Shaoxing

Shaoxing
绍兴市
Shaohsing
Left to right, top to bottom: Bazi Bridge over the Eastern Zhejiang Canal, Shaoxing cityscape, Didang subdistrict, Tishan Bridge, traditional houses in Zhuji.
Shaoxing
Shaoxing
Coordinates (Shaoxing Theatre): 30°03′04″N 120°35′00″E / 30.0511°N 120.5833°E / 30.0511; 120.5833
CountryPeople's Republic of China
ProvinceZhejiang
County-level divisions6
Municipal seatYuecheng District
Government
  MayorYu Zhihong (俞志宏)
Area
8,279.1 km2 (3,196.6 sq mi)
  Urban
2,965.1 km2 (1,144.8 sq mi)
  Metro
8,107.9 km2 (3,130.5 sq mi)
Population
 (2020 census)
5,270,977
  Density640/km2 (1,600/sq mi)
  Urban
2,958,643
  Urban density1,000/km2 (2,600/sq mi)
  Metro
13,035,326
  Metro density1,600/km2 (4,200/sq mi)
GDP
  Prefecture-level cityCN¥ 837 billion
US$ 118 billion
  Per capitaCN¥ 158,766
US$ 22,293
Time zoneUTC+8 (China Standard)
Area code0575
ISO 3166 codeCN-ZJ-06
License Plate Prefix浙D
Websitewww.sx.gov.cn
Shaoxing
"Shaoxing" in Simplified (top) and Traditional (bottom) Chinese characters
Simplified Chinese绍兴
Traditional Chinese紹興
PostalShaohing
Literal meaning(An era of the Song dynasty)
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinShàoxīng
Gwoyeu RomatzyhShawshing
Wade–GilesShao4-hsing1
IPA[ʂâʊɕíŋ]
Wu
RomanizationSoh-shing
Yue: Cantonese
Yale RomanizationSiuh-hīng
JyutpingSiu6-hing1
IPA[siw˨hɪŋ˥]
Southern Min
Tâi-lôSiāu-heng
Middle Chinese
Middle Chinesed͡ʒjèw xing
Kuaiji
Simplified Chinese会稽
Traditional Chinese會稽
PostalKwaiki
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinKuàijī
Gwoyeu RomatzyhKuayji
Wade–GilesKʻuai4-chi1
IPA[kʰwâɪtɕí]
Wu
RomanizationKwae-ji
Yue: Cantonese
Yale RomanizationKui-kāi
JyutpingKui3-kai1
Southern Min
Tâi-lôKuè-ke
Shanyin
Simplified Chinese山阴
Traditional Chinese山陰
PostalShanyin
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinShānyīn
Gwoyeu Romatzyhshan'in
Wade–GilesShan1-yin1
Wu
RomanizationSae-yin
Yue: Cantonese
Jyutpingsaan1jam1

Shaoxing is a prefecture-level city on the southern shore of Hangzhou Bay in northeastern Zhejiang province, China. Located on the south bank of the Qiantang River estuary, it borders Ningbo to the east, Taizhou to the southeast, Jinhua to the southwest, and Hangzhou to the west. As of the 2020 census, its population was 5,270,977 inhabitants among which, 2,958,643 (Keqiao, Yuecheng and Shangyu urban districts) lived in the built-up (or metro) area of Hangzhou–Shaoxing, with a total of 13,035,326 inhabitants.

Notable residents of Shaoxing include Wang Xizhi, the parents of Zhou Enlai, Lu Xun, and Cai Yuanpei. It is also noted for Shaoxing wine, meigan cai, and stinky tofu, and was featured on A Bite of China. Its local variety of Chinese opera sung in the local dialect and known as Yue opera is second in popularity only to Peking opera. In 2010, Shaoxing celebrated the 2,500th anniversary of the founding of the city.

Economically, the city is driven by manufacturing of textiles, electronics, and energy-efficient lighting. Zhejiang has the fifth highest per capita GDP in the nation, with the city itself at 32nd nationally by GDP per capita.