Jiaxing City is located in the northeastern part of Zhejiang Province and because it is in the center of the Hangzhou-Jiaxing-Huzhou Plain, it is one of the important cities in the Yangtze River Delta. It geographically lies between 30°21£§and 31°2£§north latitude and 120°18£§and 121°16£§east longitude. It faces the sea to the east, leans against the Qiantang River on the south, leans close to the Lake Taihu on the north, and meets Tianmu River on the west with the Grand Canal running through it from north to south. It is situated at the intersection of rivers, sea and lakes, clutching the pharynx and larynx of the southern corridor of Lake Taihu. Jiaxing is not very far from Shanghai, Hangzhou, Suzhou, and Huzhou (less than one hundred km.), therefore, its geographical superiority is so obvious that it is especially famous for its position between Suzhou and Hangzhou which are called paradise on earth.

Located in the Taihu Lake watershed, Jiaxing is a region of rivers and lakes. It was first inhabited by the people of ancient Yue. During the Spring and Autumn Period, it spanned the boundaries of Wu State and Yue State, historically described as “the head of Wu and the tail of Yue”, thus it implied a combination of two cultures featuring Wu’s modesty and Yue’s diligence. After Yue State was merged by Chu State, it again accepted the influence of Chu culture of more than a century’s history. Before the period from the implementation of countyship by the Qin Dynasty (222 BC) to the Five Dynasties (907-960), Jiaxing had always been subordinate to Kuaiji County of Wu and its language also belonged to the local dialect of Wu, hence the folk habits and customs had been mainly characterized by those of Wu State, with a striking feature of watery region of Southern Yangtze River area, different from those of the hilly areas and semi-hilly areas within Zhejiang Province. The place experienced two times of turmoil at the end of the Western Jin Dynasty and the end of Northern Song Dynasty. Many scholars in the north tided over the river to the south, bringing along the culture of Central Plains. The local customs of Jiaxing interfused with those of Central Plains, so Jiaxing became a place with unique and multi cultures. )