Cao’e River

Cao’e River

The Cao’e River is a provincial-level scenic area, located in the middle and lower reaches of the Cao’e River basin within Shangyu City, approximately 26 kilometers from Shaoxing City. Covering a total area of 40 square kilometers, the Cao’e River was anciently known as the Shun River. During the Eastern Han Dynasty, it was renamed to its current name after a filial daughter, Cao’e, drowned herself in the river while searching for her father. The Cao’e River has broad riverbanks and gentle currents, full of poetic beauty, and was a route frequented and celebrated by poets during the Tang Dynasty. Historical sites and scenic spots are distributed along the river within the scenic area, where natural and man-made landscapes blend seamlessly.

The Cao’e River is one of the largest rivers in Shaoxing City. It originates from Jian’gongling in Pan’an County, Jinhua City, and flows through Xinchang, Shengzhou, and Shangyu, eventually emptying into Hangzhou Bay below the Xin Sanjiang Sluice in Shaoxing County. The river basin spans an area of 6,046 square kilometers, covering five cities including Shaoxing, Hangzhou, Jinhua, Taizhou, and Ningbo. The four major tributaries in the upper reaches—Chengtan, Xinchang, Changle, and Huangze—converge near Chengguan in Shengzhou. The main course of the Cao’e River (from Dongqiao in Shengzhou onward) was historically named in sections according to the counties it flowed through. The section in Shengzhou was called Shanchi; the Shangyu section (including Yao River), above Bai’guan Longshan, was called Shun River, and from Longshan in Shangyu down to Sanjiangkou, it was commonly referred to as Qianhai to the north and Houhai to the south, which is now Hangzhou Bay. Starting from the Republican era, the entire stretch from Chengguan in Shengzhou to the river mouth was collectively called the Cao’e River.

The Cao’e River is the second-largest river in Zhejiang Province and is named after the filial daughter Cao’e, who drowned herself in the river while searching for her father’s body. Near Shengzhou, it is also called Shanchi; within the territory of Shangyu County, it is also referred to as Shangyu River; near Bai’guan, it was historically known as Shun River, and the downstream section was anciently called Dongxiao River. The main stream, Chengtan River, originates from Changwu in Wangcun, Shanghu Town, Pan’an County, on the Dapan Mountain Range. It flows northeast through Jingling Town in Xinchang County, then turns northward through Chengtan Town to Zhongnan Township (Cangyan) in the central-southern part of Shengzhou, where it turns northeast again to the southern outskirts of Shengzhou County. After receiving the Xinchang River on the right, it becomes the Cao’e River. Further downstream, it receives the Changle River on the left, flows about 4 kilometers north, and then takes in the Huangze River on the right. The main and tributary streams converge in a fan shape within an area of about 4 kilometers north and south of Shengzhou County. After converging, it flows northward through Sanjie into Shangyu County, meandering north through Zhangzhen where it receives Xiaguan Stream on the right, and then receives Xiaoshun River on the left at the southern side of Shangpu. It then flows north to beyond Bai’guan Town in Shangyu County before turning northwest, successively receiving water from the East Zhe Canal and Qianqing River via the Xihu Sluice, Mashan Sluice, and Xin Sanjiang Sluice, as well as various waters from the Shao-Shao Plain inland rivers, and finally empties into the Qiantang River estuary section at the Cao’e River Sluice in Shaoxing City.

Since 1970, river training and land reclamation projects have been carried out on both sides of the Cao’e River outlet channel, extending the outlet approximately 14 kilometers northeastward. The main course of the Cao’e River stretches 182.4 kilometers from its source to the Xin Sanjiang Sluice, covering a drainage area of 5,930.9 square kilometers. The tidal section begins downstream of Zhangzhen, and after the construction of the Shangpu Sluice, tides are blocked below the sluice. From downstream of Cao’e to Sanjiangkou, it is a plain estuarine section with a river width exceeding 1 kilometer. Due to tidal influence, the riverbed experiences unstable erosion and sedimentation. To the east lies Baili Seawall, and to the west is the Shao-Xiao Seawall for protection. The basin contains 890,000 mu of arable land, including 730,000 mu of paddy fields and 160,000 mu of dry land, with a population of 1.53 million.

The Cao’e River basin enjoys a mild climate, fertile land, and abundant agricultural produce, making it one of Zhejiang Province’s key grain-producing areas. In addition to rice and wheat, it is rich in cotton, hemp, oil crops, tea, silkworm cocoons, tobacco leaves, and white atractylodes. Xinchang is one of China’s key tea-producing counties and also a base county for raising Angora rabbits, leading the nation in rabbit fur production. The white atractylodes produced in Xinchang, historically known as Yuezhou Atractylodes, has long been a major national production area and enjoys a high reputation in Southeast Asian countries. Shengzhou is one of Zhejiang Province’s pig-exporting county-level cities, and is also known for its rice, tea, silkworm cocoons, and bamboo paper. Shengzhou’s Zhucha (pearl tea) has a long history and is exported abroad. Bamboo paper has been famous since the Six Dynasties period. The Tang Dynasty poet Pi Rixiu praised it in a poem: “Shan paper shines brighter than the moon.” During the Southern Song Dynasty, official documents were often copied on Shengzhou bamboo paper, hence the term “Shan documents” for official papers at the time. Shangyu is a key production area in Zhejiang Province for rice, cotton, ramie, tea, silkworm cocoons, and tea oil seeds. It is also known for its bayberries, grapes, and chestnuts, the latter of which are even exported abroad. The Cao’e River basin sits on Jurassic volcanic rock strata, with geological structures dominated by faults and weak folds. The region is rich in mineral resources, including copper, iron, zinc, manganese, lignite, fluorite, alunite, quartz, pyrophyllite, jasper, and dolomite. The fire-resistant pyrophyllite from Shangyu is of superior quality and renowned nationwide. The Xikeng jasper in Xinchang is hard, abundant, and can be finely crafted into stone lions, stone horses, and other artworks or used as building material. Shengzhou has over 100 million tons of diatomite reserves, awaiting development and utilization.

The mountainous upper reaches of the Cao’e River are a scenic area in Zhejiang Province. The Shanchi section features undulating streams that rush or ripple gently, with shallow areas forming beaches and deep areas creating pools, offering stunning scenery. Since ancient times, Shanchi has been praised alongside Jianhu Lake as a highlight of central Zhejiang. Qingfeng Ridge, located 15 kilometers northeast of Shengzhou, features steep cliffs and is a strategic pass to the north of Shengzhou. Legend has it that it was once a site for banquets by the Jin Dynasty’s Wang and Xie families. Qianxi, 5 kilometers from Xinchang City, is surrounded by towering rocks and continuous peaks, with winding paths through emerald streams, offering exceptionally beautiful scenery. Among them, Baiyanyan features two sheer cliffs with a narrow opening at the top and a wide base, allowing a sliver of sunlight to shine through, descending into a deep pool 100 meters below—a spectacular sight. Upstream of Changzhao Village in the eastern part of Xinchang City, the Zhenjun Temple was built during the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty to commemorate the Northern Song Dynasty anti-Jin general Zong Ze. Below Zhenjun Temple, the Changzhao Reservoir was constructed in the 1980s, stretching 5 kilometers deep into the valley, with islands in the reservoir and a reservoir within the mountains. Near Jingling, the Chuanyan Nineteen Peaks feature peaks connected in a chain, with lush forests on the mountains and green waters winding at their feet. Tianmu Mountain, located 25 kilometers south of Xinchang City, features overlapping ridges and peaks, with its highest peak called Bayunjian. Legend says those who climb this mountain may hear the songs of the Heavenly Mother, hence the name. Taoism regards it as one of the Sixteen Blessed Lands.

Scenic Spot Location

Within Shangyu City, Zhejiang Province