Jiaxing (嘉兴) is located in the hinterland of Hangjiahu Plain of the Yangtze River Delta in the northeast of Zhejiang Province, East China. It is situated at the intersection of rivers, lakes and seas, and holds the pivot of the southern corridor of Taihu Lake. Jiaxing city was founded in the Qin Dynasty and has a cultural history of more than 2,000 years. It has been a rich and prosperous place since ancient times and has been reputed as the "Land of Fish and Rice" and the "Home of Silk".
Jiaxing has produced numerous literators, such as Mao Dun and Hsu Chih-mo, etc. The natural scenery of Jiaxing coexists with tides, lakes, rivers and sea, making the place well known in the south of the Yangtze River. There are three 5A scenic spots (South Lake, Wuzhen and Xitang), as well as famous scenic spots such as Yanguan (Qiantang River Tidal Bore), Yuehe Historic District and Moshi Manor, which constitute the characteristics of the water town in Jiangnan Area. Besides, Jiaxing is also the birthplace of the Communist Party of China and where the first meeting was held, so it is also an important revolutionary base in modern Chinese history.
Wuzhen and Xitang Water town made Jiaxing famous all over the world. However, highlights in Jiaxing are much more than that. Nature and history coexist in the Jiaxing South Lake, the mighty Qiantang River Tidal rolls eastward passing Yanguan Ancient Town, the fragrance of reed leaves and rice filled the historical block in Yuehe, all give you reasons to visit the one and only Jiaxing.
Wuzhen (乌镇), praised as “the Venice of the East”, is one of the top six water towns in Jiangnan District. Visitors may enjoy all kinds of traditional folk customs at East Scenic Zone and or immerse themselves in the more tranquil, spacious and beautifully-decorated West Scenic Zone.
Xitang (西塘) is an living ancient town with a history of more than 1000 years. Scenic spots are scattered along the T-shaped river consisting of Yangxiujing and Xitang Wharf. All that is seen is a scene. The long corridors, ancient alleys, stone bridges and ancient houses are the top highlights to savor in Xitang.
East Zha (东栅) is the first developed and most popular scenic zone in Wuzhen Water Town. Although the area is always filled with tour groups, but with many historical and cultural sites, such as Hongyuantai Dyehouse, Former Residence of Mao Dun and Jiangnan Folk Customs Museum, etc. It is still a perfect place to learn more about local culture.
Jiaxing South Lake (南湖), one of the three famous lakes in Zhejiang Province, enjoy equal popularity to West Lake in Hangzhou and East Lake in Shaoxing. It is not only famous for its beautiful scenery, but also an important revolutionary site in the modern history of China. The Red Boat, Huxin Island and Lanxiu Garden are all worth visiting.
Yanguan Ancient Town (盐官古镇), with a history of more than 2200 years, is located in Haining, Jiaxing City. It’s the best place to appreciate the grand Qiantang River tidal bore. The site is a combination of natural magnificence and historical and culture; landscape, attracting countless visitors from all over the world.
The Mao Dun Memorial Hall (茅盾纪念堂) takes the “Life Road” and the “Literature Road “as two main lines, showing visitors the magnificent life of Mr. Mao Dun. On the left of the memorial hall is Mao Dun's study room, which is restored and arranged according to the pattern of Mao Dun's former residence in Beijing.
Fengzikai Memorial Hall (丰子恺纪念堂), built based on celebrity culture, is the art hall for the messes. Feng Zikai Memorial Hall is divided into two parts: Yuan Yuan Hall, which is the former residence of Feng Zikai, and Feng Zikai Cartoon Gallery, which is the one and only specialized cartoon library in China.
Yuehe Historic District (月河历史街区) is one of the most complete and largest existing districts in Jiaxing City, Zhejiang, which can best reflect the residential and cultural characteristics of Jiangnan water towns. The Grand Canal runs along the south sides of the Yuehe Historic District, both side of the bank are lined with lights, showing a bustling commercial scene.
As a famous city compatible with culture and nature, Jiaxing offers many interesting activities for you to have fun.
Taking a traditionally-decorated boat sailing on the water of Wuzhen or Xitang is the highlighted experience. Viewing the black-tiled old houses passing by will take you back to hundreds of years before.
In the early morning, rivers overflow with thin fog, and the picturesque water towns were immersed in a state of calm. There are many things for you to shoot, just take out your camera and record the exquisite scenery.
Some traditional culture, which has almost disappeared in the city, can still be enjoyed in Jiaxing, such as the shadow play, the outdoor cinema at night, Yue opera showing on water stages and bamboo pole climbing performances, etc.
Jiaxing is the hometown of Zongzi, a kind of traditional Chinese food eaten on the Dragon Boat Festival, is stuffed with glutinous rice, beans and meat, etc. and is wrapped in bamboo leaves or reed leaves. Don’t miss the delicious snacks when you visit Jiaxing.
Jiaxing City belongs to the East Asian monsoon area with four distinct seasons, moderate temperature, decent rain and abundant sunshine. It has the characteristics of humid spring, hot summer, dry autumn and cold winter. The annual average temperature in Jiaxing is about 15.9 ℃. The average annual precipitation is around 1170mm and the annual average sunshine is over 2000 hours.
The best seasons to visit Jiaxing are spring and autumn, when the temperature is warm and the scenery is best. In spring, you can enjoy various kinds of folk custom activities in Wuzhen. Autumn is not only a pleasant season to visit water towns nearby, but also the best time to watch the magnificent Qiantang River tidal bore at Yanguan Ancient Town. The willow bank of South Lake in Jiaxing city is a good place to escape the summer heat. Find a teahouse in water towns in winter, hold a cup of hot tea and enjoy the pleasant break away from the bustling city.
Dressing Tips: Do remember to take rain gears with you when visiting Jiaxing and surrounding areas in spring, and sunglasses as well as sun cream are recommended in summer. Bring a thin overcoat with you if you are planning to visit and stay a night in water towns during spring and autumn, because the temperature between day and night might be large.
Jiaxing city, located in the northeast of Zhejiang province, about 90km from Hangzhou, 70km from Suzhou and 100km from Shanghai, is usually taken as a transit site to famous Wuzhen Water Town and Xitang Water Town.
Recently, there is only one frequently used train station in Jiaxing downtown, which is Jiaxing South Railway Station. Visitors can easily ride a high speed train to get to/from Jiaxing to Shanghai (30-60 mins.), Hangzhou ( 25-30 mins.), Suzhou (1-1.5 hrs.), Beijing (6.5-7 hrs.), Huangshan (2-2.5 hrs.), Guangzhou (8 hrs.), etc. Besides, visitors can also make efficient transfers from Jiaxing to other tourist cities in Zhejiang Province, like Shaoxing (40-60 mins.), Ningbo (1.5-2 hrs.), etc.
Jiaxing South Railway Station (嘉兴南站)
Taxies, public buses are very convenient to take you to where you want to go here in downtown Jiaxing. However, if you want to visit Wuzhen Water Town, Xitang Water Town or Yanguan Ancient Town in the suburb, you are recommended to book a private car service in advance.
Wuzhen Water Town, the Venice of the East in Zhejiang province, is about 29km west from Jiaxing city center, which takes about 1 hour by car. Check the ultimate travel guide of Wuzhen Water Town >>
Xitang Water Town, a living ancient town in Jiangnan, is about 30km northeast from Jiaxing city center, which also takes about 1 hour to drive to the scenic area. Check the ultimate travel guide of Xitang Water Town >>
To get rid of the troubles of making busy transfers in Jiaxing city, you are highly suggested to use our private transfer service. Once you travel with us, our local driver can escort you from the train station/hotel to the tourist sites in Jiaxing, Wuzhen and Xitang at ease and convenience. If you are interested, please feel free to contact us.
Traveling in Jiaxing, tourists usually choose to live either downtown or in ancient towns. There are all levels of hotels in Jiaxing city for tourists to choose from. If you take Jiaxing as a transit stop for your journey, you are recommended to choose hotels near the train station. In order to have a better travel experience and enjoy all the highlights of water towns, accommodation in the scenic area should be the first choice. Xitang and Wuzhen provide all levels and various types of accommodation for tourists. There are luxurious five-star hotels, ancient residences converted boutique inns, and of course, there are also many budget and cozy youth hostels for backpackers to choose from.
Besides, highlights in Jiaxing downtown can be visited within a day, therefore you can also take a car or high-speed train back to Shanghai, Hangzhou or Suzhou for accommodation. Check more about Shanghai Where to Stay | Hangzhou Where to Stay | Suzhou Where to Stay >>
Here we list some very useful maps about Jiaxing City for your reference. You can feel free to use them if you want to know the location, transportation and attractions of Jiaxing through maps.
Jiaxing China Map
Jiaxing Tourist Map
Jiaxing Transportation Map
After a Jiaxing tour, you can take a bullet train to Shanghai, Hangzhou, Huangshan, Suzhou, Ningbo, Jiaxing, Yuyao to find more interesting attractions. Also, you can go to the sacred Putuo Mountain in Zhoushan to feel rich Buddhist culture. Discovery now!
Chinese Name: 嘉兴
Chinese Pinyin: jiā xīng
Population: 4726 thousand
Language: Mandarin & Jiaxing Dialect
Tel Code: 0573
Zip Code: 330400
Time Zone: (UTC+8)
You can spend 1~2 days in Jiaxing to visit the classic attractions such as South Lake and Yuehe Historic District, etc. in the downtown area and nearby water towns Xitang or Wuzhen.
However, most tourists only take Jiaxing as a transfer place and the extended destination of their Hangzhou, Shanghai or Yangtze River Delta Tours. Therefore, before or after your Jiaxing tour, you can have 5~6 days to visit Shanghai, Suzhou and Hangzhou together. Visitors may also extend the tour to the famous Yellow Mountain for 2~3 days.
If you prefer sea scenery, you can extend your trip to east Zhejiang, visit the 7000-year-old Ningbo city and take a ferry to Putuoshan to feel the fusion of religious culture and island scenery.
Moreover, it is also a good idea to travel Jiaxing and other popular destinations in China, such as Beijing, Xian, Yangtze River, Xiamen, Chengdu, Kunming, etc. All our tours can be customized according to your interests, group size, needs, travel time, budget, etc. If you are interested, please feel free to contact us for a personal Jiaxing, Zhejiang tour 2024/2025!
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