Romantic and storied, ancient Shaoxing is one of Zhejiang provinces true treasures. Just 70 km south of Hangzhou, smaller Shaoxing enchants with its canals, clear lakes, green countryside, depth of history and traditional black-slated whitewashed homes and ancient bridges. 

The town is "doable" in a day, but you'll want at least two or three to soak up the charm of Shaoxing and its canal-laced surroundings, much of which can be toured by boat. And students of Chinese history and culture will find much to write home about: Shaoxing, with roots that go reach back to the misty epoch of China's earliest recorded history, has been home to a number of important figures, from modernist author Lu Xun to Ming Dyanasty painter and dramatist Xu Wei and female revolutionary Qiu Jin,all of whom are well commemorated in Shaoxing.

You'll also want to try some famous Shaoxing wine, distilled from locally grown rice, explore nearby lakes Jian Hu and Dong Hu and visit Yu Ling, the tomb of the legendary founder of the Xia Dynasty, reputed to have tamed China's wild river dragons and saved the nation from deadly flooding.