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Voykit pocket guide · China
Jiaxing
嘉兴
One night in the old city, or a day trip from Shanghai: 45–60 min by train. Add a night only if you sleep in Wuzhen or Xitang.
Jiaxing is a 2,000-year-old Grand Canal market town, 45–60 minutes by train from Shanghai and under an hour from Hangzhou. The old city is walkable in half a day; South Lake, the citadel and two restored canal streets fill a full one. Most travellers come for the day, or use Jiaxing as the gateway to the preserved canal towns of Wuzhen and Xitang, which sit inside the city's administrative area.
- Country
- China
- Local name
- 嘉兴
- Best months
- Apr–May, Oct–Nov
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (hot, humid, heavy rain), Chinese New Year week
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- CNY
- Money
- Alipay and WeChat Pay accept Visa, Mastercard, JCB and Amex cards; single payments over ¥200 carry a fee of about 3% on a foreign card (smaller ones are free), and per-payment and yearly caps apply — check the app. Keep a second way to pay.
- Daily spend
- Budget ¥250–450 excl. bed · Mid ¥450–900 excl. bed · High ¥900+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- A roaming eSIM from outside China routes traffic through its home network, so Google, WhatsApp and Instagram work without a VPN — the simplest setup.
- Emergency
- Police 110 · Fire 119 · Ambulance 120
- Plugs
- Types A, C, I · 220 V · 50 Hz · Many sockets take flat two-pin (A), round two-pin (C) and angled three-pin (I) plugs; UK plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurants: No tip; upmarket hotels add 10–15% service.; Taxis and DiDi: No tip.; Tour guides and drivers: Expected on organised tours: about ¥100–200 a day for a guide, ¥50–100 for a driver.; Hotel porters: Not expected; ¥10–20 in luxury hotels.
- Water
- Not for drinking from the tap; bottled water ¥2–5, and kettles and free bottles in hotel rooms. Restaurants serve hot water or tea.
- Toilets
- Public toilets are frequent and free; squat toilets outside hotels and malls. Carry tissues — many have no paper.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or tea in a Yuehe Street tea room | ¥20–45 |
| Noodle soup or rice bowl | ¥15–35 |
| Zongzi (leaf-wrapped rice) | ¥5–15 |
| Beer: draught in a bar / can at a convenience store | ¥25–40 / ¥5–10 |
| 5 km taxi ride3.1 mi taxi ride | ¥15–25 |
| City bus ride | ¥2 |
| Water bus in the centre | ¥3 (2022; check) |
| Wuzhen or Xitang entry | check |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- HGH · Hangzhou Xiaoshan
- High-speed rail to Jiaxing South, then tram or taxi; check connections
- SHA · Shanghai Hongqiao / Pudong
- High-speed rail from Shanghai Hongqiao, about 30–45 min to Jiaxing South
- check · Jiaxing Airport
- Military base being converted to civil use; opening date and IATA code unconfirmed — check before planning around it
Typical fares
- Shanghai Hongqiao → Jiaxing South, high-speed rail
- about ¥40–70, 30–45 min (check)
- Jiaxing South → old city, taxi
- ¥30–50 (check)
- Jiashan → Xitang, local bus
- about ¥5
Get around
The old city is walkable. Buses cover the ring road and main avenues; taxis are cheap by Shanghai or Hangzhou standards. Tram Line 1 links Jiaxing South station with the centre and the riverfront. Water buses run in the centre by reservation, about ¥3 a ride (2022; check). Public bike share needs a local card, so it is not practical for visitors.
See and do
Known for
- South Lake (Nanhu) and the Pavilion of Mist and Rain
- Grand Canal history
- Wuzhen and Xitang canal towns
- Zongzi (leaf-wrapped rice)
- Yuehe Street and Meiwan Street
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Wuzhen | Train to Tongxiang, then bus (every 15 min, 07:00–17:00); or direct coach from Jiaxing Coach StationTrain to Tongxiang, then bus (every 15 min, 7:00 AM–5:00 PM); or direct coach from Jiaxing Coach Station | 1.5–2 h |
| Xitang | Train to Jiashan or Jiashan South, then local bus (about ¥5) | 1.5–2 h |
| Shanghai | High-speed rail from Jiaxing South to Shanghai Hongqiao | 1.5–2 h |
| Hangzhou | High-speed rail from Jiaxing South | 1.5–2 h |
| Suzhou | High-speed rail from Jiaxing South; check 12306 for direct vs. transfer | 2–3 h |
Sleep
- Old city / Jiaxing Railway Station area
- Walk to the citadel, St Mary's Church and South Lake; best for one night without a car.
- Yuehe Street (Moon River Street)
- Restored canal-side lanes with tea rooms and traditional-style hotels; quiet at night.
- Meiwan Street
- Southwest old city on the western South Lake; museums, bars and lakeside walks.
- Wuzhen or Xitang
- Sleep inside the preserved canal town if that is the point of your trip; book ahead for weekends.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | 你好nǐ hǎo |
| Thank you | 谢谢xiè xiè |
| How much is it? | 多少钱？duō shǎo qián |
| Can I pay by card? | 可以刷卡吗？kě yǐ shuā kǎ ma |
| Where is the toilet? | 洗手间在哪里？xǐ shǒu jiān zài nǎ lǐ |
| I don't want it | 我不要wǒ bú yào |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and a nod; use surnames with a title; avoid: Hugs and cheek kisses
- Face: Disagree privately and indirectly; avoid: Correcting or embarrassing someone in front of others
- Gifts: Give with two hands; expect the gift to be refused once or twice and opened later; avoid: Clocks, umbrellas, white flowers, sets of four
- Business cards: Present and receive with both hands, read it, keep it on the table; avoid: Writing on it or pocketing it at once
- Queues and crowds: Hold your ground politely in scrums at buses and lifts; avoid: Taking pushing personally
- Temples: Walk clockwise around Tibetan stupas and prayer wheels; remove hats; avoid: Touching statues or photographing where signs forbid
- Politics: Listen; follow your host's lead; avoid: Raising Tibet, Taiwan, Xinjiang, 1989 or the party leadership
- Numbers and colour: Red and 8 are lucky; red envelopes carry money gifts; avoid: Writing names in red; the number 4
Scams and watch-outs
- Jiaxing Railway Station is on the older Hangzhou–Shanghai line; high-speed trains use Jiaxing South, which is further out — allow 30–40 min to the centre.
- St Mary's Church and Vincent Abbey are largely closed inside; you see them from outside.
- The South Lake boat is sometimes closed to boarding for security reasons; no refunds for a changed itinerary.
- Wuzhen and Xitang charge separate entry and are busiest at weekends and holidays.
- Alipay or WeChat Pay linked to a foreign card solves most payments; small stalls may still want cash.
Low street crime; the real risks are summer heat and humidity, traffic when crossing roads, and unlicensed taxis at stations — use the queue or a ride-hailing app.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Jiaxing yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- South Lake (Nanhu) and the Pavilion of Mist and Rain
- Grand Canal history
- Wuzhen and Xitang canal towns
- Zongzi (leaf-wrapped rice)
- Yuehe Street and Meiwan Street
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- China Railway 12306 (timetables and tickets): www.12306.cn/en/index.html
- Wikivoyage: Jiaxing, revision 5203860 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5203860
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Jiaxing嘉兴
请到这个地址
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Jiaxing; most countries keep embassies in Beijing and consulates-general in Shanghai. US citizens: US Consulate General Shanghai.
Screenshot this card before you leave Wi-Fi.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/jiaxing). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.