Street, not difficult to push a stroller, with many shops selling small books and paintings, and young ladies wearing horse-face skirts and hairpins. Followed the trend and checked in at the old grandfather's bookstore. ✔️ Bazi Bridge: A street for daily life, truly a scene of small bridges, flowing water, and riverside homes, suitable for leisurely strolls and sitting quietly. Taking a black-awning boat here is a good experience, 90 yuan per boat, just right for two adults and one child, back and forth in 15 minutes. The downside is that there are too few boats; even though there were only a few people in front of us, we still had to wait quite a while. ✔️ Lu Xun's Hometown: Super crowded even on weekdays! There are interesting things to see, such as the Sanwei Study and the Hundred Grass Garden, which instantly remind me of the books I memorized in the past, but it's really not suitable for walking with a small child. There are thresholds and steps everywhere, making it particularly difficult to push a stroller. Moreover, the child is not interested; she just wants to go out and buy a Green Dragon Sword. When coming out of the former residence, we passed by Huijingxuan, where the yellow wine popsicles are delicious, and the yellow wine milk tea is also good, with Yue opera performances on the stage behind the store. We originally planned to go to the nearby Shen Garden, but after checking, we found that Shen Garden is also not stroller-friendly, so we didn't go. If you have older children, you could consider arranging a night at Shen Garden. ⭐️ The child's favorite place was the 30 Degrees North Latitude Exhibition Hall. It displays scenes from various places along the 30 degrees north latitude from ancient times to the present, and there are multimedia interactions, which are very exciting to play with. At night, the city square is lit up with beautiful lanterns. 💗 Three days of travel time was just right, and the experience might have been better if I hadn't caught a cold. If I come again next time, I will wait until the child is older, after she has learned about Lu Xun's writings, Wang Xizhi's running script, Wang Yangming's philosophy of the mind, etc. Then, when we come to this place of celebrities, perhaps we will have some profound experiences, but it's also fine if we don't.