With its source at Shuaishan in Anhui Province and running through the northwest part of Zhejiang Province, the river is a tributary of the Qiantang River. Many scenic spots scatter along the beautiful river, such as White Sand Bridge (Baishaqiao), Red Pond (Zhuchi), Phoenix Alighting Hill (Luofengshan), Plum City (Meicheng) and Double Pagodas Piercing Clouds (Shuangtalingyun). The stone White Sand Bridge is 362 meters long, 11 meters wide and 24 meters high. Its major section is erected on six arches, each spanning 50 meters. There hundred and forty stone lions of different sizes and postures are carved along the two balustrades. The bridge's architectural style combines those of the Zhaozhou Bridge in Hebei Province and the Marco Polo Bridge in Beijing. At the Calabash Waterfall, though only 1.5 meters wide, visitors are rewarded with a spectacular scene. Water pours down a hundred-meter-high cliff into a calabash-shaped rock cave half way down the cliff and then flushes out from the bottom of the cave down to a deep pond. Below the pond, over twenty smaller falls at different heights link up to form a spectacular sight above the gully. The adjacent area is embellished with pavilions and bridges. The Xin’an River Reservoir, a huge manmade lake for the Xin’an River hydropower station with a generating capacity of 650,000 kw, can equal Taihu Lake in vastness and the West Lake in scenery. It is intoxicating to row on the reservoir.

Tourist wishing to see the rivers can either go by bus or boat from Hangzhou whose hotels house offices organizing such trips.