Keqiao Town

Keqiao Town

Keqiao Ancient Town is the largest town in Shaoxing County and one of the most renowned water towns in Zhejiang. Known for its thriving economy, abundant produce, and bustling markets, it has long been honored as the "Golden Keqiao." With its deep historical roots and rich cultural heritage, it was among the first group of towns in Zhejiang to be designated as a "Historical and Cultural Town" and a "Zhejiang Tourism Town." According to the Ming Dynasty text *Three Rivers Study* by Zhang Yuanbian, “Thirty li from Shanyin today lies Keqiao, beneath which flows the Ke River.” The Ke River runs through the town’s street canals, and the town takes its name from the bridge, which in turn is named after the river. In the 1970s, a stone axe was unearthed in Dushan Village within the town, indicating human activity here as early as the Neolithic Age. The *Records of Yue* also document that King Goujian of Yue once “made his home at Dushan” before later “moving to Langya, where his tomb was never completed.” During the Eastern Han Dynasty, Cai Yong created the world-famous "Ke Pavilion Flute" here, hence Keqiao is also known as "Flute Village." Through the Tang and Song Dynasties, it flourished into a bustling market by the Ming Dynasty's "market opening." When Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty visited the south, he toured Keqiao out of admiration, and an imperial stele for releasing captive animals was erected in the Liberation Nunnery near Ke Pavilion east of the town.

Keqiao is a famous town in the Jiangnan region with a history of over 1,700 years. It has long been a hub of commerce, trade, and prosperity, blessed with abundant resources, earning it the title of the "Golden Keqiao" and making it a typical land of fish and rice. As an economically strong town, Keqiao boasts solid economic power and well-developed infrastructure, recognized as one of the "Top Ten Wealthiest Towns in China," a "China Top 100 Town," a "China Star Town," and a "National Model Town for Small Town Construction." As a commercial hub, it is home to the China Textile City—the world’s largest textile distribution center—along with supporting markets for apparel, textile machinery, and non-staple foods, influencing the surrounding regions and even overseas markets. As a major tourism destination, it features nationally and provincially protected cultural relics such as the Ancient Ropeway, Taiping Bridge, and the provincial-level Keqiao Scenic Area. It is famed as a water town and bridge town, where black bamboo hats, black-canopied boats, towpaths, stone bridges, covered walkways, and clusters of Ming and Qing dynasty architecture paint a unique picture of ancient Yue water town charm.

Also called "Flute Village," legend has it that the Eastern Han literary giant Cai Yong passed through this area and crafted a flute from a pavilion rafter bamboo, hence the name. During the Three Kingdoms period, it began as a grass market, became a post station in the Song Dynasty, grew into a key town in eastern Zhejiang during the Ming Dynasty, and had an inspection office established in the Qing Dynasty. In the second year of the Xuantong era, it was officially established as a town named Ke Town. In the Republic of China period, it was named Keqiao Town, a key town in Shaoxing County, with historical records stating, “Keqiao governs fifty-eight villages, all four transport routes are connected, transportation is convenient, and the market is the most prosperous.” In October 1949, it served as the seat of the Shaoxing County People's Government. From 1954 onward, it became a county-administered town.

Address: Keqiao Town, Shaoxing County, Shaoxing City

Type: Ancient Town/Village

Recommended Visit Duration: 0.5–1 day

Opening Hours:

Open all day