Why go
Anchang dates to the Northern Song and was long known as the home of 'shiye' — the private secretaries who ran Qing-dynasty county offices. The town's present character is set by the canal: one continuous street of two-storey wooden houses, bridges, and family shops selling Shaoxing staples.
Unlike the polished scenic-area towns, Anchang is a living market. In late autumn the shopfronts fill with golden huangjiu jars, and in winter every household string of sausage, duck and fish goes up for air-drying — a street-scape that photographs like nothing else in the Yangtze delta.
- The winter rows of cured sausages and ducks hanging from every eave
- The three-li street — one of the least touristed big water towns
- Pulled-sugar demonstrations and Shaoxing huangjiu tastings
- Rowing-boat rides along the canal at dusk
Where to go
Walk the full length of the main street from the stone archway, crossing the canal bridges as you go. The second half, past the old guild hall, is the least touristy. Finish with a small boat ride back along the canal for a different view of the same street.
What to eat
Buy Anchang sausage (dried, peppery, meant to be steamed) and the local pull-candy made before you on the street. Wash it down with Shaoxing huangjiu warmed in the wine shops. Winter is the peak season — the meat is being made then, not just displayed.
Getting there
- Bus 806 from Shaoxing's old town, or taxi ~30 min
- Short drive from Shaoxing North high-speed rail station
- Age
- Northern Song origins
- Signature
- Winter-cured sausages
- From Hangzhou
- ~1.5h
