Qinghui Hall

Qinghui Hall

Nanhu Lake gets its name from its location south of Jiaxing City. In ancient times, it was called Biao Lake or Machang Lake, and was divided into eastern and western sections. The two parts resemble a pair of mandarin ducks necking, and as the birds often nested here in antiquity, the lake was also collectively known as Mandarin Duck Lake.

With the rapid development of Jiaxing, Nanhu Lake has become a scenic landmark right in the heart of the city, serving as a symbol of Jiaxing. Qinghui Hall is one of the attractions on Nanhu Lake.

Qinghui Hall was built in the fourth year of the Tongzhi reign during the Qing Dynasty. At that time, Xu Yaoguang, the prefect of Jiaxing, constructed a gateway on the stone steps at the ferry dock of the lake’s central island to commemorate the visit of Emperor Qianlong during his southern tour. It was named “Qinghui Hall.” The two characters in the plaque—“清晖” (Qinghui)—carry a double meaning: “Qing” means morning, and “Hui” means sunlight. Qinghui Hall faces east, so it catches the first rays of morning light. At the same time, “Qinghui” also carries an implicit praise and compliment to the Qing government.

In the twelfth year of the Tongzhi reign, Xu Yaoguang added wing rooms on both sides of Qinghui Hall. The southern wing was called “Lingxiang Shuixie” (Water Pavilion of Fragrant Water Chestnuts), originally a gathering place for literati. Here they would sip tea, admire the lake, and enjoy the water lilies. The view of the pavilion and the lake, together with the fragrance of tea and water lilies, created a heavenly atmosphere—so much so that the gate plaque was inscribed with “Little Penglai.” The northern wing was called “Gu Yun Yi.”

Xu Yaoguang, styled Xuemen and also known as Fuzhai or later as Fusou, was a native of Shanhua (Changsha), Hunan. He was born in the 22nd year of the Jiaqing reign and achieved the status of a selected scholar (Bajiao) in the 29th year of the Daoguang reign. He served successively as magistrate in counties such as Tonglu, Chun’an, Changshan, Zhuji, and Renhe, earning a reputation for good governance. As prefect of Jiaxing for a total of eighteen years, he left a distinguished administrative legacy and passed away in the eighth year of the Guangxu reign. He authored sixteen volumes of “Xue Men Shi Cao” (Poetic Drafts of Snow Gate) and four volumes of “Tan Zhe” (Discussions on Zhejiang). A Qing Dynasty poet and notable official of Zhejiang, he was praised by contemporary public opinion as one of the rare virtuous prefects of modern times. It was thanks to him that the current architectural complex of Qinghui Hall came into being.

On the north wall of the Qinghui Hall side, the three large characters “烟雨楼” (Yanyu Lou / Misty Rain Tower) are inscribed. This is the handwriting of Ji Yinglong, a calligrapher from the Shunzhi reign of the Qing Dynasty, and the strokes are vigorous. These two rooms are both situated by the lakeside.

In summer, when you lean on the railing and gaze into the distance, you’ll see endless green water lily leaves stretching to the horizon, with a faint mist hovering over the lake and the fragrance of water lilies wafting through the air—it truly feels like being in a crystal palace.

The stone steps in front of “Qinghui Hall”—wide in the middle and narrow on both sides—are said to have been modeled after the grand stairs of the Forbidden City in Beijing, where the emperor would walk down the center and ministers along the sides. Nowadays, the area around Qinghui Hall has been turned into a souvenir shop selling local West Lake specialties. If you’re looking to buy regional products, this is a great place to pick some up.