Jiaxing Travel Guide

Jiaxing is an old water town almost midway between Shanghai and Hangzhou in northern Zhejiang province. Canals and lakes adorn the city, and it carries down to today the atmosphere of a Jiangnan water town, with its unbroken run of white walls and stone bridges. South Lake is the city's symbol, and the water-town scenery can be enjoyed from the pavilions and walkways along its shore.A great part of Jiaxing's appeal is being the gateway to the water towns of Wuzhen and Xitang. Wuzhen has a history of more than a thousand years, and its stone-paved lanes, canals and rows of white-walled houses are as beautiful as a painted scroll. It is not a World Heritage site, however; it is at the stage of being listed on the tentative list for World Cultural Heritage as Jiangnan Water Towns.Xitang is a plainer, quieter water town than Wuzhen, known for the long covered corridors that run along its waterways. At night the lights are reflected on the water, showing a calmer face than by day. Take a small boat along the canal and you can gaze at the stone bridges and the rows of houses slowly, from the water itself.The specialty is zongzi, and Jiaxing zongzi, glutinous rice wrapped around pork, chestnuts or salted egg yolk, is known across the country. High-speed rail links the city with Shanghai and Hangzhou in a short time, and it is an easy place to stop even on a day trip. Savor the relaxed pace of a water town and the taste of its zongzi at your leisure.