Get to know Yuecheng District
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- Administrative area
- District · 市辖区
- Part of
- Shaoxing
- Chinese name
- 越城区
- Local areas
- District guide
Area & population
- Population · 2020
- 1,020,037
Source: cited geographic source, as of the dates shown.
Setting and landscape
The main waterways are the Cao'e River (曹娥江), the East Zhejiang Canal (浙东运河) and the network of rivers in and around the old city.
History
The city dates from 490 BC, when the Yue king Goujian (勾践) founded it; tradition credits Fan Li (范蠡) with overseeing the building of the walls, and an old name for the town is Licheng (蠡城). After Shaoxing prefecture (绍兴府) was set up in the Southern Song, the city became its seat. Yuecheng District itself was created in July 1983, when Shaoxing became a prefecture-level city.
What to see
Lu Xun's Native Place (鲁迅故里) on Lu Xun Middle Road (鲁迅中路) is the historic block where the writer Lu Xun (鲁迅) was born in 1881 and grew up until he left in 1898. It takes in his ancestral house, his family home with the Hundred-Plant Garden (百草园), and the Sanwei study (三味书屋), and it is a 5A scenic area. Shen Garden (沈园), a Jiangnan-style garden on Yanghe Lane (洋河弄), is known through the love story of the Southern Song poet Lu You (陆游) and his first wife.
Cangqiao Street (仓桥直街) runs 1.5 kilometres along the Huanshan River (环山河), which is crossed by a row of stone bridges; the street is lined with late-Qing and early-Republican houses, and its conservation won a UNESCO Asia-Pacific heritage award in 2003. Bazi Bridge (八字桥), named for its shape like the character "八" (eight), was rebuilt in 1256 and is a national protected site. The Jishan historic block (蕺山历史文化街区), also called Shusheng Cultural Street (书圣故里), became one of China's first listed historic blocks in 2015 and includes the former home of the calligrapher Wang Xizhi (王羲之).
The Mausoleum of Yu (大禹陵) at the foot of the Kuaiji Mountains honours Yu the Great (大禹), founder of the Xia; its temple dates from the early Liang dynasty. East Lake (东湖), in Gaobu (皋埠), is a former stone quarry worked from the Han onward and turned into a garden in the late Qing.
Highlights
- Lu Xun's Native Place 鲁迅故里: Lu Xun's birthplace and childhood home; a 5A scenic area.
- Shen Garden 沈园: Garden linked to the poet Lu You and his first wife.
- Cangqiao Street 仓桥直街: 1.5 km canal-side street; UNESCO Asia-Pacific heritage award in 2003.
- Bazi Bridge 八字桥: Stone bridge rebuilt in 1256; national protected site.
- Mausoleum of Yu 大禹陵: Memorial tomb and temple of Yu the Great below the Kuaiji Mountains.
- East Lake 东湖: Stone quarry worked from the Han onward, made into a garden in the late Qing.
Sources for this guide
越城区 - 维基百科，自由的百科全书 · Wikipedia (Chinese) · CC BY-SA 4.0
鲁迅故里 - 维基百科，自由的百科全书 · Wikipedia (Chinese) · CC BY-SA 4.0
沈园 - 维基百科，自由的百科全书 · Wikipedia (Chinese) · CC BY-SA 4.0
仓桥直街 - 维基百科，自由的百科全书 · Wikipedia (Chinese) · CC BY-SA 4.0
八字桥 (绍兴) - 维基百科，自由的百科全书 · Wikipedia (Chinese) · CC BY-SA 4.0
大禹陵 - 维基百科，自由的百科全书 · Wikipedia (Chinese) · CC BY-SA 4.0
东湖 (绍兴) - 维基百科，自由的百科全书 · Wikipedia (Chinese) · CC BY-SA 4.0
蕺山历史文化街区 - 维基百科，自由的百科全书 · Wikipedia (Chinese) · CC BY-SA 4.0
Original English written from the listed sources and checked sentence by sentence against quoted extracts by a separate reviewer. Updated 2026-09-25.
Explore Yuecheng District
Core places to explore, with English and Chinese names.
Places to explore around Yuecheng District
Canal-side homes on Cangqiao Straight Street, Shaoxing · 绍兴仓桥直街沿河民居 Photograph date recorded by the source: 5 July 2012, 16:36:19.Warehouse bridge straight street仓桥直街
Cangqiao Straight Street follows the Huanshan River beside Fushan, linking old courtyard houses with a sequence of stone bridges. Many residential compounds retain the taimen arrangement characteristic of Shaoxing: a street…
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Stone memorial archway at the entrance to the Former Residence of Lu Xun historic quarter, Shaoxing · 绍兴鲁迅故里入口牌坊 Source-recorded photograph date: Taken on 11 April 2011.Former Residence of Lu Xun in Shaoxing鲁迅故里
Lu Xun’s Shaoxing home and neighbourhood preserve places that recur in his writing. The former residence leads into the Baicao Garden setting, while Sanwei Study represents the disciplined schoolroom contrasted with that outdoor…
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AI illustration · AI 示意图（仅供参考，非该地点实拍）Shaoxing East Lake东湖
Shaoxing East Lake is a former stone quarry transformed into a garden of steep cliffs, water, bridges and pavilions.
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Canal and waterside homes in Shusheng Cultural Street, Shaoxing · 绍兴书圣故里水巷 Photograph date recorded by the source: Taken on 18 April 2011.Shusheng Cultural Street书圣故里
Shaoxing’s Shusheng Guli streets connect a waterside neighbourhood with the memory of calligrapher Wang Xizhi. Jiezhu Temple and the Ink Pool are associated with his former home in local tradition, while Tishan Bridge carries…
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North entrance of Shen Garden, Shaoxing · 沈园 Photograph date recorded by the source: 2012-07-07 09:27:54.Shen Garden沈园
Shen Garden is a literary memorial landscape associated with Lu You and Tang Wan. Its poem wall, ponds and Song-inspired pavilions frame the story remembered through the Chaitoufeng poems. Much of the present garden results from…
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Shaoxing Museum entrance and forecourt · 绍兴博物馆入口 Photograph date recorded by the source: 18 March 2025, 11:42:29.Shaoxing Museum绍兴博物馆
Shaoxing Museum connects the ancient Yue region with the city around Fushan. Its roof draws on the bronze house with musicians known as the Jiyue Tongwu, turning an archaeological object into an architectural reference. The…
Read the place guide →Plan your visit
Getting there
Yuecheng District is about 7 km in a straight line from central Shaoxing. Search for 越城区 in a map app to find stations and your accommodation.
Where to stay →Build your route
Warehouse bridge straight street and Former Residence of Lu Xun in Shaoxing are about 1 km apart in a straight line. The linked place guides have entrance and visit details.
Continue with Shaoxing →More in Shaoxing
Sources & geographic information
Administrative names and parent areas: Official geographic directory · Reference date 2026-09-06.
Some facts checked against 越城区 — Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Some facts checked against 鲁迅故里 — Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Some facts checked against 沈园 — Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Some facts checked against 仓桥直街 — Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Some facts checked against 八字桥 (绍兴) — Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Some facts checked against 大禹陵 — Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Some facts checked against 东湖 (绍兴) — Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Some facts checked against 蕺山历史文化街区 — Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photo: Warehouse bridge straight street · 猫猫的日记本 · 猫猫的日记本 — Cangqiao_Straight_Street_01_2012-07.jpg — CC BY-SA 4.0 · CC BY-SA 4.0. Full frame retained; proportionally resized and converted to WebP. No retouching or changes to the photographed subject. Card displays may crop the view.
Photo: Former Residence of Lu Xun in Shaoxing · wanghongliu · CC BY-SA 3.0. Full frame retained; proportionally resized and converted to WebP. No retouching or changes to the photographed subject. Card displays may crop the view.
Photo: Shusheng Cultural Street · liubozhi · liubozhi — 书圣故里 - panoramio.jpg — CC BY 3.0 · CC BY 3.0. Full frame retained; proportionally resized and converted to WebP. No retouching or changes to the photographed subject. Card displays may crop the view.
Photo: Shen Garden · 猫猫的日记本 · CC BY-SA 3.0. Full frame retained; proportionally resized and converted to WebP. No retouching or changes to the photographed subject. Card displays may crop the view.
Photo: Shaoxing Museum · Yumeto · Yumeto — Shaoxing_Bowuguan.jpg — CC BY-SA 4.0 · CC BY-SA 4.0. Full frame retained; proportionally resized and converted to WebP. No retouching or changes to the photographed subject. Card displays may crop the view.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Pins mark approximate centres, not entrances or boundaries.