The launch ceremony for the Shaoxing English portal is held on Sept 29. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

A new English portal for the city of Shaoxing in East China's Zhejiang province – ezhejiang.gov.cn/shaoxing/ – went online on Sept 29.

Backed by chinadaily.com.cn and the Publicity Department of the CPC Shaoxing Municipal Committee, the portal aims to tell stories about Shaoxing that connect the city with international audiences and to provide service information for expats living in Shaoxing.

The portal has five main sections: About, Media Center, Business, Culture & Travel and Services. It is expected to become an important window for foreigners, eager to learn more about the city.

It will introduce the city's economic and social development, historical background and cultural activities, and provide travel information to overseas visitors by means of images, text and videos.

Shaoxing lies in the southern part of the Yangtze River Delta region. The time-honored and economically prosperous city is the hometown of many outstanding people, including Wang Xizhi, the most prominent figure in the history of Chinese calligraphy and Lu Xun, one of the most influential Chinese writers.

One of the core portals in China, chinadaily.com.cn is the most popular English website among overseas readers.