Shàoxīng History

History

Shàoxīng has a flourishing administrative and agricultural centre for much of its history. It was capital of the Yue kingdom from 770 to 211 BC.

Shàoxīng was the birthplace of many influential and colourful figures over the centuries, including the mythical ‘flood tamer’ Yu the Great, the painter and dramatist Xu Wei, the female revolutionary hero Qiu Jin and Lu Xun, the country’s first great modern novelist. It’s also the home of Shàoxīng wine, which most travellers would agree is definitely an acquired taste.