Yuanshanyuan

Yuanshanyuan

Located on the eastern side of the Shifo Scenic Area and the southwestern foothills of Ke Mountain, it is a newly developed attraction comprising sites such as the ancient quarrying site, the Buddhist Culture Museum, Handprint Hill, and Dragon Waist Pool. It serves as a sightseeing destination that showcases the ancient Yue stone culture and religious culture.

The ancient quarrying site serves as the entrance to Yuanshanyuan. Here, there are over ten large and small quarry pits, some of which have been excavated for over a hundred years and reach depths of 40 to 50 meters, presenting a majestic sight. Folk artisans perform stone-quarrying demonstrations. To the southwest, one can see a grand complex of ancient-style buildings — built in the style of the Tang Dynasty with red walls and black tiles, carved beams, and painted rafters — that extend layer by layer from the foot of the mountain up to its waist. These include the Three Gates, the God of Wealth Hall, the Maitreya Hall, and the Mahavira Hall, all forming a harmonious whole. There is also the Buddhist Culture Museum, which prominently highlights religious culture. The museum displays figures such as the God of Wealth, the Four-faced Maitreya Buddha, Sakyamuni, and the Guanyin of Sea View. Among them, the Four-faced Maitreya Buddha is uniquely designed, offering a refreshing experience. Heading westward from the Buddhist Culture Museum and ascending the mountain, you will arrive at the Handprint Hill attraction. Handprint Hill is a place that tells the story of Guanyin and is also the highest point in the Keyan Scenic Area. Visitors here can not only enjoy the beautiful water town scenery and the ancient Yue landscape but also learn a lot about Buddhist knowledge while exploring.

Relying on a thousand years of Yue culture, the Keyan Scenic Area highlights Shaoxing’s unique cultural resources, including stone culture, water culture, bridge culture, wine culture, opera culture, celebrity culture, and folk culture, making it a long-renowned traditional tourist destination in Shaoxing. Since the Three Kingdoms period, quarrying activities across generations have created numerous natural landscapes such as stone cliffs and quarries. During the Sui and Tang dynasties, a family of stonemasons spanning three generations spent a century carving out the unique rock formation “Cloud Bone” and the exquisitely sculpted Maitreya Buddha, both of which are masterpieces among the many scenic spots. Over the centuries, with the embellishment of natural landscapes, the integration of religious culture, and the influence of literati, by the Qing Dynasty, the area had formed the famous “Eight Scenic Spots of Keyan.” These include stone sights such as the Maitreya Buddha, Cloud Bone, Seven Star Caves, and Silkworm Flower Cave, as well as water scenes around Jian Lake such as Five Bridges under Moonlight and Autumn Cruises in Nanyang — a treasure trove of tourism resources where natural beauty and cultural heritage blend seamlessly.

The Jianhu Scenic Area, meticulously developed with the backdrop of eighty square kilometers of beautiful lakes and mountains, showcases the past glory of Shaoxing’s “mother lake” and highlights the rich connotations of Shaoxing’s distinctive water culture, bridge culture, and wine culture. Visitors can take painted pleasure boats or covered wooden boats to cruise on Jian Lake; stroll along the White Jade Long Embankment to enjoy the beautiful scenery; or visit “Gourd Drunk Island” to taste wine and enjoy performances.

In the early 21st century, the Keyan Scenic Area transformed the fictional hometown from Lu Xun’s novels into a physical architectural complex, forming the Lutzhen Scenic Area. This “town” encompasses numerous cultural elements of Shaoxing, such as water, bridges, wine, stones, architecture, folklore, and opera, recreating the unique folk customs of the Shaoxing water town. Strolling through the flagstone-paved streets of Lutzhen, visitors will be captivated by the dark-tiled, white-walled shops fronting the river, the classic and imposing local residences, the diverse stone bridges and memorial arches, the crisscrossing waterways, and the upturned-eave opera stages. Performances depicting characters from Lu Xun’s works, such as “Xianglin’s Wife Searching for Amao,” “Ah Q’s Rebellion,” “Kong Yiji Teasing Children,” and “Yang Er’s Wife Selling Tofu,” allow visitors to “read a bit of Lu Xun” while sightseeing. “Coin-based interactive games” such as riding (or pulling) a rickshaw, riding (or being carried in) a bridal sedan chair, performing on stage, ordering a song at a teahouse, tasting wine in a bamboo hut, being weighed on a scale, and playing betting games for good luck bring added fun, thrill, sophistication, and cultural depth to the visitor experience.