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A peeled Jiaxing-style soy-sauce pork zongzi showing the soy-darkened glutinous rice and pork; made by a Hong Kong food company and photographed in Hong Kong, not in Jiaxing

Home / China / Zhejiang / Jiaxing / Food

Jiaxing Zongzi

嘉兴粽子 · Jiaxing, Zhejiang, China

Photo: Hgoyhfct Ghsh · CC BY-SA 4.0

Sticky rice soaked in soy sauce wrapped around pork hind leg in a pyramid shape: glutinous but not mushy, rich but not greasy.

Know before you go

  • Glutinous rice is hard to digest, so do not eat too much at once
  • those with digestive problems, the elderly and children should eat in moderation
  • those allergic to soy should note rice seasoned with soy sauce, and egg-yolk zongzi contain egg

This article is Not yet verified. Please check official announcements for prices, opening hours and dates.

Culture

Culture & customs

Background

Jiaxing zongzi are the classic salted-pork zongzi of the Jiangnan region. Most are pyramid-shaped and made mainly with white glutinous rice and pork hind leg; the rice is seasoned with soy sauce, and as they cook the fat seeps into the rice, making them savory and fragrant without being greasy. Besides the large pork zongzi, there are egg yolk, red bean paste, chestnut and other varieties. According to the China Intangible Cultural Heritage website, in the early Republican years Zhang Jinquan set up a stall selling zongzi at the foot of Hai'er Bridge on North Street in central Jiaxing, and in 1921 opened the first Wufangzhai zongzi shop; Wufangzhai's traditional method involves 36 steps, including selecting ingredients, soaking the rice, boiling the leaves, preparing the filling, shaping, wrapping, tying and boiling, and "Wufangzhai zongzi-making techniques" were added to the third list of National Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2011. Influenced by Jiaxing zongzi, Jiaxing-style salted-pork zongzi also became popular in Suzhou, Shanghai and elsewhere. Jiaxing also has a Zongzi Culture Museum.

Local customs

  • Zongzi are a seasonal food of the Dragon Boat Festival, but in Jiaxing they can be bought all year round and are often eaten for breakfast, as a snack or as travel food
  • unwrap the leaves and eat them hot, perhaps with a cup of tea to cut the richness. Jiaxing people also like to slice and pan-fry zongzi. Jiaxing people also wrap their own zongzi at the Dragon Boat Festival.

Religion & beliefs

  • Traditional Jiaxing pork zongzi and egg-yolk pork zongzi use pork and are not halal
  • vegetarians can choose red bean paste or plain rice zongzi, but please check that no lard is used. If you need halal food, ask whether halal products such as beef zongzi are available, but check the shop's certification.

Etiquette & taboos

Etiquette & taboos

Rules that apply here

Essential restrictionsSafetyCountry-wide guidance · China

China: At Qingming tomb-sweeping, no burning paper or open flames in wooded areas

Do

  • Check whether the cemetery requires a reservation before you go
  • Stay quiet while laying flowers, bowing and observing silence
  • Consider flowers, tree planting or online memorials instead of burning paper
  • Dress soberly for tomb-sweeping
  • Take offering wrappers and rubbish with you when you leave

Don’t

  • Don't burn paper, incense or candles, or set off firecrackers, in woods or grassland
  • Don't talk loudly or joke around in the cemetery
  • Don't block cemetery paths for long to take photos

During fire-prevention periods, burning paper, incense and candles is strictly banned in forest and grassland fire zones, and anyone who starts a wildfire may be held legally liable. Whether and where a cemetery allows burning is set by its own rules on site.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Xinhua: Two departments deploy safety measures for the Qingming holiday

Essential restrictionsPublic transportCountry-wide guidance · China

China: Go through security before the metro, and park shared bikes in marked zones

Do

  • Cooperate with the security check at the entrance and put bags through the scanner
  • On the platform, wait beside the doors and let passengers off first
  • Register with your real name in the app before riding a shared bike
  • Park in a marked bay or an app-designated spot, and make sure the lock clicks shut
  • If the brakes or lock don't work, switch bikes and report it in the app

Don’t

  • Don't linger in the doorway or force your way through closing doors
  • Don't leave bikes in traffic lanes, fire lanes or on tactile paving
  • Don't let children under 12 ride shared bikes

If you refuse the security check you will not be let into the station. Badly parked bikes are removed, and riders may face action under local rules and the operator's terms.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: People's Daily Online: Beijing issues standards for shared bike technology, services, parking

Essential restrictionsPublic transportCountry-wide guidance · China

China: No smoking anywhere on high-speed trains, and no phone calls in quiet carriages

Do

  • Sit in the carriage and seat shown on your ticket
  • Put large luggage in the racks at the carriage ends or overhead
  • Use headphones for videos and music
  • In a quiet carriage, step outside to make or take calls
  • Before getting off, check around your seat and take your rubbish and belongings

Don’t

  • Don't smoke anywhere on the train, including toilets and vestibules
  • Don't take someone else's seat
  • Don't choose a quiet carriage when travelling with babies or toddlers (12306 advises against it)

Smoking on a bullet train can set off smoke alarms and slow or even stop the train. Smokers are fined by the police and, according to reports, may also be barred from buying bullet-train tickets; official rules prevail. If someone breaks the quiet-carriage rules, tell the train staff.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Travel China Guide: Smoking on Chinese trains

Essential restrictionsSafetyCountry-wide guidance · China

China: Stay on open sections of the Great Wall and never carve the bricks

Do

  • Walk only on open sections and marked routes
  • On steep stretches, stop and steady yourself before taking photos, and watch your step
  • Wear non-slip shoes, carry enough water, and turn back if you are tired
  • Carry your rubbish down or put it in a bin
  • Check opening arrangements before you go; official announcements prevail

Don’t

  • Don't carve, write on or prise loose the bricks
  • Don't climb over fences or onto closed, crumbling walls and watchtowers
  • Don't run or push on steep sections

Carving the Great Wall counts as damaging a cultural relic: one visitor who carved his name at Badaling was given administrative detention and a fine by the police and was blacklisted by the scenic area. Closed sections are not maintained and can be dangerous.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: China News Service: Man detained for five days and fined 200 yuan for carving on the Badaling Great Wall

Essential restrictionsEveryday mannersCountry-wide guidance · China

China: book popular sights in advance, under your real name, through official channels

Do

  • Check the booking rules on the site's official website, mini program or account before you go
  • Enter every companion's ID details in advance and pick an entry time slot
  • Children, seniors and others with free or reduced tickets also book as required and show ID
  • Book early for holidays and summer; popular dates often fill quickly

Don’t

  • Don't trust third parties offering to grab tickets or sell 'insider' tickets
  • Don't assume a free ticket means no booking is needed
  • Don't count on buying tickets at the gate on peak days

Once a popular date is fully booked, you may be turned away. China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism requires sites to keep in-person ticket windows and to accommodate seniors and others, but on-site quotas are limited; booking windows, release times and visitor caps are subject to official announcements.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: China Daily: Ministry of Culture and Tourism requires all scenic areas to keep ticket windows

Essential restrictionsEntryCountry-wide guidance · China

China: set up mobile payment before you go; hotels and tickets are booked under your passport

Do

  • Link a foreign bank card to Alipay or WeChat Pay before departure
  • Carry some cash in yuan for small stalls, remote areas or payment glitches
  • Expect real-name checks at hotels, for train tickets and popular sights; use your passport
  • Make sure the name and number on bookings match your passport exactly
  • If a station gate cannot read your passport, use the staffed lane

Don’t

  • Don't wait until you arrive to set up payment; verification can take time
  • Don't assume cash alone or a bank card alone will work everywhere
  • Don't book with details that differ from your passport

Without a working payment method, or with mismatched ID details, you may be unable to check in, buy tickets or enter sights. Payment limits, fees and platform rules are subject to official announcements.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Gov.cn: Payment services for foreign visitors to China

Essential restrictionsEveryday mannersCountry-wide guidance · China

China: Queue, don't smoke where banned, and never carve on heritage sites

Do

  • Wait your turn in line, and follow staff directions when it's crowded
  • On buses and the metro, let passengers off first and offer seats to those in need
  • Book popular sights and museums in advance, under your real name, through official channels
  • Sort your rubbish into the right bins
  • Use serving chopsticks and spoons, and order only what you can eat

Don’t

  • Don't cut in line or walk side by side blocking the way
  • Don't smoke where it is banned; many cities ban smoking in indoor public places and on public transport
  • Don't carve or write on historic buildings or ancient trees, or climb on or touch relics
  • Don't use flash or tripods in exhibition halls
  • Don't talk loudly or play music out loud in public places

Staff will stop you from queue-jumping, smoking where banned or marking relics, and smoking in no-smoking areas or damaging relics can also lead to fines under the law. Fine amounts, booking methods and opening hours are as officially announced.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Palace Museum official site: Visit

Don’t DON'T

  • Glutinous rice is hard to digest, so do not eat too much at once
  • those with digestive problems, the elderly and children should eat in moderation
  • those allergic to soy should note rice seasoned with soy sauce, and egg-yolk zongzi contain egg
  • do not discard the leaves and string carelessly
  • heat cold zongzi before eating.

Locals appreciate DO

  • People in Jiaxing appreciate guests who eat zongzi while they are hot and praise the sticky rice and fragrant pork
  • giving zongzi to family and friends around the Dragon Boat Festival is an important social gesture
  • locals are also happy to see you try different fillings and compare flavors. Tell the shop the zongzi are fragrant and sticky, and they will be delighted. Wrapping zongzi together around the Dragon Boat Festival is fun too.

Plan your visit

Practical info

Travel tips

  • Zongzi shops can be found in Jiaxing's old town, the Yuehe Historic District and near the railway and high-speed rail stations, open year-round and busiest around the Dragon Boat Festival
  • you can also buy vacuum-packed zongzi as gifts. One large pork zongzi is filling enough for breakfast. Dietary notes: glutinous rice, pork, soy sauce (soy, wheat)
  • egg yolk zongzi contain salted egg yolk
  • fairly high in calories and fat. Can be combined with South Lake, the Yuehe Historic District and the Jiaxing Zongzi Culture Museum
  • check official announcements for opening arrangements. Goes well with tea. Zongzi gift boxes sell fast before the festival, so buy early. Prices, opening hours and daily availability are as announced by each shop
  • popular shops often have queues at peak mealtimes, so going off-peak is more relaxed.
Sources & verification notes

China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network: Wufangzhai zongzi-making technique

Chinese Wikipedia: Zongzi (section on Jiaxing, Jiangsu–Zhejiang)

Wikipedia (English): Zongzi (Jiaxing zongzi)

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