Jiaxing Local Specialties & Handicrafts

Jiaxing boasts a wealth of local specialties: hornless water caltrops from South Lake, South Lake crabs, Wufangzhai Zongzi, Wenhu Braised Duck, Tongxiang Hangbai Chrysanthemums, Pinghu Preserved Eggs, Haining watermelons, Xitang Eight-Treasure Cakes and more. Its fine handicrafts include Jiaxing black pottery, Jiaxing silk garments, Pinghu woven silk blankets, Xiashi Festival Lanterns, kitchen cleavers, Haining leather goods and Tongxiang blue calico prints. It is your ideal destination for tourist shopping.

Known as the "King of Zongzi South of the Yangtze River", Wufangzhai Zongzi wins renown for glutinous rice that is tender yet intact, meat rich yet non-greasy, succulent fillings and a perfectly balanced blend of salty and sweet flavours. Crafted following age-old recipes and rigorous ingredient standards, savoury meat zongzi uses premium white glutinous rice, lean pork hindquarters and Huizhou sun-dried bamboo leaves; sweet zongzi features top-grade "Big Red Robe" red beans. Each batch undergoes multiple elaborate procedures: ingredient preparation, seasoning, wrapping and steaming. Wufangzhai offers dozens of varieties including pork, red bean paste and salted egg yolk fillings. They are said to nourish the stomach, replenish blood, promote fluid production, beautify skin and prolong life.

A time-honoured classic specialty of the ancient water town Xitang, this dish delivers a distinctive unique flavour worthy of its reputation as a five-spice delicacy with three standout merits: pure, alluring aroma; tender melt-in-mouth texture without disintegrating; and rich meatiness that never feels greasy. Famous across Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, it has won unanimous praise from domestic and overseas tourists. A signature delicacy of Jiashan, the pork is wrapped in lotus leaves shaped like Jiaxing zongzi. It releases a fresh herbal fragrance with every bite, savoury and oily yet refreshing.

Tongxiang is hailed as the Hometown of Hangbai Chrysanthemums, producing nine-tenths of China’s edible chrysanthemums and serving as a renowned traditional export specialty. Admired for its four peerless qualities — colour, aroma, taste and shape — Hangbai Chrysanthemum stands out among all tea chrysanthemums. When brewed, the blooms remain intact without shedding petals, exuding a mild, pure fragrance. Drinking its infusion clears internal heat, quenches thirst, soothes the throat, generates body fluid, calms the liver and improves eyesight, while the intact blossoms offer visual delight comparable to West Lake Longjing tea in sensory appeal.

Rice wine is a fermented alcoholic beverage brewed meticulously from rice, broomcorn millet and corn. Special yeast and koji act as saccharification and fermentation starters, followed by fermentation, pressing, ageing, blending and quality inspection. It boasts a clear amber hue, distinct rich bouquet, mellow sweet taste and abundant nutrients. Historical Background: Jiashan rice wine represents one of China’s oldest and most distinctive traditional alcoholic beverages unique to Chinese culture.

In autumn, this seasonal fruit fills streets across Jiaxing. Round and hornless with tender crisp flesh, it is the iconic South Lake hornless water caltrop, shorted to South Lake Caltrop, named after its habitat on South Lake. Locals also nickname it ingot caltrop, wonton caltrop or monk caltrop for its rounded shape. Ordinary water caltrops grow pointed horns, yet South Lake’s variety bears none. With vivid emerald-green smooth skin, thin peel, juicy sweet crisp flesh and delicate fragrance, it surpasses all other caltrop strains. Versatile in culinary use, it can be eaten raw or cooked, and processed into pastries, savoury dishes, wine or sugar.

A rare premium fruit celebrated through the ages, Tongxiang plums enjoy nationwide fame and high market value. Each fruit is large, brightly coloured, with a tiny stone wrapped in thick juicy sweet flesh, exceptional unique flavour and rich nutrition, ranking as the finest plum variety. In ancient times, they were imperial tributes for emperors, captivating literati and scholars who composed countless legends and poems in their praise. Du Yu’s annotation on The Spring and Autumn Annals records: “A city southwest of Jiaxing County, capital of Wu, yields fine plums and thus bears the name Plum City.” The original planting site, Plum City, corresponds to Taoyuan Village in Baitao Township, Tongxiang City today. The plums ripen in early July. Firm ripe fruit is crisp, sweet and fragrant; fully soft ripe plums burst with honeyed juice carrying a subtle wine aroma.

This cake is refined from eight medicinal ingredients — Chinese yam, poria cocos, Euryale ferox, coix seed, malt, hyacinth bean, lotus seed and hawthorn berry — blended with premium glutinous rice flour and white sugar. Dark green and crisp, it first gained popularity as a remedy for infantile indigestion. Thanks to premium raw materials, exquisite craftsmanship, sweet flavour and stomach-soothing benefits, it has evolved into a famous Jiangnan pastry with over a century of enduring popularity. As Xitang thrives as a top tourist destination, local artisans retain the ancient formula and have developed nearly ten new variations including mung bean crisp chips and fruit crumble pastries tailored to diverse tastes.