Explore Shaoxing water town on a tour from Hangzhou

Hangzhou is in Zhejiang Province, China. It is one of the most important tourist cities in China, famous for its natural beauty and historical and cultural heritage. It is the political, economic and cultural center of Zhejiang province as well. It's worthwhile to know that it's extremely humid in summertime, which is from early June to early September. The city was the capital of the Southern Song Dynasty from 1127 until the Mongol invasion of 1276. This historic city is a showcase for traditional medicine, religion and art as well as a shining example of China’s rapid economic development. Combining idyllic natural beauty, a grand heritage through the ages and an air of affluence, Hangzhou is one of the country’s most livable and pleasant cities to linger in.

Located in the southwest suburb of Shaoxing City, Zhejiang Province, the Orchid Pavilion is a key point of interest. Its attraction not only comes from magnificent landscape and graceful southern China gardening sights, but also from profound historical culture and its unique and vast reputation in the calligraphic field. The Orchid Pavilion (Lan Ting) was originally the site where Gou Jian, the King of the Yue State during the Spring and Autumn Period (770 BC - 476 BC), planted orchids. Later it became famous for Wang Xizhi, a renowned calligrapher of the Eastern Jin Dynasty (317-420). His 'Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Anthology' has made the Orchid Pavilion the Calligraphic Mecca, at the same time making himself the sage of calligraphy.

Situated in the south of Yangtze River Delta, Shaoxing is 230 kilometers from Shanghai and has two neighbors in the province - Ningbo and Hangzhou separately in the east and west. Shaoxing is a city of story. It is a cultural ancient city which has a history of 2,500 years. With the accumulation of so many years' history, you will not feel surprised to hear its nicknames - "Museum without Walls" and "the Land of Celebrities". Shaoxing has long been the place that tourists are intrigued by. It is mainly because of its picturesque scenery, abundant human landscapes and local customs.

Shen Yuan is one of the most typical Chinese Gardens in Shaoxing. Built in Song Dynasty (960~1279), Shen Garden has been more than 800 years old. It is the private garden of the Shen family at the beginning, but is widely known for the love story between Lu You and Tang Wan. Lu You was a famous poet in Southern Song Dynasty (1127~1279). After marrying his wife Tang Wan, they loved each other so much and stayed together all the time, which was thought to be having no desire to make progress in Lu's mother's eyes. Therefore she forced Lu You to divorce Tang Wan on the excuse of Lu's not working hard as well as Tang Wan's not having a baby in three years' marriage. They had no choice but to obey, as in ancient China children had to obey their parents without conditions. Ten years later, they came across in Shenyuan Garden. Tang Wan asked her servant to send some food to Lu You. Looking at the food, Lu You was utterly depressed and wrote the outstanding poetry 'Phoenix Hairpin' to express his love for Tang Wan as well as his unwillingness for their separation. Heard of this poetry, Tang Wan wrote another to reply to Lu You and showing the same emotion and died for depression several days later. Lu You loved Tang Wan so much that he never forgot her and even come to Shenyuan to recall Tang Wan in his old age.