Shaoxing, Shao-hsing, or Shaohing, city (1994 est. pop. 205,300), N Zhejiang prov., SE China, on the south shore of Hangzhou Bay. It is a marketing center handling grain, fruit, and oil crops. The most famous export is Shaoxing rice wine; its most significant exports are textiles and apparel. Other important industries include processed food, iron and steel, and machinery.

绍兴市
Shàoxīng Shì

Administration Type	Prefecture-level city
Area (Land)	8,256 km²
Population	4,347,200 (2004)
GDP - Total (2007) - Per Capita (2007)	¥197.1 billion ¥ 45,220
Major Nationalities	Han
County-level divisions	6
Township-level divisions
Mayor	Zhang Jinru (张金如)
Area code	575
License Plate Prefix	浙D
City flower	Orchid

For Shaoxing wine, see Shaoxing wine.

Shaoxing is a prefecture-level city in northeastern Zhejiang province, People's Republic of China. Lying on the south bank of the Qiantang River mouth, it borders Ningbo to the east, Taizhou to the southeast, Jinhua to the southwest, and Hangzhou to the west.

Administration

The prefecture-level city of Shaoxing administers 1 district, 3 county-level cities and 2 counties.

• Yuecheng District (越城区)
• Shangyu City (上虞市)
• Shengzhou City (嵊州市)
• Zhuji City (诸暨市)
• Shaoxing County (绍兴县)
• Xinchang County (新昌县)

History

Modern-day Shaoxing sits on the site of the capital of the Spring and Autumn Period Kingdom of Yue. Around the sixth century BC, Yue had a sinicised ruling elite which fought a number of wars against its northern archrival Kingdom of Wu.

Shaoxing became a subprefecture during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Under the Republic of China, it became a county. And under the People's Republic of China, it became a city.

Geography and climate

• Average Temperature: 16 °C

Notable people

• Xishi, one of the renowned Four Beauties of ancient China. (Lived in Zhuji City)
• Wang Xizhi, (王羲之), 303–361, calligrapher
• Lu You (陸游), 1125-1210, poet and literati of the Southern Song period
• Xu Wei, (徐渭) 1521-1593, Ming dynasty painter
• Zhang Dai (张岱), 1597-1689, essayist and historian of the later Ming period.
• Cai Yuanpei, educator
• Ma Yinchu, educator (Shengzhou City)
• Liu Wenxi, painter (Shengzhou City)
• Shen Hang, industrial designer, sculptor, painter (Shengzhou City)
• Chen Yi, politician of Dongpu Town (東浦鎮), Shaoxing County
• Lu Xun (aka Zhou Shuren), writer
• Zhou Zuoren, writer and brother of Lu Xun
• Qiu Jin, female revolutionary
• Zhou Enlai, Communist party leader

Tourism

• Lu Xun's residence is preserved near the middle of the city, and has become a tourist destination.
• East Lake (东湖) is a traditional scenic area just out of town.
• Shaoxing has the Tomb of Yu the Great (大禹陵).

Miscellaneous

• The Chinese rice wine (黃酒) is also known as Shaoxing wine (紹興酒) or simply Shao Wine (紹酒). The brewery takes the natural process with the "pure" water of Jianhu-Mirror Lake. It has a unique flavour and a reputation throughout the nation and internationally. It is used both as a liquor and in cooking, and as a solvent for Chinese herbal medicated ointment. The China Shaoxing Yellow Wine Group Corporation produces 110,000 tons annually for the domestic and overseas markets.

See also

• Jiangnan

External links

• Small city guide for Shaoxing
• Government website of Shaoxing
• Government website of Shaoxing