Live Your Best Lives
Do you remember the lively scene in Lu Xun's "The Village Opera" where a large group of naughty children shuttled among the audience? And the waterside charm of a river filled with black-sailed boats, with boatmen sitting on the bows watching community operas? Of course, you have to ride a black-sailed boat, but settling down to watch a Yue Opera or take a night tour of Shenyuan Garden is also a pleasure.
The wupeng boat, a uniquely black boat with a unique rowing method using hand paddling and foot pedaling, is a unique form of water transportation in Shaoxing. A trip to Shaoxing without a wupeng boat is like a trip to Venice without a gondola ride. Shaoxing's wupeng boats boast a millennium of evolution and epitomize Shaoxing life and customs. Swaying atop a wupeng boat, you'll be transported through the waterways, enjoying the scenery of old houses, stone bridges, and small bridges and flowing water. Wupeng boat docks are divided into two types: pleasure boats and regular boats. Jishan Garden is the pleasure boat dock, primarily for touring the ancient canal. City Square is the larger wupeng boat dock, where many tourists embark. For those who simply want to enjoy the wupeng boat experience and save money, a wupeng boat trip to East Lake offers a more enjoyable experience, with its breathtaking mountain and water views.
Jishan Garden (Cruise Boat Terminal): It is located at No. 308 Jishan Road in the southeast corner of the city, west of Jishan Bridge Station for Routes 116, 136, 66, and 26.
City Square Wupeng Boat Wharf: Take bus No. 2, 3, 7, 10, 11, 19, 22, 24, 37, 52, or 66 to City Square Station, then walk 50 meters west to Cangqiao Street.
Donghu Wupeng Boat Wharf: Take Bus No. 157, 137, 1, 29, 107, 117, or 207 to Donghu Scenic Area Station, located within Donghu Scenic Area.
Luxun's Hometown Wupeng Boat Wharf: Take bus No. 316, 7, 8, 10, 13, 20, 24, 30, 88, or 312 to Luxun's Hometown Station, located within the Luxun's Hometown Scenic Area.
Bajiqiao Wupeng Boat Wharf: Take bus No. 19, 20, 29, 31, or 307 to Changqiao Station, then walk east for about 200 meters. It is near Shaoxing Hotel.
Dayu Mausoleum Wupeng Boat Wharf: Bus No. 2 or No. 10, Dayu Mausoleum Station, inside the Dayu Mausoleum Scenic Area.
Contact: 0575-88369970; 88369963
Business hours: 8:30-21:30, individual passenger flights at 19:30 (cruise); 8:30-17:00 in winter, 8:30-21:30 in summer (boat)
Reference price: Wupeng boats are charged per boat, with a maximum of 3 people per boat. Prices vary depending on the route and stop, generally between 50-180 yuan. Individual passengers on cruise ships and buses are 70 yuan, and chartered boats range from 1,200-3,500 yuan.
Shaoxing is known as the hometown of Yue Opera. Within the Lu Xun Hometown Scenic Area, the Luxun Pens Garden offers eight Yue Opera performances daily from 9:00 AM to 10:45 AM and 1:50 PM to 3:35 PM. Each show lasts 25 minutes, with a 10-minute break between each performance. Additionally, classic Yue Opera performances are offered daily at the East Lake and Shenyuan Night Tours.