Jiangnan

Shaoxing Donghu Travel Guide

Black Canopy Boat · Steep Cliff Deep Pool · Man-made and Natural

Donghu Lake in Shaoxing is not large, but it is one of the most unique water landscapes in Jiangnan: the cliffs and deep pools left by ancient stone quarrying were filled with water to become a lake. Riding a black-sailed boat through the tens-of-meters-high cliffs is the most special experience in Shaoxing.

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Destination Details

Key facts

Best seasonThroughout the year, the best is from March to May and September to November

Suggested stay1.5 hours

Key highlightsBlack Canopy Boat · Steep Cliff Deep Pool · Xiashan Bridge · Tao Gong Cave

TrafficIt takes about 15 minutes to take a taxi in Shaoxing city.

RemindTaking the boat is the core experience, but service may be suspended when the wind is strong.

Shaoxing East Lake is located about three kilometers east of Shaoxing city. Although its area is not large, it is a very unique spot among the water landscapes of Jiangnan. It is not a natural lake — since the Han Dynasty, this place has been a quarry. Craftsmen carved the mountain to extract stones, leaving dozens of meters high vertical cliffs and deep pits. Over time, water accumulated to form a lake, and now the cliffs and the clear pools coexist.

Main Highlights

Black-sheltered Boats

Riding a black-sheltered boat is the proper way to experience East Lake. The boats are narrow and long, with low covers, and the boatmen use both hands and feet to row. The boat glides slowly along the cliffs, the water dark green, and looking up you see a strip of sky. Several cave openings, like Taogong Cave and Xiantao Cave, can be entered, and the echoes resonate inside.

Cliffs and Bridges

The cliffs bear obvious man-made chiseling marks, layered one over another, evidence of two thousand years of stone quarrying. Several small stone bridges are built over the lake. The reflections of Xiachuan Bridge and Qin Bridge's arches in the water provide the most photogenic views of East Lake.

Lakeside Trail

If you don't want to take a boat, you can also walk around the lakeside trail. It takes about forty minutes. From the shore, the relationship between the cliffs and the boats is clearer.

Recommended Route

Classic: East Lake Gate → Black-sheltered Boat Dock → Taogong Cave → Xiachuan Bridge → Lakeside Trail, about 1.5 hours.
Combine with Lu Xun's Former Residence, Shen Garden, and Lanting to form a one-day tour of Shaoxing.

Practical Information

It is fifteen minutes by taxi from Shaoxing city center, and the area shares the east of the city with Lu Xun's Former Residence and Shen Garden, so three spots can be visited in half a day. Black-sheltered boats are priced per boat, and you can share a boat with other tourists. Operations may be suspended on very windy days, so pay attention to on-site notices before departure.