Nanhu Lake Scenic Area in Jiaxing

Nanhu Lake Scenic Area in Jiaxing

The Nanhu Lake Scenic Area is a national AAAAA-level tourist attraction, a classic red tourism destination, and a patriotic education base.

Nanhu Lake is one of the three famous lakes in Zhejiang, named for its location south of Jiaxing City. Originally called Machang Lake or East Lake, there is another lake to the southwest of Jiaxing known as Southwest Lake, which was originally named Mandarin Duck Lake. After Nanhu Lake became a tourist destination, people often referred to Nanhu Lake as Mandarin Duck Lake or collectively called both lakes Mandarin Duck Lake.

Nanhu Lake is formed by the convergence of various canals and channels, receiving water from Changshuitang and Haiyantang, and draining into Pinghutang and Changxiantang. It covers a total area of 624 mu. The terrain around Nanhu Lake is flat, with crisscrossing rivers and canals. Historical records indicate that before the Tianfu era (approximately 936) of the Later Jin Dynasty during the Five Dynasties period, this area was overgrown with reeds and had no notable landscape. Later, when Qian Yuan, the fourth son of King Qian of Wuyue and the military governor of Zhongwu, built guesthouses by the lake as a place for "viewing the scenery," it gradually developed into a scenic site.

Nanhu Lake in Jiaxing, along with Xuanwu Lake in Nanjing and West Lake in Hangzhou, are known as the Three Famous Lakes of the Jiangnan region, renowned worldwide for their enchanting scenery described as “a light mist hugging the islets, with a gentle breeze just about to rise.”

On the last day (July 30) of the First National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the meeting was forced to adjourn due to harassment and searches by French Concession police. The delegates secretly moved to Nanhu Lake in Jiaxing, Zhejiang, and resumed the session on a boat in early August. On the boat, the delegates discussed and adopted the first party program and the first resolution, elected the central leadership of the Party, and declared the founding of the Communist Party of China.

The memorial hall replicated a boat in the style used by the delegates during the Congress, creating a commemorative vessel displayed on the waters of Nanhu Lake. This vividly recreates the historical scene of the First National Congress being held, concluded, and the Communist Party of China being founded aboard a boat on Nanhu Lake.

Address: No. 1 Nanxi West Road, Nanhu District, Jiaxing City

Type: Lake cruise tour

Rating: AAAAA

Recommended visiting time: 2–3 hours

Phone: 0573-82532848; 0573-82533437

Opening Hours:

The scenic area is open all day; ticket sales are from 8:00–16:30 (November–March) and 8:00–17:00 (April–October).

Transportation

Located at No. 1 Nanxi Road, accessible via the following routes:

Take Bus 1 (Outer Loop), 8, 36, 81, K90, or K92 to Nanhu Huijingyuan Station.

Tickets

Entry to the scenic area is free; boat tours to visit attractions cost 60 RMB (includes visits to the Lake Heart Island, Calligraphy Tablet Garden, and Wu Xiang Ancestral Hall). Children aged 1.2–1.5m, seniors aged 60–69 with valid ID receive a 50% discount; seniors over 70 pay 20 RMB; students receive an 20% discount with valid ID.