Self-Drive Tour to Shaoxing and Explore the Zhejiang 'Potala Palace'

Travel is a way of life, and it is also a form of spiritual practice. Mountains, rivers, lakes, and seas, the world and its passion. Nowadays, self-drive tours have become an important way for people to travel. Driving and stopping along the way, enjoying the scenery before continuing on, in freedom and ease… Perhaps this is the true meaning of travel. In everyone’s heart lies a fondness for ancient towns, the flowing rivers of the south, and the misty rain of people’s homes. In search of the quaint ‘poetic and picturesque water town’ from dreams, one must visit Shaoxing in Zhejiang. Shaoxing is a city with the characteristics of a southern water town and is also the hometown of Mr. Lu Xun. The beautiful city of Shaoxing is famous for its water towns, bridges, fertile lands, and calligraphy… To see the poetic and picturesque Zhejiang, come to Shaoxing for a self-drive tour, stopping and starting as you please. Visit the culturally rich Shaoxing to see how the locals, who grew up drinking yellow rice wine, eat? Smelling the fragrance of osmanthus all over the city, go on a pilgrimage to the southern version of the ‘Potala Palace’, and taste the diversified Shaoxing of today. Anchang Ancient Town: Experience the Worldly Charms of a Southern Water Town. Anchang Ancient Town, rich in the charm of worldly life, is one of the four major ancient towns in Shaoxing. It may not be world-famous, but in the hearts of people from the south, it holds a very high status. Anchang Ancient Town, with its waterways and simple elegance; a bridge and two streets connect a thousand-year-old ancient town, with houses on both banks, not too commercial, still retaining a simple and mellow atmosphere. I think this is the Shaoxing depicted by Mr. Lu Xun! In Anchang Ancient Town, the scent of wine wafts far and wide, with every household hanging cured meats in front of their doors, making the New Year atmosphere even stronger in December. The town is also famous for its拉扯 sugar, but whether you can see it depends on luck. On the water, in the south of the Yangtze River, with the sound of oars and the reflection of lights. The streets are filled with soy sauce and yellow wine, exuding a strong sense of life. Facing the autumn breeze, take a ride on a black awning boat, listen to the sound of the waves, and see this original ancient town from the water, which has a unique flavor. Taste the flavor of Shaoxing and start a gourmet journey in the ancient town. Try Anchang’s printed cakes, soft printed cakes with various flavors, especially sweet and delicious. When you come to Shaoxing, you must eat a yellow wine popsicle. The popsicle has a light yellow wine aroma and glutinous rice particles, which taste very good. Have a bowl of master wonton soup, the hot and delicious wonton soup. This is the signature old shop on Anchang Ancient Town, said to have been making wontons since the Qing Dynasty, with a history of a hundred years. Ten yuan for three quails is also a unique feature of the ancient town. Choose a restaurant to eat cured meats and enjoy the mellow beauty of the cured meats. Sit at a small tea stall by the river, drink a pot of green tea, watch the coming and going of pedestrians and boats, and enjoy the time. Visit Anchang Ancient Town, stroll through the southern water town full of worldly life, visit the hometown of the master, and see the residence of the ancient version of ‘lawyers’.
Visit Renchang Sauce Garden and taste the flavor of Shaoxing. Take a look at Suikang Bank and savor the prosperous history of the ancient ‘bank’. Slowly savor the past of the ancient town and leisurely observe the long years of human life. Opening hours of Anchang Ancient Town: all day. Ticket: free (excluding small scenic spots inside). Address: Northwest corner of the intersection of Anhua North Road and Huanchen South Road, Keqiao District, Shaoxing City, Zhejiang Province. Daxianglin Scenic Area: one temple, one palace and one forest. The ‘fragrance’ is refreshing because of ‘Listening to the bamboo rhyme in the empty mountain, and the golden bell conceals the Buddhist sound’. Located in the Daxianglin Scenic Area in Shaoxing, it has the name of ‘Buddhist sound in the empty mountain’. ‘The water flows in twists and turns, and the trees are in layers. There are one or two peaks of spring mountains in the trees.’ This is the true portrayal of the scenery of Daxianglin. One temple, one palace and one forest. The ‘fragrance’ is refreshing and constitutes the Daxianglin Scenic Area. One temple is Longhua Temple. One palace is the Tusita Heavenly Palace. One forest is the osmanthus forest. In a corner of Kuaiji Mountain, there is a majestic Longhua Temple. The symmetrical layout of the temple makes the entire temple look particularly solemn and solemn. Looking down from a high altitude, Longhua Temple is at a corner of the mountain peak, magnificent and echoing Putuo Mountain from afar. Longhua Temple is built on the mountain. The building area is more than 40,000 square meters. It is currently the largest single Buddhist temple in royal style in China. Inside the temple, the carved beams and painted pillars are resplendent and magnificent. The chanting sound is melodious and the incense is lingering. Because Weituo Tianzun and the reclining Buddha statue are both sacred and spectacular, they attract many pilgrims. There is Potala in the west and Tusita in the east. One must go to Tusita Heavenly Palace in one’s lifetime. It is also known as the Zhejiang version of ‘Potala Palace’. Because if you want to reach in front of the sacred Tusita Heavenly Palace, you must first climb 138 nearly vertical steps, and then you need to walk up along the winding corridor to see the statue of Buddha. Every step up is both cultivating the mind and practicing. Tusita Heavenly Palace is behind Longhua Temple. Looking across the valley from Longhua Temple, there is a blue lake in the valley, like a beautiful jade left in the mountains. It is extremely beautiful. The holy palace stands majestically on the top of the mountain. Climbing the high and low steps shows the sincerity of those who pray for blessings. There is a large golden Buddha statue in the palace. On the top of the palace, there are a pair of footprints of Buddha statues, symbolizing the boundless Dharma. The Daxianglin Scenic Area is famous for its ‘fragrance’. There are osmanthus fragrance, fireworks fragrance, flower and fruit fragrance, and ancient fragrance of residential houses. It is regarded as four unique features. After pilgrimaging to Longhua Temple and worshipping Tusita Heavenly Palace, you might as well walk through the osmanthus forest in the forest park and bathe in the fragrance of the golden autumn osmanthus sea and be intoxicated in the Daxianglin Scenic Area. The scenery in the park is beautiful and the air is fresh. There is an ancient osmanthus tree community planted in the Song Dynasty. It is vast and stretches for about a mile. It is known as ‘China’s largest ancient osmanthus group’. In addition to the common golden osmanthus and orange osmanthus, there is also an osmanthus tree with a thousand years of age, known as ‘China’s osmanthus king’.

Indulge in the intoxicating charm of the region, enjoying a sense of contentment. The opening hours for the Dou Shi Tian Palace are from 08:30 to 16:30 all year round; it is recommended to enter no later than 15:30. The ticket price is 40 yuan per adult. The address is Dashanglin Scenic Area, Hutang Street, Keqiao District, Shaoxing City, Zhejiang Province. Within the Dou Shi Tian Scenic Area, in Shaoxing, you can experience the flavor of Zhejiang in the ‘Hundred Counties, Thousand Bowls’ cuisine. Venture into the currently popular Keqiao Ancient Town, step into the renowned Lu Yue Mingjia, and savor the ‘Top Ten Dishes of Keqiao’, indulging in a delightful culinary experience. This is a quaint Shaoxing cuisine restaurant. Upon arriving at the second floor, you will find a window that opens to reveal the scenery. As you face the setting sun, watching the ancient streets fill with crowds as night falls, you can taste the essence of Shaoxing, which is indeed a beautiful experience. A bowl of colorful Shao San Xian tells the story of the prosperous and vibrant life of the people of Shaoxing, with rich ingredients, a delicious taste, and a variety of flavors for the palate. A dish of traditional Shaoxing crispy fish, with its crunchy texture, highlights the ancient culinary culture of Shaoxing. Additionally, dishes such as dried vegetable braised pork, Shaoxing stinky tofu, and the traditional sauced duck also showcase the distinctive flavors of Shaoxing. When you visit Shaoxing, it is worth trying the Zhejiang flavor found in the ‘Hundred Counties, Thousand Bowls’ cuisine at Shaoxing. Lu Yue Mingjia. Shaoxing Cuisine (Keqiao Ancient Town Store) is open from 10:30 to 21:30. The address is next to Wuyue Apartment, Yucai Road, Keqiao District, Shaoxing City, Zhejiang Province. Recommended self-drive itinerary: In the morning, drive to Anchang Ancient Town, have a lunch of century-old wonton soup in the town, visit Dashanglin Scenic Area in the afternoon, and in the evening, enjoy the ‘Hundred Counties, Thousand Bowls’ at Lu Yue Mingjia in Keqiao Ancient Town while admiring the night view of Keqiao Ancient Town.

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