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Shaoxing

Coordinates: 30°00′N 120°35′E / 30.000°N 120.583°E / 30.000; 120.583
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For other uses, see Shaoxing County.
For Shaoxing wine, see Shaoxing wine.
Shaoxing
绍兴
Prefecture-level city
绍兴市
Shaoxing (red) in Zhejiang province (orange) and China
Shaoxing (red) in Zhejiang province (orange) and China
CountryChina
ProvinceZhejiang
County-level divisions6
Government
 • MayorZhang Jinru (张金如)
Area
 • Land8,332 km2 (3,217 sq mi)
Population
 (2010 census)
 • Total4,912,200
Time zoneUTC+8 (China Standard)
Area code570
GDP 2010¥278.3 billion
GDP per capita 2010¥63,486
License Plate Prefix浙D
Websitehttp://www.sx.gov.cn/
City flower Orchid
Shaoxing
Simplified Chinese绍兴
Traditional Chinese紹興
WuZau去shin去 (Shaoxing dialect)
Zau上shin去 (Shanghai dialect)

Shaoxing (Chinese: 绍兴; pinyin: Shàoxīng; Shaoxing dialect: Zaushin) is a prefecture-level city in northeastern Zhejiang province, People's Republic of 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. It was once known as "越" (pinyin: yuè). Shaoxing central districts of Yuecheng and Shaoxing are now part of Hangzhou built up area which is home for more than 7 million inhabitants.

Administration

The prefecture-level city of Shaoxing administers one district, three county-level cities and two counties.

History

Modern-day Shaoxing sits on the site of the capital of the Spring and Autumn Period State of Yue. Around the sixth century BC, Yue had a sinicised ruling elite which fought a number of wars against its northern archrival, the State of Wu.

Shaoxing became a subprefecture during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Under the Republic of China, it became a county. Under the People's Republic of China it is a city administrative unit.

On March 29, 2010, Symantec Corporation named Shaoxing as the world's malware capital.

Geography and climate

Tourism

A boat on one of Shaoxing's waterways, near the city center
  • Lu Xun's residence is preserved near the middle of the city, and has become a tourist destination.
  • East Lake (东湖) is a traditional scenic area just out of town.
  • Shaoxing has the Tomb of Yu the Great (大禹陵).

World Choir Games

Shaoxing was the location of the official world choir games in 2010.[1]

Shaoxing wine

Main article: Shaoxing wine
  • Chinese rice wine (黃酒) is also known as Shaoxing wine (紹興酒) or simply Shao Wine (紹酒). The brewery utilizes a natural process using the "pure" water of the Jianhu-Mirror Lake. It has a unique flavour and a reputation both nationally and internationally. It is used both as a liquor and in cooking as well as a solvent for Chinese herbal medicated ointment. The China Shaoxing Yellow Wine Group Corporation produces 110,000 tons annually for domestic and overseas markets. [1]

Shaoxing Zhufu

The Dashan Pagoda in Shaoxing
Boats in Donghu (east lake), a lake in Shaoxing

Due to its long history, Shaoxing has accumulated and handed down a characteristic culture known as "Yue Culture". As an important part of Yue Culture and a traditional folk custom of Shaoxing, Zhufu (祝福, literally "worshipping the God of Blessing") still has great influence on Shaoxing people and their lives.

History and background

Zhufu is also called Zuofu and is the most prominent annual sacrificial ceremony in Shaoxing. The gods worshipped are Nanchao Shengzhong (南朝圣众) and Huangshan Xinan (黄山西南). They have been worhipped since the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368 CE). Legend holds that when the government of the Song Dynasty (960-1279 CE) was overthrown by the Mongolian army and replaced by the Yuan Dynasty, the original Song citizens, namely the Han people, were extremely afraid of the newly established minority political power. They secretly offered sacrifices at midnight to the emperors of South Song Dynasty and those patriotic martyrs who died to save the nation.

Nanchao Shengzhong refers to a group of martyrs, who died in the war of resistance against the Mongolian invasion, including Emperor Huaizong of Song, last emperor of the Southern Song Dynasty, Wen Tianxiang, scholar-general of Southern Song Dynasty, who was captured but didn’t give in to the enemy and later was killed by the Yuan Government, and Lu Xiufu, the Southern Song Prime Minister who committed suicide, together with Emperor Huaizong and 800 other officials and members of the imperial court. Huangshan Xinan refers to two anonymous brothers who sacrificed their lives to save civilians from being killed by the Mongolian army. In memory of the brothers, the local people named the place where they were killed after them and offered sacrifice to a portrait or statue of the brothers.

Records show that the Mongolian nobility, the ruling class of the Yuan Dynasty, treated the Han people harshly,[citation needed] such that the Han people created and cleverly disguised their gods Nanchao Shengzhong and Huangshan Xinan in order to mourn for the lost nation and its patriotic martyrs whilst praying for their blessing. The ruling class knew only of the ostensible purpose of the annual sacrificial ceremony, believing it was the means to entertain the God of Blessing and pray for a good harvest the next year as well as harmony. The ceremony was handed down from generation to generation and finally became a convention whilst its political meaning gradually dimmed. It became a pure sacrificial ceremony, held annually to offer thanks to the God of Blessing for all his blessings and to pray for the next year's blessing.

Dates

Zhufu is often held during the period between December 24 and December 28 according to the Chinese lunar calendar. Shaoxing people first choose an auspicious day according to the Chinese lunar calendar to hold the ceremony. In Shaoxing, the days between December 20 and December 30 of the Chinese lunar calendar are called nights instead of days so as to remind homemakers that the Spring Festival is approaching and they should hurry up to prepare for Zhufu and the Spring Festival.

Preparation

Before the sacrificial ceremony, Shaoxing people clean up their homes, wash the sacred vessels, and kill fowls which will be offered as "Fuli", or sacrifice to the god. They use the phrase "dressing the fowls" instead of "killing the fowls" to avoid uttering the word "kill" which they consider unlucky. The wooden sacrificing desks used in Zhufu are placed transversely in accordance with the grain. Usually two old Chinese square tables are enough. They are placed end to end close to the entrance door of the hall. The main door of the house is then swung wide open. Family members subsequently carry barrels or trays of cooked Fuli to the hall and put them on the desks one by one prescriptively. Usually Fuli consists of chicken, goose, and pork. In wealthy families however, it consists of chicken, goose, pork, beef and mutton. Red paper cut into gold ingots or coins is also attached to the Fuli. According to local custom, the chicken and goose are cooked with their heads held high as if they were welcoming the god. The barrels or trays used to hold Fuli are often wooden and painted red whilst a kitchen knife is placed beside the Fuli for use as a table knife by the god.

Ceremonial rite

Thereafter, the officiant of the ceremony who is usually the man of the house, lights incense and red candles, hangs golden and silver Taiding made of paper on the left and right candleholders, puts cushions for kneeling on the ground in order, and inserts a Mazhang Stick, which represents Nanchao Shengzhong or Huangshan Xinan into the prepared holder. Females are not allowed to be present whilst the sacrifice is underway. After tasks are completed, the male members of the family successively kneel down facing the main door and kowtow to the god. At that moment there are many taboos. For example, the wine should not be poured from a cup, and chopsticks should not fall into the ground. Silence is also maintained to avoid taboos.

When all is prepared, the officiant pours wine for those present. They hold their wine cups high as quickly as possible to see the god out. Then the officiant burns the Mazhang Stick together with golden and silver Taiding in the courtyard. He cuts the tongues from the chicken and goose then throws them on to the roof of the house at the same time and praying to the god to take away the tongues which symbolize possible calamities emanating from the spoken word. Finally, the officiant put a cup of wine with tea onto the ashes of Mazhang Stick signifiying the end of Zhufu. Ancestor worship follows the ceremony and, although similar to Zhufu, differences do exist. After worship, the family sits down at tables and eat Fuli together, which they call Sanfu or sharing the blessings.

As a featured folk custom, Zhufu has been handed down and well protected as part of Shaoxing's cultural heritage. It is reputable because of its special origin. It was widely spread by Lu Xun in his short story Zhufu, which he named after the sacrificial ceremony. Whilst deeply moved by the ill-fated leading character of the novel, readers meanwhile get to learn the details of Zhufu.

Hacking allegations

In March 2010, Symantec, which was investigating Operation Aurora for Google, identified Shaoxing as the source of 21.3% of all (12 billion) malicious emails sent throughout the world.[2]

Notable people & Places

See also

References

  1. ^ http://musica-mundi.com
  2. ^ Sheridan, Michael, "Chinese City Is World's Hacker Hub", London Sunday Times, March 28, 2010.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Shaoxing.

30°00′N 120°35′E / 30.000°N 120.583°E / 30.000; 120.583

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