Yuehe Historic Block

Background

Yuehe Historic Block in the northern part of Jiaxing's old town takes its name from the winding river that "embraces the city like a moon"; covering about 90,000 square meters, it is one of the largest and most intact historic blocks surviving in Jiaxing. Its basic layout is "three rivers, three streets" running in parallel: the three rivers are the Beijing–Hangzhou Grand Canal, the Outer Yue River and the Inner Yue River, and the three streets are Zhongji Road, Tannong and Xiushuidou Street. Rivers and streets run side by side and intersect, preserving the residential character of a Jiangnan water town of the late Qing and early Republican era and the features of a canal settlement, and the block is regarded as one of the historical witnesses of the Jiaxing section of the Grand Canal. The block has white-walled, dark-tiled homes, flagstone lanes and waterside covered walkways; the Zhongji Road area concentrates time-honored shops, antique dealers and a flower and bird market, and there are small museums such as the Zongzi Culture Museum. Yuehe Historic Block is part of the South Lake Tourist Area, a national 5A scenic area, and together with South Lake, one to the north and one to the south, it forms the most popular sightseeing route in Jiaxing's old town.

Local customs

• Jiaxing is famous for zongzi, and the streets are full of freshly wrapped and boiled pork and red bean paste zongzi, busiest around the Dragon Boat Festival. After dark, lanterns light up the covered walkways and riverbanks, and many people take a sculling boat for a night cruise along the Yuehe River
• older locals like to drink tea, walk their birds and browse the flower-and-bird market around Xiushuidou Street early in the morning.

Religion & beliefs

• The district is mainly homes, shops and exhibition halls, with no major religious sites. The lanes have a few old ancestral halls and old houses turned into exhibition spaces
• please read the notice at the door before entering. Do not enter courtyards where residents still live without permission, and do not photograph at length in front of their doors.

Rules that apply here

Travel tips

• Allow 2–3 hours
• it is most atmospheric from dusk into the night. The district is in the northern part of Jiaxing's old city, about 2 km from South Lake
• you can walk, cycle or take a taxi from South Lake
• Jiaxing Station (the old railway station) is fairly close to the district, and from Jiaxing South high-speed rail station you can take a bus or taxi. The district is open all day and free
• opening hours and ticketing for boat rides and exhibition halls are as announced by the site. Combine with: South Lake and the South Lake Revolutionary Memorial Hall and the Zicheng Site Park to the south, and the Jiaxing Museum in the city
• if you have time, spend another day at Wuzhen or Xitang water town. It is crowded around the Dragon Boat Festival and on holiday evenings, and scull boats require queuing
• the stone slabs are slippery in the rain, so watch your step.