"When I was young I, too, had many dreams. Most of them I later forgot, but I see nothing in this to regret. For although recalling the past may bring happiness, at times it cannot but bring loneliness, and what is the point of clinging in spirit to lonely bygone days?"

These are the words of Lu Xun, the father of modern Chinese literature. He also resided in Shaoxing, which reveals that his question is not rhetorical. Certainly Shaoxing is not alone among Chinese cities for having a rich past to cling to, but the way its past reverberates in its present, and its people, makes it one of those second tier cities that reward an expat in ways Shanghai can't. Likewise Hangzhou and Suzhou, which share Shaoxing's charms, but far too famously to reward a dedicated Sinophile, for the discerning avoid taking a lover with a large reputation as such.

But to Lu Xun's question, the matter of loneliness, surely anyone churned about for a few months in China's endless crowds can appreciate a little. Shaoxing is a wonderful place to be lonely in, thanks to the two thousand kilometers of canals and rivers coursing through its every extremity. Here one may actually achieve reverie, ambling along peaceful river banks, or sighing on one of the two hundred odd bridges which span them, without the inevitable, commercially motivated "Hullo?" which prevents any sort of watery meditation in that erstwhile Venice of the East, Suzhou.

By the China Tourism Board's estimation, there are enough pearls of the Yangtze to string a necklace, but even the cliché weary must acknowledge the term fitting for Shaoxing.  A pearl, after all, is a product of refinement, and above all an unostentatious treasure, in soothing contrast to Shaoxing's neighbors, the golden bracelet that is Hangzhou and the million carat, dazzling cubic zirconia that is Shanghai. Parvenu Ningbo lies a three-hour bus ride to Shaoxing's east, but the commercial fever which animates the former isn't nearly as palpable in the latter. Perhaps it is a combination of the peaceful hills and everpresent water which keeps Shaoxing's residents cool and introspective, producing a legacy of painters, poets and calligraphers that led even the culture-leery Chairman Mao to dub it "the city of celebrities". Then again, the mellow nature of the place could just as easily be a byproduct of its excellent rice wine.

Right - but what of the economic opportunity, an ambitious mind wonders. Not all is nostalgic canal-gazing and yellow wine tippling in Shaoxing. A history of quality silk as rich as Hangzhou's has evolved into a formidable textile industry. Some 30,000 looms spin out a staggering 3 billion meters of textile annually. Its 400,000 tons of unprocessed chemical fiber supply a quarter of China's needs, and the textile business as a whole accounts for sixty percent of Shaoxing's industrial output. Textile trade has been a key component in China's business bonding with Africa, in which Shaoxing has played a star role since 1990. Nigeria and other emerging African markets are among the 173 countries Shaoxing conducts direct trade with, and who take part in its massive yearly textile expo.

Around this and the other pillar of port-based industry grow healthy sectors in electronics, IT, bio-medicine, and fine chemicals. Approximately 600 foreign-invested enterprises have staked more than US$ 2 billion on Shaoxing, boosting healthy GDP growth [RMB 168 billion in 2006, a 13.2 percent increase on the previous year]. Shaoxing projects as diverse as warehousing, courier service, sports, and entertainment have all doubled in FDI since 2005. An enterprising sort might keep in mind that pharmaceuticals and tea rank among its top ten exports.

The foreign entrepreneur who chooses Shaoxing will enjoy Yangtze Delta logistics at operating costs far below Shanghai's, and favorable compared even to Ningbo, where quality office space can still be had for 2 RMB per square meter per day.  It enjoys access to the Shanghai - Ningbo and Hangzhou - Quzhou freeways, and container transport is also well-developed. Even more promising is Shaoxing's status as a civilian-run economy, begetter of foreign-friendly policies such as 20% reduction in current income tax rates, 80% off if a manufacturing project, and tax exempt for five years if scheduled for fifteen years or more of operation. Indeed, the plethora of incentives offered might make one think Shaoxing was located in the badlands of Qinghai, rather than the mouth of the Yangtze.

As to the dubious conveniences of Walmarts and enough foreigners to de-necessitate learning Mandarin, an expat is better off setting his sights 60 kilometers west, to Hangzhou. There (s)he will find the glittering nightlife and other premium-added catering to the Big Nose. These comforts will come at the price of authentic ambience, something Shaoxing still retains, despite the best efforts of its booming tourist industry. So those who find themselves lonely in Shaoxing may take heart: in China, a little loneliness is good for the soul.

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