Shaoxing is a city built on water. Its canals, bridges and narrow stone-paved lanes have made it one of the most photogenic towns in eastern China, and the Zhedong Canal, which links Hangzhou, Shaoxing and Ningbo, is its great artery. The canal belongs to the Grand Canal system, the longest artificial waterway in the world, which UNESCO listed in 2014. The Zhedong section carried grain, silk, tea and travellers for more than a thousand years, and in Shaoxing you can still see black-awninged boats, arched stone bridges and old warehouses along the banks.
The town has a literary history too. The writer Lu Xun grew up here, and his stories of village life and Shaoxing's odd characters are set in places that visitors can walk through. The city is famous for its rice wine, called huangjiu, a golden, mellow drink made from glutinous rice and the clear water of Jian Lake, which is served warm in small bowls with dried plums or with the local stinky tofu. Pottery jars of aged wine line the shelves in shops across the old town.
For a motorcyclist, the area is flat and heavily built-up, with expressways, bridges and dense urban traffic, and the pleasure is more about the culture than the riding. Foreign riders in China need a Chinese licence and registration, and in many cities motorcycles are restricted or banned from central districts, so a visit here is usually made by other means. Where riding is allowed, expect fast electric scooters, delivery vans and constant horn use, and watch out for slippery stone bridges in the rain. Spring and autumn are comfortable, and summer is hot and humid.
Shaoxing has abundant fuel, food and accommodation, and the canal-side districts offer tea houses, restaurants and guesthouses in restored buildings. Walk along the old canals at dusk, when lanterns are lit and the water reflects the bridges, and order a plate of drunken shrimp and a bowl of warmed wine. The pace is slow, the air smells of water and rice wine, and the city is a pleasure to explore at walking speed.