Many foreigners believe Jinxi is the paragon of Yangtze River watertowns. The late well-known writer Shen Congwen described it as "a dreaming damsel" while Feng Yingzi, quoting an ancient Chinese line, said it "looks as becoming as ever, whether in light or heavy makeup."

The town is named after the Jinxi River which zigzags through it from north to south. Jinxi is called the hometown of Chinese folk museums because it initiated the Chinese Ancient Bricks and Tiles Museum and the Antiques Museum of East China, as well as others. The residents live a quiet life and the towm seems to be isolated from the stream of time.