Jinxi Ancient Water Town

Located in Jiangsu Province, China, Jinxi town is a well-known historical town, and a picturesque holiday resort. It is a typical ancient water town with a history of more than 2,000 years. It is widely known as “The Hometown of Folk Museums in China”.

• Transport: Jinxi enjoys a prime location adjacent to many famous holiday resorts. It takes about 40 minutes to get there from Shanghai City by bus. It lies only 8 km to another water town, Zhouzhuang. And with convenient transportation, Jinxi can be easily accessed by taxi and bus, which only takes 10 minutes.
• History: more than 2,000 years
• Visiting time: 1 day
• Suitable for: all people
• English signs: not many
• Features: “The Hometown of Folk Museums in China”

Why We Recommend Jinxi

Jinxi is also known as Chenmu, which means the tomb of Chen.-a beautiful royal concubine of Emperor Xiaozong(1127-1194)of the Song Dynasty. It was said that during their stay in Jinxi town, the concubine Chen was so devoted to the beauty of the town she decided to stay a little longer. Tragically, Chen died in Jinxi because of illness.

The Emperor Xiaozong buried her in Wubao Lake, and renamed this town Chenmu in memory of his beloved, Chen. It was not until 1993 that the town was once again called Jinxi.

Jinxi is a wonderfully delicate watery town. It is surrounded by clear water and many waterways snaking through the town. Sometimes people even have to take a boat in order to visit their neighbors, which reflecting locals' life perfectly.

Explore the Highlights

The following three parts of highlights in Jinxi are highly recommended by China Travel.

1. The Natural Wonderlands in Jinxi

As an ancient town locates southeast Yangtze River, Jinxi is a typical water town. It is not only enjoys clear waterways, but also enjoys numerous ancient green trees. What’s more, the old buildings lying on the riverbanks are clearly reflected in the clear waterways. Fishes and stones lying on the river bed can be seen clearly. Visitors can see clearly their reflections in the waterways, as if they are walking under the water.

Travelers walking on the riverbank will become addicted to the natural environment. They can also enjoy the unique local song and dance performances.

2. Historic Figures and Cultural Heritages

• The Town of Bridges

Bridges are the essence of Jinxi’s landscape. It is widely known that Jinxi has 36 bridges and 72 brick kilns.Bridges play a significant role in locals’ daily life. There are eight famous bridges in this ancient town. They are Shiyan bridge, Tianshui bridge, Taiping bridge, Shuanghe bridge, Zhongan bridge, Boji bridge,Lihe bridge and Puqing bridge.

• Shiyan Bridge

Built in 1163 during the Song Dynasty (960-1279) Shiyan bridge still stands well-preserved, though it was rebuilt in 1773. It is a stone bridge 52 long and 3.1 tall. With nine poles and ten holes, it is simple but exquisite.

• The Hometown of Folk Museums in China

With a history of over 2,000 years, Jinxi has abundant tourist destinations and historical sites. There are a lot of museums in Jinxi, such as, Zhangshen Art Gallery, Red Porcelain Museum, Chinese Fantastic Museums and so on. They are famous and unique. It enjoys a high reputation due to its great number of collections. Most of the collections are handicrafts, ancient coins, pottery and ancient bricks etc.

3. The Local Specialties

Of course, the local cuisine is also an important part of the cultural attractions in Jinxi.

Chonglong Moon Cake, it made of top-grade glutinous rice, ground into paste, pressed, and dried into flour. The flour is used as the outer shell that is later filled with roses, green bean paste, peppers, or vegetables. The moon cake is then steamed over a hot fire and is ready to eat when taken out.

There are other delicious local foods like little red shrimp, cloudy cake, etc. They are both traditional and delicious.

Nearby Attractions

Some picturesque ancient towns like Zhouzhuang Water Town and Tongli Water Town around Jinxi are worth visiting. Zhouzhuang is China’s No.1 water town and Tonlig is a small quiet town that you can still enjoy real tranquility.