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126-475: Hangzhou is the capital of Zhejiang, China . It is located in the northeastern part of the province, sitting at the head of Hangzhou Bay , which separates Shanghai and Ningbo . As of 2022, the Hangzhou metropolitan area was estimated to produce a gross metropolitan product ( nominal ) of 4 trillion yuan (US$ 590 billion), making it larger than the economy of Sweden. As of the 2020 Chinese census , it had

252-705: A UNESCO World Heritage Site west of the city, is among its best-known attractions. In 2023, it became the third Chinese city to host the Asian Games , after Beijing 1990 and Guangzhou 2010 . It was also the second Chinese city to host the Asian Para Games after the Guangzhou 2010 . Hangzhou also hosted the 11th G20 summit in 2016. The celebrated neolithic culture of Hemudu is known to have inhabited Yuyao , 100 km (62 mi) south-east of Hangzhou, as far back as seven thousand years ago. It

378-532: A proto-Wu name of the local Yue , similar to Yuhang , Kuaiji and Jiang . Kuahuqiao culture was an early Neolithic culture that flourished in the Hangzhou area in 6,000-5,000 BC. Zhejiang was the site of the Neolithic cultures of the Hemudu (starting in 5500 BC) and Liangzhu (starting in 3400 BC). The area of modern Zhejiang was outside the major sphere of influence of Shang civilization during

504-791: A 2.8 km (1.7 mi) long causeway across West Lake made of mud dredged from the lake bottom. The lake is surrounded by hills on the northern and western sides. The Baochu Pagoda sits on the Baoshi Hill to the north of the lake. Hangzhou was chosen as the new capital of the Southern Song dynasty in 1132, when most of northern China had been conquered by the Jurchens in the Jin–Song wars . The surviving imperial family had retreated south from its original capital in Kaifeng after it

630-607: A GDP of $ 452 billion (the 26th biggest in the World) and Nigeria with a GDP of $ 448 billion (the largest in Africa). A study conducted by PwC and China Development Research Foundation saw Hangzhou ranked first among "Chinese Cities of Opportunity". Hangzhou is also considered a World City with a "Beta+" classification according to GaWC . Hangzhou ranked 89 in the Global Financial Centres Index in 2018. It

756-506: A chancellor of the state of Shu Han from Central Plain in north China during the Three Kingdoms period, gathered together at the suburb of Hangzhou, forming an exclusive, closed village Zhuge Village (Zhege Cun), consisting of villagers all with family name "Zhuge." The village has intentionally isolated itself from the surrounding communities for centuries to this day and only recently came to be known in public. It suggests that

882-549: A corresponding population increase and the city developed well outside its 9th-century ramparts. According to the Encyclopædia Britannica , Hangzhou had a population of over 2 million at that time, while historian Jacques Gernet has estimated that the population of Hangzhou numbered well over one million by 1276. (Official Chinese census figures from the year 1270 listed some 186,330 families in residence and probably failed to count non-residents and soldiers.) It

1008-515: A legend within China. However, some economists now worry that this model is not sustainable, in that it is inefficient and places unreasonable demands on raw materials and public utilities, and also a dead end, in that the myriad small businesses in Zhejiang producing cheap goods in bulk are unable to move to more sophisticated or technologically more advanced industries. The economic heart of Zhejiang

1134-400: A nominal GDP of US$ 1.14 trillion as of 2022. Zhejiang consists mostly of hills, which account for about 70% of its total area, with higher altitudes towards the south and the west. Zhejiang also has a longer coastline than any other mainland province of China. The Qiantang River runs through the province, from which it derives its name. Included in the province are three thousand islands,

1260-404: A population of 3,780,000 and the suburban districts occupy 7,586.04 km (2,928.99 sq mi) and have a population of 4,461,000. The West Lake Scenic Area holds the country-level administrative power, though not formally a county or district. In the early 90s, the urban districts of Hangzhou only comprised Shangcheng, Xiacheng, Gongshu, Jianggan. On December 11, 1996, Binjiang District

1386-498: A rival Zhejiang provincial government there. During the Cultural Revolution (1966–76), Zhejiang was in chaos and disunity and its economy was stagnant, especially during the high tide (1966–69) of the revolution. The agricultural policy favoring grain production at the expense of industrial and cash crops intensified economic hardships in the province. Mao's self-reliance policy and the reduction in maritime trade cut off

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1512-758: A small number of powerful, elite Chinese refugees from the Central Plain might have taken refuge south of the Yangtze River. However, considering the mountainous geography and relative lack of agrarian lands in Zhejiang, most of these refugees might have resided in some areas in South China beyond Zhejiang, where fertile agrarian lands and metropolitan resources were available, mainly Southern Jiangsu , Eastern Fujian , Jiangxi , Hunan , Anhui and provinces where less cohesive, organized regional governments had been in place. Metropolitan areas of Sichuan

1638-508: A total population of 11,936,010 inhabitants. However, its metropolitan area, populated by 13.035 million people over an area of 8,107.9 km (3,130.5 sq mi), consists of all urban districts in Hangzhou and 3 urban districts of the city of Shaoxing . Hangzhou is the eighth largest GDP among cities in mainland China with a GDP of around 1.8 trillion RMB ($ 280 billion). Home to the headquarters of large global tech companies such as Alibaba Group , Ant Group , and NetEase , Hangzhou

1764-717: Is about 1,000 to 1,900 mm (39 to 75 in). There is plenty of rainfall in early summer and by late summer Zhejiang is directly threatened by typhoons forming in the Pacific. Zhejiang is divided into eleven prefecture-level divisions : all prefecture-level cities (including two sub-provincial cities ): The eleven prefecture-level divisions of Zhejiang are subdivided into 90 county-level divisions (37 districts , 20 county-level cities , 32 counties , and one autonomous county ). Those are in turn divided into 1,364 township-level divisions (618 towns , 488 townships , and 258 subdistricts ). Hengdian belongs to Jinhua, which

1890-884: Is affected by the plum rains of the Asian monsoon in June. In late summer (August to September), Hangzhou suffers typhoon storms, but typhoons seldom strike it directly. Generally they make landfall along the southern coast of Zhejiang, and affect the area with strong winds and stormy rains. Extremes since 1951 have ranged from −9.6 °C (15 °F) on 6 February 1969 up to 41.9 °C (107 °F) on 3 August 2024; unofficial readings have reached −10.5 °C (13 °F), set on 29 December 1912 and 24 January 1916, up to 42.1 °C (108 °F), set on 10 August 1930. With monthly percent possible sunshine ranging from 30% in March to 51% in August,

2016-953: Is also the Jingci Temple , the Baochu Pagoda , and the Leifeng Pagoda .The Qiantang River is the largest river in Zhejiang Province, China. Every year during August 15 to August 18 of the lunar month in China, the Qiantang Tide occurs. It is called "the Biggest Tide in the World". The world's largest tidal bore races up the Qiantang River through Hangzhou reaching up to 12 m (39 ft) in height. Other religious sites in Hangzhou include

2142-399: Is believed that Hangzhou was the largest city in the world from 1180 to 1315 and from 1348 to 1358. Because of the large population and densely crowded (often multi-story) wooden buildings, Hangzhou was particularly vulnerable to fires. Major conflagrations destroyed large sections of the city in 1208, 1229, 1237, and 1275. The 1237 fire alone destroyed 30,000 dwellings. However, the worst was

2268-627: Is bordered by Jiangsu and Shanghai to the north, Anhui to the northwest, Jiangxi to the west and Fujian to the south. To the east is the East China Sea , beyond which lies the Ryukyu Islands . The population of Zhejiang stands at 64.6 million, the 8th largest in China. It has been called "the backbone of China" because it is a major driving force in the Chinese economy and being the birthplace of several notable people, including

2394-610: Is classified as a sub-provincial city and forms the core of the Hangzhou metropolitan area, the fourth-largest in China. It is the capital and most populous city of Zhejiang Province in East China . Hangzhou comprises 10 districts , 1 county-level city , and 2 counties . The ten urban districts occupy 8,292.31 km (3,201.68 sq mi) and have a population of 8,241,000, in which there are six central urban districts and four suburban districts. The central urban districts occupy 706.27 km (272.69 sq mi) and have

2520-511: Is composed of three parts, with the main regions being the Zhijiang Sci-Tech Industrial Park and Xiasha Sci-Tech Industrial Park. HHTZ has become one of the most influential high-tech innovation and high-tech industry bases in Zhejiang Province. As of 2013, HHTZ hosts more than 1,100 software developers and BPO enterprises. Major companies such as Motorola , Nokia and Siemens have established R&D centers in

2646-674: Is home to many types of birds. It holds a temple and several historic rural houses. The Qiandao Lake is a man-made lake with the largest number of islands in Chun'an County , under administration of the Hangzhou prefecture-level city . These islands are different in size and shape, and have distinctive scene. The Hangzhou Botanical Garden and the Hangzhou Zoo are located in the Xihu District . The native residents of Hangzhou, including those of Zhejiang and southern Jiangsu , speak

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2772-463: Is known for attracting professionals and entrepreneurs who work in information technology . As of August 2023, Hangzhou has the tenth-most Fortune Global 500 headquarters of any city in the world and the fourth-most in China ;– after Beijing , Shanghai and Shenzhen  – within its city limits. According to the 2020 Hurun Global Rich List, Hangzhou ranks 11th in

2898-740: Is located in the Xiacheng District and houses several famous buildings in the city, including the Zhejiang Natural History Museum , Zhejiang Museum of Science and Technology, and the Zhejiang Global Center, one of the tallest buildings in the city center at about 160 m (520 ft). The Xixi National Wetland Park was established with the aim of preserving the wetland ecological system, it covers an area of about 10 km (4 sq mi). Fish ponds and reed beds have been restored and it

3024-531: Is located near the West Lake . Lingyin Temple (Soul's Retreat), located about 2 km (1.2 mi) west of West Lake, is believed to be the oldest Buddhist temple in the city, which has gone through numerous destruction and reconstruction cycles. Yue Fei Temple , on the northwest shore of West Lake, was originally constructed in 1221 in memory of General Yue Fei , who died due to political persecution. There

3150-453: Is moving from North Zhejiang, centered on Hangzhou, southeastward to the region centered on Wenzhou and Taizhou. The per capita disposable income of urbanites in Zhejiang reached 55,574 yuan (US$ 8,398) in 2018, an annual real growth of 8.4%. The per capita disposable income of rural residents stood at 27,302 yuan (US$ 4,126), a real growth of 9.4%. Zhejiang was the first province to pilot a common prosperity pilot program. Traditionally,

3276-429: Is rainy with changeable weather. Summer, from June to September is long, hot, rainy and humid. Fall is generally dry, warm and sunny. Winters are short but cold except in the far south. Average annual temperature is around 15 to 19 °C (59 to 66 °F), average January temperature is around 2 to 8 °C (36 to 46 °F) and average July temperature is around 27 to 30 °C (81 to 86 °F). Annual precipitation

3402-565: Is ranked second among the provinces. Its many market towns connect the cities with the countryside. In 1832, the province was exporting silk, paper, fans, pencils, wine, dates , tea and "golden-flowered" hams . Zhejiang has been leading the digital economy development in China, in recent years, the provincial economy has been boosted by the economic surge brought by internet corporations such as Alibaba and NetEase. Ningbo, Wenzhou, Taizhou and Zhoushan are important commercial ports. The Hangzhou Bay Bridge between Haiyan County and Cixi ,

3528-480: Is the largest base of shooting films and TV dramas in China. Hengdian World Studios is called "China's Hollywood." At the year end of 2021, the total population was 65.40 million. The politics of Zhejiang is structured in a dual party-government system like all other governing institutions in mainland China. The Governor of Zhejiang is the highest-ranking official in the People's Government of Zhejiang . However, in

3654-501: Is the longest bridge over a continuous body of sea water in the world. On Thursday, September 15, 2011, more than 500 people from Hongxiao Village protested over the large-scale death of fish in a nearby river . Angry protesters stormed the Zhejiang Jinko Solar Company factory compound, overturned eight company vehicles, and destroyed the offices before police came to disperse the crowd. Protests continued on

3780-519: The Yu Gong or Tribute of Yu , section of the Book of Documents . All agreed on the division of China into nine zhou , though they differed on their names and position. These zhou were geographical concepts, not administrative entities. The Han dynasty was the first to formalize the zhou into actual administrative divisions by establishing 13 zhou all across China. Because these zhou were

3906-563: The 6th in the country. The private sector in the province has been playing an increasingly important role in boosting the regional economy since Economic Reform in 1978. Zhejiang is generally regarded as having one of the strongest private sectors among Chinese provinces and its local governments typically adopt permissive business policies. Zhejiang's main manufacturing sectors are electromechanical industries, textiles , chemical industries, food and construction materials. In recent years Zhejiang has followed its own development model, dubbed

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4032-719: The Chinese Nationalist leader Chiang Kai-shek and entrepreneur Jack Ma . Zhejiang consists of 90 counties (incl. county-level cities and districts). The area of Zhejiang was controlled by the Kingdom of Yue during the Spring and Autumn period . The Qin Empire later annexed it in 222 BC. Under the late Ming dynasty and the Qing dynasty that followed it, Zhejiang's ports became important centers of international trade. It

4158-728: The First Opium War , the British navy defeated Eight Banners forces at Ningbo and Dinghai . Under the terms of the Treaty of Nanking , signed in 1843, Ningbo became one of the five Chinese treaty ports opened to virtually unrestricted foreign trade. Much of Zhejiang came under the control of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom during the Taiping Rebellion , which resulted in a considerable loss of life in

4284-543: The Hangzhou dialect , a Wu dialect unique to the area. Hangzhou's dialect differs from those of regions in southern Zhejiang and southern Jiangsu . As the official language defined by China's central government, Mandarin is the dominant spoken language, though it is mutually unintelligible with the Hangzhou dialect. The Hangzhou dialect has an estimated total of 1.2 to 1.5 million speakers. There are several museums located in Hangzhou including China National Silk Museum ,

4410-562: The Liuhe Pagoda , located on Yuelun Hill on the north bank of Qiantang River and the Hupao Temple ( 虎跑寺 ). In 2019, Hangzhou established a pilot program artificial intelligence-based Internet Court to adjudicate disputes related to ecommerce and internet-related intellectual property claims. Parties appear before the court via videoconference and AI evaluates the evidence presented and applies relevant legal standards. Hangzhou

4536-655: The Ming dynasty . There was persecution of Christians in the early 21st century in the city. There are many temples near the West Lake. Lingyin Temple was founded in the first year of Xianhe in the Eastern Jin Dynasty (AD 326). It has a history of about 1,700 years and is the earliest famous temple in Hangzhou. Yuefei Temple , a temple constructed during the Song Dynasty in 1221 to commemorate Yue Fei ,

4662-621: The Mongol siege of Kaifeng , while sparing the city of Hangzhou including the Chinese Zhao royal family of the Southern Song . The Mongols rehired Southern Song government officials and had Han Chinese artisans in Shangdu marry the palace women. The capital of the new Yuan dynasty was established in the city of Dadu ( Beijing ), but Hangzhou remained an important commercial and administrative center for their southern territory. Yuan China

4788-675: The Qin Empire in 222 BC and organized into a commandery named for Kuaiji in Zhejiang but initially headquartered in Wu in Jiangsu . Kuaiji Commandery was the initial power base for Xiang Liang and Xiang Yu 's rebellion against the Qin Empire which initially succeeded in restoring the kingdom of Chu but eventually fell to the Han . Under the Later Han , control of the area returned to

4914-466: The West Lake of Hangzhou and the South Lake of Jiaxing. There are over three thousand islands along the rugged coastline of Zhejiang. The largest, Zhoushan Island , is mainland China's third largest island, after Hainan and Chongming . There are also many bays, of which Hangzhou Bay is the largest. Zhejiang has a humid subtropical climate with four distinct seasons. Spring starts in March and

5040-529: The Yuan Mongol administrator of the city, who according to Ibn Battuta, was fond of the skills of local Chinese conjurers . The city remained an important port until the middle of the Ming dynasty era, when its harbor slowly silted up. Under the Qing , it was the site of an imperial army garrison. In 1856 and 1860, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom occupied Hangzhou. The city was heavily damaged during its conquest, occupation, and eventual reconquest by

5166-569: The Zhe River ( 浙江 ; Zhè Jiāng ), the former name of the Qiantang River which flows past Hangzhou and whose mouth forms Hangzhou Bay . It is usually understood as meaning "Crooked" or "Bent River", from the meaning of Chinese 折 , but is more likely a phono-semantic compound formed from adding 氵 (the "water" radical used for river names) to phonetic 折 ( Pinyin zhé but reconstructed Old Chinese * tet ), preserving

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5292-444: The circuit or dào ( 道 ). Henceforth, zhou were lowered to second-level status, and the word becomes translated into English as "prefecture". Thereafter, zhou continued to survive as second- or third-level political divisions until the Qing dynasty . The Republic of China abolished zhou altogether, leaving the word only in the names of cities such as Guangzhou and Hangzhou. The People's Republic of China recycled

5418-608: The eleventh G20 summit in 2016. In February 2020, the city was under curfew measures due to the outbreak of coronavirus beginning in Wuhan that spread across China . Hangzhou is located in northwestern Zhejiang province, at the southern end of the Grand Canal of China , which runs to Beijing , in the south-central portion of the Yangtze River Delta . Its administrative area (sub-provincial city) extends west to

5544-717: The speakers of Wu varieties of Chinese . There are also 400,000 members of ethnic minorities , including approximately 200,000 She people and approximately 20,000 Hui Chinese . Jingning She Autonomous County in Lishui is the only She autonomous county in China. Religion in Zhejiang Zhou (Chinese province) Zhou is typically rendered by several terms in the English language : The Tang dynasty also established fǔ ( 府 , "prefectures"), zhou of special importance such as capitals and other major cities. By

5670-498: The "1" referring to the digital economy and the "6" referring to cultural/creative economy, finance, tourism, fashion manufacturing, and high-end equipment manufacturing. As of at least 2023, Hangzhou's economic growth has been led by the digital sector and the creative/cultural sectors. In March 2013 the Hangzhou Tourism Commission started an online campaign via Facebook, the 'Modern Marco Polo' campaign. Over

5796-409: The "Zhejiang model", which is based on prioritizing and encouraging entrepreneurship, an emphasis on small businesses responsive to the whims of the market, large public investments into infrastructure , and the production of low-cost goods in bulk for both domestic consumption and export. As a result, Zhejiang has made itself one of the richest provinces and the "Zhejiang spirit" has become something of

5922-441: The 1208 fire which burned for 4 days in a 3-mile diameter and burnt 58,097 houses as well as killing 59 people. To combat this threat, the city constructed storage buildings that were rented out to merchants where watchmen patrolled by night and was enclosed by water on all sides. Besides this, the government established an elaborate system for fighting fires, erected watchtowers, devised a system of lantern and flag signals to identify

6048-417: The 19th city in the world with the most skyscrapers as well as the 9th in China. One of Hangzhou's most popular sights is West Lake , a UNESCO World Heritage Site . The West Lake Cultural Landscape covers an area of 3,323 ha (8,210 acres) and includes some of Hangzhou's most notable historic and scenic places. Adjacent to the lake is an area which includes historical pagodas, cultural sites, as well as

6174-693: The Chinese export trade to Southeast Asia, the Middle East and (during the Ming ) Europe. By the Ming, however, production was notably deficient in quality. It is in this period that the Longquan kilns declined, to be eventually replaced in popularity and ceramic production by the kilns of Jingdezhen in Jiangxi . Zhejiang was finally conquered by the Mongols in the late 13th century who later established

6300-673: The Chinese out of helping downed American airmen. Imperial Japanese forces killed an estimated 250,000 Chinese civilians from the area of Hangzhou to Nanchang and also Zhuzhou while searching for Doolittle's men. After the People's Republic of China took control of Mainland China in 1949, the Republic of China government based in Taiwan continued to control the Dachen Islands off the coast of Zhejiang until 1955, even establishing

6426-697: The Deputy Secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection , China's top anti-corruption body. Of Zhejiang's fourteen Party Secretaries since 1949, none were native to the province. Zhejiang was home to Chiang Kai-shek and many high-ranking officials in the Kuomintang , who fled to Taiwan in 1949 after losing the Civil War. Zhejiang is one of the richest and most developed provinces in China. As of 2022 , its nominal GDP

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6552-405: The Ming and Qing, fǔ became predominant divisions within Chinese provinces. In Ming and Qing, the word fǔ ( 府 ) was typically attached to the name of each prefecture's capital city, thus both Chinese and Western maps and geographical works would often call the respective cities Hangzhou -fu, Wenzhou -fu, Wuchang -fu, etc. After the Meiji Restoration , fu was also used in Japanese for

6678-407: The Qing army. Hangzhou was ruled by the Republic of China government under the Kuomintang from 1927 to 1937. From 1937 to 1945, the city was occupied by Japan . The Kuomintang returned in 1945, and governed until 1949. On May 3, 1949, the People's Liberation Army entered Hangzhou and the city came under Chinese Communist Party (CCP) control. After Deng Xiaoping 's reformist policies began in

6804-402: The Romance of Song Dynasty. The landscapes in Hangzhou bridges stories of celebrities in Chinese history and feelings of ordinary people visiting Hangzhou with joy and enthusiasm. Zhejiang, China Zhejiang is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China . Its capital and largest city is Hangzhou , and other notable cities include Ningbo and Wenzhou . Zhejiang

6930-407: The Southern Song and Yuan. Longquan greenware is characterized by a thick unctuous glaze of a particular bluish-green tint over an otherwise undecorated light-grey porcellaneous body that is delicately potted. Yuan Longquan celadons feature a thinner, greener glaze on larger vessels with decoration and shapes derived from Middle Eastern ceramic and metalwares. These were produced in large quantities for

7056-599: The World". The world's largest tidal bore races up the Qiantang River through Hangzhou reaching up to 12 m (39 ft) in height. Hangzhou's climate is humid subtropical ( Köppen Cfa ) with four distinct seasons, characterised by long, very hot, humid summers and chilly, cloudy and drier winters, albeit with occasional snow. The mean annual temperature is 17.0 °C (62.6 °F), with monthly daily averages ranging from 5 °C (41.0 °F) in January to 29.3 °C (84.7 °F) in July. The city receives an average annual rainfall of 1,438 mm (56.6 in) and

7182-409: The Yangtze River. Zhejiang, as the heartland of the Jiangnan (Yangtze River Delta), remained the wealthiest area during the Six Dynasties (220 or 222–589), Sui and Tang. After being incorporated into the Sui dynasty , its economic richness was used for the Sui dynasty 's ambitions to expand north and south, particularly into Korea and Vietnam. The plan led the Sui dynasty to restore and expand

7308-427: The area it administered and became known as Hangzhou. Hangzhou was at the southern end of China's Grand Canal which extends to Beijing. The canal evolved over centuries but reached its full length by 609. In the Tang dynasty , Bai Juyi , a renowned poet, was appointed governor of Hangzhou. He noticed that the farmland nearby depended on the water of West Lake , but due to negligence the old dyke had collapsed, and

7434-410: The area of Wulin Mountains and Wulin Lakes, Hangzhou's aliases Qiantang ( 錢唐 ) and Wulin ( 武林 ) began to appear during the Qin and Han dynasties. Hangzhou was made the seat of the prefecture of Hang in AD 589 , entitling it to a city wall which was constructed two years later. By a longstanding convention also seen in other cities like Guangzhou and Fuzhou , the city took on the name of

7560-471: The arts, particularly of Buddhist temple architecture and artwork. The dyke built to protect the city by King   Qian Liu gave the Qiantang its modern name. Hangzhou also became a cosmopolitan center, drawing scholars from throughout China and conducting diplomacy with neighboring Chinese states, and also with Japan , Goryeo , and the Khitan Liao dynasty . In 1089, another renowned poet governor Su Shi (Su Dongpo) used 200,000 workers to construct

7686-434: The cities of Hangzhou, Jiaxing and Huzhou , where the Grand Canal of China enters from the northern border to end at Hangzhou. Another relatively flat area is found along the Qu River around the cities of Quzhou and Jinhua . Major rivers include the Qiangtang and Ou Rivers . Most rivers carve out valleys in the highlands, with plenty of rapids and other features associated with such topography. Well-known lakes include

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7812-430: The city receives 1,709.4 hours of sunshine annually. and (yearend est.) As of 2023, Hangzhou had a permanent population of 12.522 million (including Xiaoshan and Yuhang), of which 10.543 million (84.2%) lived in urban areas. The encompassing metropolitan area was estimated by the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) to have, as of 2010, a population of 13.4 million, although other sources put

7938-419: The collapse of the Tang dynasty in 907, the entire area of what is now Zhejiang fell under the control of the kingdom Wuyue established by King Qian Liu , who selected Hangzhou (a city in the modern day area of Zhejiang) as his kingdom's capital. Despite being under Wuyue rule for a relatively short period of time, Zhejiang underwent a long period of financial and cultural prosperity which continued even after

8064-417: The continuing prominence of Nanjing (then known as Jiankang), the settlement of Qiantang, the former name of Hangzhou, remained one of the three major metropolitan centers in the south to provide major tax revenue to the imperial centers in the north China. The other two centers in the south were Jiankang and Chengdu . In 589, Qiantang was raised in status and renamed Hangzhou. Following the fall of Wu and

8190-431: The control of the Japanese puppet state known as the Reorganized National Government of China . Following the Doolittle Raid , most of the B-25 American crews that came down in China eventually made it to safety with the help of Chinese civilians and soldiers. The Chinese people who helped them, however, paid dearly for sheltering the Americans. The Imperial Japanese Army began the Zhejiang-Jiangxi Campaign to intimidate

8316-437: The country. Zhejiang was an important economic center of the empire's Jiangnan East Circuit and was considered particularly prosperous. Throughout the Tang dynasty , The Grand Canal had remained effective, transporting grains and material resources to North China plain and metropolitan centers of the empire. As the Tang dynasty disintegrated, Zhejiang constituted most of the territory of the regional kingdom of Wuyue . After

8442-419: The dyke, making it a landmark. It is listed as one of the Seven Ancient Capitals of China . It was first the capital of the Wuyue Kingdom from 907 to 978 during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period . Named Xifu ( 西府 ) at the time, it was one of the three great bastions of culture in southern China during the tenth century, along with Nanjing and Chengdu . Leaders of Wuyue were noted patrons of

8568-502: The economically most developed state among the Three Kingdoms (220–280). The historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms records that Zhejiang had the best-equipped naval force. The story depicts how the states of Wei ( 魏 ) and Shu ( 蜀 ), lack of material resources, avoided direct confrontation with the Wu. In armed military conflicts with Wu, the two states relied intensively on tactics of camouflage and deception to steal Wu's military resources including arrows and bows. Despite

8694-427: The end of 1978, Hangzhou took advantage of being situated in the Yangtze Delta to bolster its development. It is now one of China's most prosperous major cities. During the Cultural Revolution , Hangzhou was stage to a series of labor unrest and factional fighting known as the Hangzhou incident . Hangzhou was the third city in China to host the Asian Games after Beijing 1990 and Guangzhou 2010 . It also hosted

8820-490: The establishment of the Yuan dynasty in 1279 ended Hangzhou's political clout, but its economy continued to prosper. The famous traveler Marco Polo visited the city, which he called "Kinsay" (after the Chinese Jingshi , meaning "Capital City") claiming it was "the finest and noblest city in the world." Greenware ceramics made from celadon had been made in the area since the 3rd-century Jin dynasty , but it returned to prominence—particularly in Longquan —during

8946-477: The figure at over 21 million. The Hangzhou metropolitan area includes the major cities of Shaoxing , Jiaxing and Huzhou . Hangzhou has a life expectancy of 83.18 years for the city's registered population as of 2021, one of the highest in China. In 1848, during the Qing dynasty , Hangzhou was described as the "stronghold" of Islam in China , the city containing several mosques with Arabic inscriptions. A Hui from Ningbo also told an Englishman that Hangzhou

9072-477: The highest peak of the province, Huangmaojian Peak (1,929 meters or 6,329 feet), is located there. Other prominent mountains include Mounts Yandang , Tianmu , Tiantai and Mogan , which reach altitudes of 700 to 1,500 meters (2,300 to 4,900 ft). Valleys and plains are found along the coastline and rivers. The north of the province lies just south of the Yangtze Delta and consists of plains around

9198-701: The inaugural Party Secretary, was one of the leading voices against Mao's Cultural Revolution during the so-called February Countercurrent of 1967. Jiang Hua (term 1956–1968), was the "chief justice" on the Special Court in the case against the Gang of Four in 1980. Three provincial Party Secretaries since the 1990s have gone onto prominence at the national level. They include CPC General Secretary and President Xi Jinping (term 2002–2007), National People's Congress Chairman and former Vice-Premier Zhang Dejiang (term 1998–2002), and Zhao Hongzhu (term 2007–2012),

9324-456: The kingdom fell. After Wuyue was conquered during the reunification of China, many shrines were erected across the former territories of Wuyue, mainly in Zhejiang, where the kings of Wuyue were memorialised, and sometimes, worshipped as being able to dictate weather and agriculture. Many of these shrines, known as "Shrine of the Qian King" or "Temple to the Qian King", still remain today, with

9450-425: The lake so dried out that the local farmers were suffering from severe drought . He ordered the construction of a stronger and taller dyke, with a dam to control the flow of water, mitigating the drought problem. The livelihood of local people of Hangzhou improved over the following years. Bai Juyi used his leisure time to enjoy the West Lake, visiting it almost daily. He then had willows and other trees planted along

9576-430: The land against pirate incursions. Some of them have been preserved or restored, such as Pucheng in the south of the province ( Cangnan County ). Under the late Ming dynasty and the Qing dynasty that followed it, Zhejiang's ports were important centers of international trade. "In 1727 the to-min or 'idle people' of Cheh Kiang province (a Ningpo name still existing), the yoh-hu or 'music people' of Shanxi province ,

9702-537: The large population. Arab merchants lived in Hangzhou during the Song dynasty , due to the fact that the oceangoing trade passages took precedence over land trade during this time. The Phoenix Mosque was constructed by a Persian settler in Hangzhou at this time. From 1132 until the Mongol invasion of 1276, Hangzhou remained the capital of the Southern Song dynasty and was known as Lin'an ( 臨安 ). It served as

9828-496: The largest divisions of the China at the time, they are usually translated as "provinces". After the Han dynasty, however, the number of zhou began to increase. By the time of the Sui dynasty , there were over a hundred zhou all across China. The Sui and Tang dynasties merged zhou with the next level down, the commanderies or jùn ( 郡 ). The Tang also added another level on top:

9954-408: The largest silk museum in the world, China National Tea Museum ( 中国茶叶博物馆 ), and Zhejiang Provincial Museum , which has a collection of integrated human studies, exhibition and research with over 100,000 collected cultural relics. Many theaters in Hangzhou host opera shows such as Yue opera . There are several big shows themed with the history and culture of Hangzhou like Impression West Lake and

10080-470: The lifelines of the port cities of Ningbo and Wenzhou. While Mao invested heavily in railroads in interior China, no major railroads were built in South Zhejiang, where transportation remained poor. Zhejiang benefited less from central government investment than some other provinces due to its lack of natural resources, a location vulnerable to potential flooding from the sea and an economic base at

10206-613: The man of Yue') was transliterated into Chinese and recorded by authors in North China or inland China of Hebei and Henan around 528 BC. The song shows that the Yue people spoke a language that was mutually unintelligible with the dialects spoken in north and inland China. The Sword of Goujian bears bird-worm seal script . Yuenü (Chinese: 越女 ; pinyin: Yuènǚ ; Wade–Giles: Yüeh-nü ; lit. 'the Lady of Yue')

10332-539: The most celebrated poets in Chinese history such as Su Shi , Lu You , and Xin Qiji came here to live and die. Hangzhou is also the birthplace and final resting place of the scientist Shen Kuo (1031–1095 AD), his tomb being located in the Yuhang district. During the Southern Song dynasty, commercial expansion, an influx of refugees from the conquered north, and the growth of the official and military establishments, led to

10458-466: The most in China. The capital Hangzhou marks the end of the Grand Canal and lies on Hangzhou Bay on the north of Zhejiang, which separates Shanghai and Ningbo . The bay contains many small islands collectively called the Zhoushan Islands . Hangzhou is a historically important city of China and is considered a World City with a "Beta+" classification according to GaWC . It includes

10584-632: The most popularly visited example being that near West Lake in Hangzhou. China's province of Zhejiang during the 940s was also the place of origin of the Hú family (Hồ in Vietnamese) from which the founder of the Hồ dynasty who ruled Vietnam, Emperor Hồ Quý Ly , came from. The Song dynasty re-established unity around 960. Under the Song, the prosperity of South China began to overtake that of North China. After

10710-413: The mountainous parts of Anhui province, and east to the coastal plain near Hangzhou Bay . The city center is built around the eastern and northern sides of the West Lake, just north of the Qiantang River . The Qiantang River is the largest river in Zhejiang Province, China. Every year during August 15 to August 18 of the lunar month in China, the Qiantang Tide occurs. It is called "the Biggest Tide in

10836-483: The national average. Zhejiang, however, has been an epicenter of capitalist development in China and has led the nation in the development of a market economy and private enterprises. Northeast Zhejiang, as part of the Yangtze Delta, is flat, more developed and industrial. Zhejiang consists mostly of hills, which account for about 70% of its total area. Altitudes tend to be the highest to the south and west and

10962-533: The natural environment of the lake and hills, including Phoenix Mountain . There are two causeways across the lake. The west of the lake contains Dreaming of the Tiger Spring , popular for longjing tea fields. The parts of the Grand Canal in Hangzhou, also a World Heritage Site was built in 610 AD. The core historical sites are accessible by Hangzhou Metro Line 5 's The Grand Canal station or East Gongchen Bridge station . The West Lake Cultural Square

11088-592: The network which became the Grand Canal of China . The Canal regularly transported grains and resources from Zhejiang, through its metropolitan center Hangzhou (and its hinterland along both the Zhe River and the shores of Hangzhou Bay ) and from Suzhou and thence to the North China Plain . The débâcle of the Korean war led to Sui's overthrow by the Tang , who then presided over a centuries-long golden age for

11214-421: The next year nearly 26,000 participants applied from around the globe, in the hopes of becoming Hangzhou's first foreign tourism ambassador. In a press conference in Hangzhou on 20 May 2014, Liam Bates was announced as the successful winner and won a $ 55,000 contract, being the first foreigner ever to be appointed by China's government in such an official role. Hangzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone

11340-574: The north was lost to the Jurchen Jin dynasty in 1127 following the Jingkang Incident , Hangzhou became the capital of the Song dynasty under the name Lin'an , which was renowned for its prosperity and beauty, it was suspected to have been the largest city in the world at the time. From then on, northern Zhejiang and neighboring southern Jiangsu have been synonymous with luxury and opulence in Chinese culture. The Mongol conquest and

11466-492: The north-western and central parts of the province, sparing the rest of Zhejiang from the disastrous depopulation that occurred. In 1876, Wenzhou became Zhejiang's second treaty port. Jianghuai Mandarin speakers later came to settle in these depopulated regions of northern Zhejiang. During the Second Sino-Japanese War , which led into World War II , much of Zhejiang was occupied by Japan and placed under

11592-407: The notable West Lake . Various varieties of Chinese are spoken in Zhejiang, the most prominent being Wu Chinese . Zhejiang is also one of China's leading provinces in research and education. As of 2024 , two major cities in Zhejiang ranked in the world's top 200 cities (Hangzhou 13th and Ningbo 123rd) by scientific research output, as tracked by Nature Index . The province's name originates from

11718-661: The original home of the Kaifeng Jewish community . There was formerly a Jewish synagogue in Ningbo, as well as one in Hangzhou, but no traces of them are now discoverable, and the only Jews known to exist in China were in Kaifeng. Two of the Three Pillars of Chinese Catholicism were from Hangzhou. The Immaculate Conception Cathedral of Hangzhou is one of the oldest Catholic churches in China, dating back 400 years to

11844-559: The palace walls. The city walls were built with tamped earth and stone and was 30 feet high and 10 feet thick at its base. There were 13 gates and several towers on the walls. The walls covered the city by four miles north to south and only one mile east to west. According to the Italian explorer Odoric of Pordenone , Hangzhou was the greatest city in the world. It was heavily populated and filled with large family estates. It had 12,000 bridges. Bread, pork, rice, and wine were abundant despite

11970-572: The province is known as the "Land of Fish and Rice." True to its name, rice is the main crop, followed by wheat ; north Zhejiang is also a center of aquaculture in China, and the Zhoushan fishery is the largest fishery in the country. The main cash crops include jute and cotton and the province also leads the provinces of China in tea production. (The renowned Longjing tea is a product of Hangzhou.) Zhejiang's towns have been known for handicraft production of goods such as silk , for which it

12096-578: The province of Guizhou and the major cities of Guangzhou , Fuzhou , Hangzhou , Lanzhou , and Suzhou , among many others. Likewise, although modern Korean, Vietnamese, and Japanese provinces are no longer designated by zhou cognates, the older terms survive in various place names, notably the Japanese islands of Honshu and Kyushu , the Korean province Jeju-do , and Lai Châu in Vietnam. Zhou were first mentioned in ancient Chinese texts, notably

12222-679: The province's dual party-government governing system, the Governor is subordinate to the secretary of the Zhejiang Provincial Committee of the Chinese Communist Party , colloquially termed the "Zhejiang CCP Party Chief ." Several political figures who served as Zhejiang's top political office of Communist Party Secretary have played key roles in various events in PRC history. Tan Zhenlin (term 1949–1952),

12348-428: The provincial capitals after Guangzhou. The city has more than tripled its GDP since then, increasing from RMB 156.8 billion in 2001 to RMB 1.3509 trillion in 2018 and GDP per capita increasing from US$ 3,020 to $ 21,184. As of 2019, the Hangzhou metropolitan area was estimated to produce a gross metropolitan product ( nominal ) of 3.2 trillion yuan ($ 486.53 billion), making it larger than the economies of Argentina, with

12474-447: The removal of their court from Kuaiji to Jianye (present-day Nanjing ) and they continued development of the region and benefitted from influxes of refugees fleeing the turmoil in northern China. Industrial kilns were established and trade reached as far as Manchuria and Funan (southern Mainland Southeast Asia ). Zhejiang was part of the Wu during the Three Kingdoms . Wu (229–280), commonly known as Eastern Wu or Sun Wu, had been

12600-467: The seat of the imperial government, a center of trade and entertainment, and the nexus of the main branches of the civil service . During that time the city was a gravitational center of Chinese civilization as what used to be considered "central China" in the north was taken by the Jin , an ethnic minority dynasty ruled by Jurchens . Numerous philosophers, politicians, and men of literature, including some of

12726-713: The second millennium BC. Instead, this area was populated by peoples collectively known as Dongyue. The kingdom of Yue began to appear in the chronicles and records written during the Spring and Autumn period . According to the chronicles, the kingdom of Yue was in Northern Zhejiang. Shiji claims that its leaders were descended from the Xia founder Yu the Great . The " Song of the Yue Boatman " ( Chinese : 越人歌 ; pinyin : Yuèrén Gē ; lit. 'Song of

12852-463: The settlement below Mount Kuaiji but authority over the Minyue hinterland was nominal at best and its Yue inhabitants largely retained their own political and social structures. At the beginning of the Three Kingdoms era (AD 220–280), Zhejiang was home to the warlords Yan Baihu and Wang Lang prior to their defeat by Sun Ce and Sun Quan , who eventually established the Kingdom of Wu . Despite

12978-401: The short lived Yuan dynasty . Zhejiang became part of the much larger Jiangzhe Province . The Ming dynasty , which drove out the Mongols in 1368, finally established the present day province of Zhejiang with its borders having little changes since this establishment. As in other coastal provinces, number of fortresses were constructed along the Zhejiang coast during the early Ming to defend

13104-472: The si-min or 'small people' of Kiang Su (Jiangsu) province and the Tanka people or 'egg-people' of Canton (to this day the boat population there), were all freed from their social disabilities and allowed to count as free men." "Cheh Kiang" is another romanization for Zhejiang. The Duomin (Chinese: 惰民 ; pinyin: duò mín ; Wade–Giles: to-min ) are a caste of outcasts in this province. During

13230-531: The source of the flames and direct the response, and charged more than 3,000 soldiers with the task of putting out fire. Hangzhou was besieged and captured by the advancing Mongol armies of Kublai Khan in 1276, three years before the final collapse of the Southern Song. Historian Patricia Buckley Ebrey noted that the Mongol Yuan dynasty killed the Jurchen Wanyan royal family by the hundreds in

13356-787: The tenth-most Fortune Global 500 headquarters of any city in the world and the fourth-most in China – after Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen – within its city limits. Hangzhou is the headquarters of several technology companies including Alibaba Group , NetEase , Ant Group , Geely , and HikVision . As a result of its internet industry, many programmers from other cities such as Shanghai or Beijing have come to Hangzhou. The city has developed many new industries, including medicine, information technology, heavy equipment, automotive components, household electrical appliances, electronics, telecommunication, fine chemicals, chemical fibre and food processing. The city describes its important industries as "1 + 6" industrial clusters, with

13482-465: The turmoil of the Wu Hu uprising against the Jin dynasty (266–420) , most of elite Chinese families had collaborated with the non-Chinese rulers and military conquerors in the north. Some may have lost social privilege and took refuge in areas south of the Yangtze River. Some of the Chinese refugees from North China might have resided in areas near Hangzhou. For example, the clan of Zhuge Liang (181–234),

13608-426: The two following nights with reports of scuffles, officials said. Chen Hongming, a deputy head of Haining 's environmental protection bureau, said the factory's waste disposal had failed pollution tests since April. The environmental watchdog had warned the factory, but it had not effectively controlled the pollution, Chen added. Han Chinese make up the vast majority of the population and the largest Han subgroup are

13734-485: The urban prefectures of the most important cities; today, it is still used in the Japanese names for the Osaka and Kyoto Prefectures . In the People's Republic of China , zhou today exists only in the designation " autonomous prefecture " ( Chinese : 自治州 ; pinyin : zìzhìzhōu ), administrative areas for China's designated minorities . However, zhou have left a huge mark on Chinese place names , including

13860-491: The world and 6th in China (after Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong , Shenzhen and Guangzhou ) in the number of resident billionaires. Hangzhou ranks 13th globally by scientific outputs. It hosts several notable universities , including Zhejiang , Zhejiang University of Technology , Hangzhou Normal , Hangzhou Dianzi , Zhejiang A&F , Zhejiang Sci-Tech , Zhejiang Chinese Medical , Westlake , China Jiliang and Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics . Its West Lake ,

13986-569: The zone. In 2011, the GDP of the zone rose by 13.1 percent, amounting to RMB 41.63 billion. This accounted for 5.9 percent of Hangzhou's total GDP. The HHTZ positions itself as the "Silicon Valley" of China. The Alibaba Group is headquartered in the zone. Although Hangzhou has been through many recent urban developments, it still retains its historical and cultural heritage and natural environment. Today, tourism remains an important factor for Hangzhou's economy. Hangzhou has numerous skyscrapers , making it

14112-408: Was US$ 1.15 trillion ( CN¥ 7.77 trilion), about 6.42% of the country's GDP and ranked 4th among province-level administrative units ; the province's primary, secondary and tertiary industries were worth CN¥232.48 billion (US$ 34.56 billion), CN¥3.3205 trillion (US$ 493.67 billion) and CN¥4.2185 trillion (US$ 627.18 billion) respectively. Its nominal GDP per capita was US$ 17,617 (CN¥118,496) and ranked

14238-401: Was "the biggest city I have ever seen on the face of the earth." He visited Hangzhou in 1345 and noted its charm and described how the city sat on a beautiful lake and was surrounded by gentle green hills. He was particularly impressed by the large number of well-crafted and well-painted Chinese wooden ships with colored sails and silk awnings in the canals. He attended a banquet held by Qurtai,

14364-566: Was a swordswoman from the state of Yue. To check the growth of the kingdom of Wu , Chu pursued a policy of strengthening Yue. Under King Goujian , Yue recovered from its early reverses and fully annexed the lands of its rival in 473 BC . The Yue kings then moved their capital center from their original home around Mount Kuaiji in present-day Shaoxing to the former Wu capital at present-day Suzhou . With no southern power to turn against Yue, Chu opposed it directly and, in 333 BC, succeeded in destroying it. Yue's former lands were annexed by

14490-642: Was also ranked first in the China Emerging City Rankings of the Economist Intelligence Unit , which assesses Chinese cities growth potential, in both 2021 and 2022. Hangzhou ranks 11th in the world and 6th in China (after Beijing , Shanghai , Hong Kong , Shenzhen and Guangzhou ) in terms of the number of billionaires according to the Hurun Global Rich List 2020. As of August 2023, Hangzhou has

14616-540: Was another hub for refugees, given that the state of Shu had long been founded and ruled by political and military elites from the Central Plain and North China. Some refugees from North China might have found residence in South China depending on their social status and military power in the north. The rump Jin state or the Southern dynasties vied against some elite Chinese from the Central Plain and south of

14742-528: Was captured by the Jurchens in the Jingkang Incident of 1127. Emperor Gaozong moved to Nanjing, then to modern Shangqiu , then to Yangzhou in 1128, and finally to Hangzhou in 1129. Once the prospect of retaking northern China had diminished, buildings in Hangzhou were extended and renovated to become a permanent imperial capital. The imperial palace in Hangzhou, modest in size, was expanded in 1133 with new roofed alleyways, and in 1148 with an extension of

14868-555: Was during this time that rice was first cultivated in southeast China. Excavations have established that the jade -carving Liangzhu culture (named for its type site just northwest of Hangzhou) inhabited the area immediately around the present city around five thousand years ago. The first of Hangzhou's present neighborhoods to appear in written records was Yuhang , which probably preserves an old Baiyue name. In 222 BC, Emperor Qin Shi Huang established Qiantang County, located in

14994-527: Was established and approved as a national development zone by the State Council in 1993. It covers an area of 104.7 km (40.4 sq mi). Encouraged industries include electronic information, biological medicine, machinery and household appliances manufacturing, and food processing. Hangzhou Export Processing Zone was established on April 27, 2000, upon approval of the State Council. It

15120-423: Was established. Hangzhou's economy has rapidly developed since its opening up in 1992. It is an industrial city with many diverse sectors such as light industry, agriculture, and textiles. It is considered an important manufacturing base and logistics hub for coastal China. Additionally, the city is an e-commerce and technology hub. The 2001 GDP of Hangzhou was RMB 156.8 billion, which ranked second among all of

15246-492: Was established. On March 12, 2001, Xiaoshan and Yuhang, formerly two county-level cities under the administration of Hangzhou prefecture-level city , were re-organized as two districts. On December 13, 2014, and in July 2017, Fuyang and Lin'an, formerly two county-level cities under the administration of Hangzhou prefecture-level city , were re-organized as two districts. On April 9, 2021, Linping District and Qiantang District

15372-693: Was occupied by the Empire of Japan during the Second Sino-Japanese war and placed under the control of the Japanese puppet state known as the Reorganized National Government of China . After the establishment of the PRC, Zhejiang's economy became stagnant under Mao Zedong 's policies. Nevertheless, after China's economic reform , Zhejiang has grown to be considered one of China's wealthiest provinces, ranking fourth in GDP nationally and sixth by GDP per capita , with

15498-419: Was one of the first zones and the only one in Zhejiang Province to be approved by the government. Its total planned area is 2.92 km (1.13 sq mi). It is located close to Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport and Hangzhou Port. Hangzhou Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone was set up with approval from the State Council as a state-level high-tech Industrial Development Zone in March 1991. The HHTZ

15624-522: Was so enormous that no man could form a just estimate thereof". Polo's account greatly exaggerates the city's size, although it has been argued that the "hundred miles" of walls would be plausible if Chinese miles were intended instead of Italian ones and that the "12,000 stone bridges" might have been a copyist error born from the city's 12 gates. In the 14th century, the Moroccan traveler Ibn Battuta arrived; his later account concurred that al-Khansā

15750-469: Was the "stronghold" of Islam in Zhejiang province, containing multiple mosques, compared to his small congregation of around 30 families in Ningbo for his mosque. Within the city of Hangzhou are two notable mosques: New Hangzhou Great Mosque and the Phoenix Mosque . As late as the latter part of the 16th and early 17th centuries, the city was an important center of Chinese Jewry , and may have been

15876-441: Was very open to foreign visitors, and several returned west describing Hangzhou—under the names Khinzai , Campsay , etc.—as one of the foremost cities in the world. The Venetian merchant Marco Polo supposedly visited Hangzhou in the late 13th century. In his book , he records that the city was "greater than any in the world" and that "the number and wealth of the merchants, and the amount of goods that passed through their hands,

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