Jiaxing South Lake

I often visit Jiaxing but had never taken a stroll around South Lake. This time, with a free afternoon, I finally made the trip.

South Lake is located in the city center of Jiaxing. It is relatively small, with a water area of just over 800 mu (about 53 hectares), so one can easily see across it. However, it shares its fame with Hangzhou’s West Lake and Nanjing’s Xuanwu Lake as one of the three most renowned lakes in Jiangnan. During late spring, the trees surrounding the lake were lush and verdant. Starting from Nanhu Tiandi, I headed towards Zuixian Tower, walking clockwise around the lake. The path took me past Shaoyuan, Wuxiang Temple, Xiaoyingzhou Island, and back to my starting point—a leisurely loop that didn’t take much time.

South Lake is mentioned in historical records as early as the Three Kingdoms period. Over the centuries, people have continuously built pavilions and waterside structures around the lake and on its islands. Nowadays, these features make the lake feel somewhat cramped, lacking the expansive view of large rivers or lakes.

Two landmarks at South Lake stand out. One is the Yanyu Tower, made famous by Jin Yong’s The Legend of the Condor Heroes, where Yang Kang and Guo Jing held their coming-of-age duel. Originally located on the shore of South Lake, Yanyu Tower was destroyed and rebuilt several times. The current version, located on the lake’s central island, dates back to the Republican era. The other landmark is Wuxiang Temple, a small temple dedicated to Wu Zixu, a chancellor of the state of Wu. Inside the temple stands a seven-story pagoda called Haogu Tower. However, this tower is not an ancient relic but a modern steel-and-concrete structure. Visitors can climb to the top for a panoramic view of South Lake.

Beyond these historical landmarks, South Lake is also significant as the site where the later sessions of the first National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) were held aboard a boat. Today, the South Lake Revolutionary Memorial Hall has been built here, turning the lake into a revolutionary landmark celebrated for the “Red Boat Spirit.” During my visit to the Revolutionary History Museum, I learned several interesting facts:

1. The CPC’s first congress was initially held in Shanghai, but when discovered by authorities, the participants had to relocate.
2. Jiaxing and Hangzhou were chosen because the Shanghai-Hangzhou Railway had already been established, making travel convenient.
3. What seemed like a minor event in 1921 became historically significant after 1949. Personal accounts from those involved, displayed in the museum, show conflicting memories. Some recall that the decision to move the meeting to South Lake was made after boarding the train in Hangzhou. Others believe a contingency plan was in place before the meeting began. Another account suggests the idea came spontaneously after being discovered by Shanghai authorities.
4. The original boat used for the meeting no longer exists. The boat now moored in front of Yanyu Tower is a replica built for commemoration.

No matter the details, one unexpected event dramatically altered the destiny of this small city.