Cliffs and Buddhas
Earlier this year, we wrote about a different part of Shaoxing's Keyan Scenic Area called Jinghu. While Jinghu is basically a bunch of reclaimed land which has been landscaped, greenified and turned into a park replete with its own Disneyfied water town, Keyan is more rugged-Call cliffs and rock and one big Buddha.

Sculpted 1,500 years ago out of a huge chunk of vertical, free-standing limestone, the 10-meter-tall Buddha sits impressively in the middle of a pond teeming with turtles and carp. Close your eyes and listen to the cooing of pigeons echoing in the hollow of the cave where the Buddha sits and smell the incense perfuming the air. That right there is worth the ￥100 entry ticket.

The other thing to see is the waterfall. Suddenly and remarkably robust, it plunges 80 feet into a pool of water clean and clear. Dip your hands and splash around a bit. The waterfall is courtesy of large limestone cliffs. The area must have been used as a quarry in pre-modern times, because the mountains are sliced off at crazy angles, leaving behind soaring overhangs above pools of fathomless, turquoise water. The "Danger" signs suggest the pools are up to 65 meters deep.

The authorities have walled off a lot of the crevices and hidden pools and cliffs, but you can circumvent them if you try. Tramp around a bit and see if you can beat a trail to where the waterfall tumbles down, though caution is advised.

Wind up your weekend with a ride in a wupeng boat. In the summer months they'll row you to the little pier with a little stage on it where you can catch performances of traditional opera.

Details

Base yourself at the Shaoxing Fandian, 0575-515-5888, then grab a cab to Keyan (￥60)