South Lake (Jiaxing) Lake

Address: South Lake (Nanhu), Jiaxing, Zhejiang, China

South Lake (Nanhu) is an urban lake in Jiaxing, Zhejiang province, China, best known as the location where the Chinese Communist Party concluded its first national congress in 1921.

The lake area combines parkland, traditional-style garden pavilions and a museum complex. Visitors typically walk the lakeside promenades, cross small ornamental bridges to the central islets, and visit the Nanhu Revolutionary Memorial Hall and the Red Boat exhibit that interpret the site’s political history.

The site is preserved and interpreted as a national revolutionary memorial; the lake and its buildings have been landscaped and developed to accommodate museum displays and visitor circulation while retaining Jiangnan-style garden elements.

South Lake sits in the urban core of Jiaxing, in Nanhu District, adjacent to the city’s commercial and civic areas in Zhejiang province.

• Red Boat site: The site commemorates the conclusion of the Communist Party of Chinas First National Congress, which finished aboard a boat on the lake in 1921 and is marked by a ‘Red Boat’ exhibit.
• Best viewpoints: The lakeside promenade and garden pavilions provide the most accessible viewpoints for photography and for seeing the memorial complex from the water’s edge.

What to See#

• Nanhu Revolutionary Memorial Hall: A museum and memorial complex devoted to the 1921 meeting of the Chinese Communist Party; the site includes displays, artefacts and a lakeside exhibition area centred on a replica of the red boat.
• Lake island and pavilions: A small island and lakeside pavilions that contain walking paths, ornamental bridges and historic garden architecture typical of Jiangnan urban parks.

Nanhu (South Lake) is a short taxi or bus ride from Jiaxing Railway Station (about 10-20 minutes depending on traffic). Local buses and taxis serve the lake area; it’s walkable from the city center if one enjoys a 20-30 minute stroll.

• Visit early morning to watch local tai chi and fishermen set out - the park is a local rather than tourist space.
• Rent a paddleboat on the lake to see the classical gardens and pavilions from the water; the reflection of the bridge at dawn is particularly photogenic.
• If using the Jiaxing train station, take a short taxi or bus (Line 5 feeder/local buses) to the park rather than walking across busy roads.