Shaoxing celebrates its official 2500th birthday in 2010, making it one of the oldest cities remaining at its original site in China. Many have described it as a "Museum without Walls" and you will definately get a feeling of "living history" strolling along the narrow white-washed alleyways and picturesque canal banks of its historic districts. With its origins in 490 B.C., Shaoxing has many historical sites, famous residents, and fascinating stories to tell.

In 490 B.C., during the Zhou dynasty, the King of the Yue State (Gou Jian) ordered the scholar and bureaucrat Fan Li to establish Yue Chi (later renamed to Shaoxing during the Southern Song dynasty).

From this point on, Shaoxing has established itself as a key destination with many stories to tell.