On an epicurean level, though, Shaoxing is perhaps most typically associated with huangjiu, the yellow liquor from southern China. Just as Bordeaux is the holy land of French wine, Shaoxing is widely regarded as the home of yellow wine in China. In 2006, the local production method was listed as a State-level intangible cultural heritage.

Distilled from fermented glutinous rice and wheat, huangjiu has an amber hue and, depending on the degree of fermentation and the aging time, the color varies from a very light gold to a deep chocolate brown. It's usually less than 20 percent alcohol by volume.

Shaoxing huangjiu is aged in earthenware vats, sometimes for decades. The longer it ages, the better the quality, and this is the type that is usually reserved for special occasions.

Local people traditionally store huangjiu for newborns to enjoy when they grow up; families will put urns of the spirit into the cellar and age it for a daughter's wedding banquet, giving the huangjiu the romantic name nyu'erhong, or "daughter red". For sons, the stored huangjiu is called zhuangyuanhong, or "scholar red", as it will be opened when the son enters college or marries.

There are many brands of huangjiu, and three of them are being served during the ongoing Asian Games — Gu Yue Long Shan, Kuaijishan, and Pagoda.

Just like sake with sashimi, and red wine with steak, huangjiu and crab is a classic combination: Chinese people believe that crab is a cooling food, and the warmed yellow wine does the necessary work in countering that and keeping the body's balance between yin and yang.

The museum of huangjiu, located in the northwest of the city, allows its visitors to see the whole production process, visit the cellar and taste the different varieties of huangjiu.

As an ancient water town, the city is lined with canals, crossed by more than 3,000 bridges that have become an architectural calling card for Shaoxing. Every bridge has a name connected with a story about a historical figure.

And there are plenty to choose from. The history of Shaoxing stretches back 5,000 years to the earliest settlements in China. Sitting on the southern banks of the Qiantang River, it was once home to the Neolithic Hemudu Culture.

During the Warring States Period (475-221 BC), when seven battling clans fought for dominance, Shaoxing was the capital of the state of Yue. Later, during the Song Dynasty (AD 420-479), it was the main economic, political and cultural center of southern China.

Fang Xiaoying contributed to this story.