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South Lake in Jiaxing in October 2021

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South Lake and the Red Boat, Jiaxing

南湖 South Lake · Nanhu District, Jiaxing, Zhejiang, China

Photo: Siyuwj · CC BY-SA 4.0

Take a boat to the lake island to see the Misty Rain Pavilion; moored by the shore is the Red Boat, a 1959 replica of the original: the 1st National Congress of the Communist Party of China concluded on this lake.

Know before you go

  • Do not try to board or touch the Red Boat
  • do not make noise, horse around or strike frivolous poses at the memorial hall or during oath-taking events
  • do not climb over the lakeside railings to play in the water

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

Culture

Culture & customs

Background

South Lake, formerly called Mandarin Duck Lake, lies south of the city of Jiaxing and, together with Xuanwu Lake in Nanjing and West Lake in Hangzhou, is known as one of the three great lakes of Jiangnan. The Misty Rain Tower on the lake's island was first built in the 10th century; in the 27th year of the Jiajing reign (1548), silt from dredging the waterways was piled up to form the island, and the following year the tower was rebuilt on it. A complex of garden buildings gradually grew up around it, and the Qianlong Emperor climbed the tower several times on his southern tours. In July 1921 the First National Congress of the Communist Party of China opened in Shanghai; after a search by French Concession police forced the meeting to break off, the delegates moved to Jiaxing and completed the final agenda on a silk-net boat on South Lake, proclaiming the founding of the Communist Party of China. Accounts of the closing date differ, including 2 August and 3 August. The original boat could no longer be traced; in 1959 a memorial boat about 16 meters long and 3 meters wide was copied from a model and moored beside the island—the “South Lake Red Boat” of today. The South Lake Revolutionary Memorial Hall was founded the same year, and a new hall opened on the south shore of the lake in 2011.

Local customs

  • Many workplaces and schools bring Party members and students to South Lake to see the Red Boat and renew the Party admission oath at the memorial hall
  • ordinary visitors mostly take a painted pleasure boat to the island in the lake to see the Yanyu Tower (Tower of Mist and Rain), Qinghui Hall and the stele of the Qianlong Emperor. On spring and rainy days South Lake is veiled in misty rain, the best way to appreciate how the Yanyu Tower got its name
  • around the Dragon Boat Festival, Jiaxing has customs of eating zongzi and racing dragon boats.

Religion & beliefs

  • There are no major religious sites in the South Lake scenic area. The Red Boat and the South Lake Revolutionary Memorial Hall are commemorative sites, so please be respectful when visiting
  • you cannot board the memorial boat—view it from the shore or a designated spot, don't lean on the railings to take playful photos, and if a group oath ceremony is under way, wait quietly.

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

  • Do not try to board or touch the Red Boat
  • do not make noise, horse around or strike frivolous poses at the memorial hall or during oath-taking events
  • do not climb over the lakeside railings to play in the water
  • do not take unlicensed boats
  • do not carve on the historic buildings on the lake island

Locals appreciate DO

  • Take a painted boat to the lake island to see the Misty Rain Pavilion
  • on rainy days watch the misty rain over the lake from the shore
  • see the Red Boat from the shore of the lake island
  • visit the exhibits of the South Lake Revolutionary Memorial Hall
  • stroll the lakeside path in the evening and head to the Yuehe Historic District for dinner
  • see the Qianlong imperial stele and the Qinghui Hall

Plan your visit

Practical info

Travel tips

  • Allow half a day for the South Lake scenic area: about 1.5 hours for the boat trip to the island and about 1.5–2 hours for the South Lake Revolutionary Memorial Hall. Jiaxing South Station has high-speed trains, so it is easy to come from Shanghai or Hangzhou
  • from the station take a bus or taxi to South Lake, and from the city center you can also walk or cycle. The memorial hall is free but usually requires a reservation
  • the island can only be reached by boat
  • the scenic area has summer and winter opening hours. Reservations, boat tickets and opening rules are as announced by the scenic area and the memorial hall
  • visitor numbers are very high around 1 July. Nearby: the Yuehe Historic Block and Zicheng Site Park to the north and the Jiaxing Museum in the city
  • in one day you can link it with the Yuehe Block as a “South Lake–Yuehe” route, while water towns such as Wuzhen and Xitang need a separate trip.

Photos

Photos

South Lake in Jiaxing in October 2021
South Lake in Jiaxing in October 2021
Siyuwj · CC BY-SA 4.0
The South Lake Red Boat (a commemorative replica built in 1959) moored beside the lake island in October 2021
The South Lake Red Boat (a commemorative replica built in 1959) moored beside the lake island in October 2021
Siyuwj · CC BY-SA 4.0
Sources & verification notes

Wikipedia: South Lake (Jiaxing)

Wikipedia: Red Boat of South Lake

Wikipedia: South Lake Revolutionary Memorial Hall

Wikipedia: South Lake (Jiaxing)

China News Service: The Past and Present of the "Red Boat" (2011)

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