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Sauced quails dry outside a shop in Shaoxing's Anchang Ancient Town. [Photo/IC]

During the Spring Festival period, a cured food market unfolds in Anchang Ancient Town in Shaoxing, filling the air with rich aromas. 

Sauced dishes are an essential part of Spring Festival celebrations in Shaoxing. In Anchang Ancient Town, home to approximately 36,000 permanent residents, nearly every household is engaged in making soy-cured foods. Each Chinese New Year, sausages, ducks, fish, and pork are cured and hung beneath eaves and beside small bridges, immersing the entire town in a dense, savory fragrance.

A highlight of this year's market is the revival of the historic floating street market on the town's river, which runs through the ancient settlement. Black-awning boats laden with sauced delicacies glide along the waterway as boatmen hawk their wares in local dialects, drawing visitors in their own boats to select and purchase offerings.

Stalls lining the riverbanks display an array of soy-cured goods, allowing visitors to shop from their boats or come ashore and sample. Steamed soy-cured duck pairs perfectly with congee, while stir-fried sausage and vegetables make a colorful, flavorful dish. This combination of boat-side shopping and onshore tasting has become a distinctive Chinese New Year experience unique to Anchang Ancient Town.