Hangzhou
Encyclopedia
Hangzhou formerly transliterated as Hangchow, is the capital and largest city of Zhejiang
Province in Eastern China
. Governed as a sub-provincial city
, and as of 2010, its entire administrative division ("shì", 杭州市) or prefecture had a registered population of 8.7 million people. The built up area of the Hangzhou municipality had a resident population of 4.227 million in 2003 (urban and suburban districts), of which there were 1.91 million residents in the six urban core districts.
A core city of the Yangtze River Delta
, its position on the Hangzhou Bay
180 kilometres (111.8 mi) southwest of Shanghai
gives it economic power, and moreover, it has also been one of the most renowned and prosperous cities of China for much of the last 1,000 years, due in part to its beautiful natural scenery; the city's West Lake
is its best-known attraction.
culture of Hemudu
inhabited Yuyao
, an area (now a city) 100 kilometers south-east of Hangzhou, as far back as seven thousand years ago when rice
was first cultivated in southeastern China. The area immediately surrounding the modern city of Hangzhou was inhabited five thousand years ago by the Liangzhu culture
, so named for the small town of Liangzhu not far to the northwest of Hangzhou where the ancient jade carving civilization was first discovered.
The city of Hangzhou was founded during the Qin Dynasty
as Qiantang County . In AD 589, the city was renamed "Hangzhou", literally meaning "River-ferrying Prefecture", and a city wall
was constructed two years later. It is listed as one of the Seven Ancient Capitals of China
.
Hangzhou is 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.
It was the capital of the Wuyue Kingdom from 907 to 978 during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. Named Xifu at the time, it was one of the three great centers of culture in southern China
during the tenth century, along with Nanjing
and Chengdu
. Leaders of Wuyue were noted patrons of the arts, and especially of Buddhism
and associated temple architecture and artwork. It also became a cosmopolitan center, drawing scholars from throughout China and conducting diplomacy not only with neighboring Chinese states, but also with Japan
, Korea
, and the Khitan
Liao Dynasty
.
In 1089, while the poet Su Shi
(Su Dongpo) was the city's governor, he used 200,000 workers to construct a 2.8 km long causeway
across the West Lake
, which Qing
Emperor Qianlong considered particularly attractive in the early morning of the spring time. The lake was once a lagoon tens of thousands of years ago. Silt then blocked the way to the sea and the lake was formed. A drill in the lake-bed in 1975 found the sediment of the sea, which confirmed its origin. Artificial preservation prevented the lake from evolving into a marshland. The Su Causeway built by Su Shi
, and the Bai Causeway built by Bai Juyi, a Tang Dynasty poet who was once the governor of Hangzhou, were both built out of mud dredged from the bottom of the lake. 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.
, due to the fact that the ocean going trade passsages took precedence over land trade during this time.There were also Arabic inscriptions from the 1200s and 1300s. During the Yuan dynasty
, Muslims were persecuted through the banning of their traditions, and they participated in revolts against the Mongols. The Fenghuangshi mosque was constructed by an Egyptian trader who moved to Hangzhou.
Ibn Battuta
is known to have visited the city of Hangzhou in the year 1345, he noted its charm, describes the city sat on a beautiful lake
and is surrounded by gentle green hills. During his stay at Hangzhou, he was particularly impressed by the large number of well-crafted and well-painted Chinese wooden ships with colored sails and silk awnings assembling in the canals later he attends a banquet of the Yuan
Mongol administrator of the city named Qurtai, who according to Ibn Battuta, was very fond of the skills of local Chinese conjurers.
invasion of 1276, and was known as Lin'an (臨安). It served as 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 sort of gravitational center of Chinese civilization: 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 the most celebrated poets in Chinese history such as Su Shi
(苏轼), Lu You
(陆游), and Xin Qiji
(辛弃疾) 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 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 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 1132, 1137, 1208, 1229, 1237, and 1275 while smaller fires occurred nearly every year. The 1237 fire alone was recorded to have destroyed 30,000 dwellings. To combat this threat, the government established an elaborate system for fighting fires, erected watchtowers, devised a system of lantern and flag signals to identify the source of the flames and direct the response, and charged more than 3,000 soldiers with the task of putting out fires.
The city of Hangzhou was besieged and captured by the advancing Mongol armies of Kublai Khan
in 1276, three years before the final collapse of the empire. The capital of the new Yuan Dynasty
was established in the city of Dadu
(Beijing
).
The Venetian
Marco Polo
supposedly visited Hangzhou in the late 13th century. His book refers to the city as "beyond dispute the finest and the noblest in the world." He called the city Kinsay (or Kinsai) which simply means "capital" in Chinese (actually Polo used a Persianized version of the word). Although he exaggerated that the city was over one hundred miles in diameter and had 12,000 stone bridges, he still presented elegant prose about the country: "The number and wealth of the merchants, and the amount of goods that passed through their hands, was so enormous that no man could form a just estimate thereof."
The renowned 14th century Moroccan
explorer Ibn Battuta
said it was "the biggest city I have ever seen on the face of the earth."
era when its harbor slowly silt
ed up.
In 1856 and 1860, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom
occupied Hangzhou and caused heavy damage to the city.
Hangzhou was ruled by Republic of China
government under the Kuomintang
from 1928 to 1949. On May 3, 1949, the People's Liberation Army
entered Hangzhou and the city came under Communist control. After Deng Xiaoping
's reformist policies began in 1978, Hangzhou took advantage of being situated in the Yangtze River Delta
to bolster its development. It is now one of China's most prosperous major cities.
, and may have been the original home of the better-known 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 are in Kaifeng.
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 Hanzhou 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.
De Guignes visited a deserted mosque at Hangzhou fu. The edifice resembled Chinese building only in the roof; it was higher and more imposing ; the gate, which was large and high, and rounded out under the top like a cupola, was covered wiht holes a foot apart ; there were columns on each side surmounted with an entablature, the tops of which terminated in a kind of crescent. An Arabic inscription on the outside read, 'Temple for Mussulmans who travel and wish to consult the Koran.' There is no reason to believe that any serious efforts were made to increase the number of their adherents by proselyting the heathen. Those who adhered to Islam, did so because their fathers did so before them, and they did not wish to abandon the religion in which they were born. Some of the members of the Community have attained rank as officers of the imperial government, and in all probability, did not scruple to perform the idolatrous ceremonies prescribed to official personages.
A Christian missionary described his visit to a mosque in Hangzhou- "a large, irregular building, in the principal part of the city. I was introduced to the priest as a Christian from America. Though disposed to be polite, the old gentleman could not refrain from hinting in a delicute manner that we were addicted to image worship. When, however, he understood that this form of idolatry was an abomination to us likewise, he become very affable und inquisitive. We were able to leave only one book at the mosque, but have since made arrangements, according to our promise, to send him copies of the scriptures and of all our tracts for the temples at Hangchau, Suchau, and other places at a distance. He seemed anxious to possess them."
William R. Kahler described a mosque in Hangzhou during the Qing dynasty as being cleaner than Chinese temples- "Among other places of worship is a Mahometan mosque, but, when we visit it there is not a single person belonging to it to be seen. The mosque is much cleaner than any of the Chinese temples and has a lofty roof and dome and at the entrance over the door is an Arabic inscription stating that the mosque is for the benefit of Mahometans travelling to consult the Coran, while inside the building there is another inscription."
In the "Reports from the consuls of the United States, Issues 124-127", the following REPORT BY CONSUL FOWLER, OF NINGPO*, "SHEEP AND WOOL IN CHINA.", an account suggested that the Chinese in Hangzhou learned to eat mutton from the Muslim community-
, on the plain of the mid-lower reaches of the Yangtze River
(Cháng Jiāng). The prefecture-level region of Hangzhou extends west to the border with the hilly-country Anhui Province, and east to the flat-land near Hangzhou Bay
. The city center is built around the eastern and northern sides of the West Lake, just north of the Qiantang River
.
Cfa) with four distinctive seasons, characterised by long, very hot, humid summers and short, chilly, cloudy and dry winters (with occasional snow). The average annual temperature is 16.5 °C (61.7 °F), ranging from 4.3 °C (39.7 °F) in January to 28.4 °C (83.1 °F) in July. The city receives an average annual rainfall of 1450 millimetres (57.1 in) and is affected by the Plum Rains of the Asian Monsoon in June. In late summer (August to September), Hangzhou, along with other cities in Zhejiang
province, suffer typhoon storms, but typhoons seldom strike it directly. Generally they make land along the southern coast of Zhejiang, and affect Hangzhou with strong winds and stormy rains.
Zhejiang
Zhejiang is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. The word Zhejiang was the old name of the Qiantang River, which passes through Hangzhou, the provincial capital...
Province in Eastern China
East China
East China is a geographical and a loosely-defined cultural region that covers the eastern coastal area of China.Although an intangible and loosely defined concept, for administrative and governmental purposes, the region is defined by the government of the People's Republic of China to include...
. Governed as a sub-provincial city
Sub-provincial city
A sub-provincial divisions in the People's Republic of China, is like a prefecture-level city that is ruled by a province, but is administered independently in regard to economy and law....
, and as of 2010, its entire administrative division ("shì", 杭州市) or prefecture had a registered population of 8.7 million people. The built up area of the Hangzhou municipality had a resident population of 4.227 million in 2003 (urban and suburban districts), of which there were 1.91 million residents in the six urban core districts.
A core city of the Yangtze River Delta
Yangtze River Delta
The Yangtze River Delta, Yangtze Delta or YRD, also called Yangzi, or Chang Jiang Delta, Rive Chang Delta Tai Lake Region or the Golden Triangle of the Yangtze, generally comprises the triangular-shaped territory of Wu-speaking Shanghai, southern Jiangsu province and northern Zhejiang province of...
, its position on the Hangzhou Bay
Hangzhou Bay
Hangzhou Bay, or the Bay of Hangzhou , is an inlet of the East China Sea, bordered by the province of Zhejiang and the municipality of Shanghai. The Qiantang River flows into the bay.It lies south of Shanghai, and ends at the city of Hangzhou...
180 kilometres (111.8 mi) southwest of Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
gives it economic power, and moreover, it has also been one of the most renowned and prosperous cities of China for much of the last 1,000 years, due in part to its beautiful natural scenery; the city's West Lake
West Lake
Xī Hú is a famous fresh water lake located in the historic center of Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province in eastern China. The lake is divided by the causeways of Sū Tí , Bái Tí , and Yánggōng Tí...
is its best-known attraction.
Early history
The celebrated NeolithicNeolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
culture of Hemudu
Hemudu culture
The Hemudu culture was a Neolithic culture that flourished just south of the Hangzhou Bay in Jiangnan in modern Yuyao, Zhejiang, China. The site at Hemudu, 22 km north-west of Ningbo, was discovered in 1973...
inhabited Yuyao
Yuyao
Yuyao is a city in Zhejiang province, China, capital of Yuyao County, Ningbo. Administratively Yuyao is under the direct jurisdiction of Ningbo....
, an area (now a city) 100 kilometers south-east of Hangzhou, as far back as seven thousand years ago when rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
was first cultivated in southeastern China. The area immediately surrounding the modern city of Hangzhou was inhabited five thousand years ago by the Liangzhu culture
Liangzhu culture
The Liangzhu culture was the last Neolithic jade culture in the Yangtze River Delta of China. Its area of influence extended from around Lake Tai north to Nanjing and the Chang Jiang, east to Shanghai and the sea, and south to Hangzhou...
, so named for the small town of Liangzhu not far to the northwest of Hangzhou where the ancient jade carving civilization was first discovered.
The city of Hangzhou was founded during the Qin Dynasty
Qin Dynasty
The Qin Dynasty was the first imperial dynasty of China, lasting from 221 to 207 BC. The Qin state derived its name from its heartland of Qin, in modern-day Shaanxi. The strength of the Qin state was greatly increased by the legalist reforms of Shang Yang in the 4th century BC, during the Warring...
as Qiantang County . In AD 589, the city was renamed "Hangzhou", literally meaning "River-ferrying Prefecture", and a city wall
Chinese city wall
Chinese city walls refer to civic defensive systems used to protect towns and cities in China in pre-modern times. The system consisted of walls, towers, and gates, which were often built to a uniform standard throughout the Empire....
was constructed two years later. It is listed as one of the Seven Ancient Capitals of China
Historical capitals of China
The Chinese phrase Four Great Ancient Capitals of China traditionally refers to Beijing , Nanjing, Luoyang, and Chang'an ....
.
Hangzhou is 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.
It was the capital of the Wuyue Kingdom from 907 to 978 during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. Named Xifu at the time, it was one of the three great centers of culture in southern China
Northern and southern China
Northern China and southern China are two approximate regions within China. The exact boundary between these two regions has never been precisely defined...
during the tenth century, along with Nanjing
Nanjing
' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions...
and Chengdu
Chengdu
Chengdu , formerly transliterated Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. It holds sub-provincial administrative status...
. Leaders of Wuyue were noted patrons of the arts, and especially of Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
and associated temple architecture and artwork. It also became a cosmopolitan center, drawing scholars from throughout China and conducting diplomacy not only with neighboring Chinese states, but also with Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
, and the Khitan
Khitan people
thumb|250px|Khitans [[Eagle hunting|using eagles to hunt]], painted during the Chinese [[Song Dynasty]].The Khitan people , or Khitai, Kitan, or Kidan, were a nomadic Mongolic people, originally located at Mongolia and Manchuria from the 4th century...
Liao Dynasty
Liao Dynasty
The Liao Dynasty , also known as the Khitan Empire was an empire in East Asia that ruled over the regions of Manchuria, Mongolia, and parts of northern China proper between 9071125...
.
In 1089, while the poet Su Shi
Su Shi
Su Shi , was a writer, poet, artist, calligrapher, pharmacologist, gastronome, and statesman of the Song Dynasty, and one of the major poets of the Song era. His courtesy name was Zizhan and his pseudonym was Dongpo Jushi , and he is often referred to as Su Dongpo...
(Su Dongpo) was the city's governor, he used 200,000 workers to construct a 2.8 km long causeway
Causeway
In modern usage, a causeway is a road or railway elevated, usually across a broad body of water or wetland.- Etymology :When first used, the word appeared in a form such as “causey way” making clear its derivation from the earlier form “causey”. This word seems to have come from the same source by...
across the West Lake
West Lake
Xī Hú is a famous fresh water lake located in the historic center of Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province in eastern China. The lake is divided by the causeways of Sū Tí , Bái Tí , and Yánggōng Tí...
, which Qing
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
Emperor Qianlong considered particularly attractive in the early morning of the spring time. The lake was once a lagoon tens of thousands of years ago. Silt then blocked the way to the sea and the lake was formed. A drill in the lake-bed in 1975 found the sediment of the sea, which confirmed its origin. Artificial preservation prevented the lake from evolving into a marshland. The Su Causeway built by Su Shi
Su Shi
Su Shi , was a writer, poet, artist, calligrapher, pharmacologist, gastronome, and statesman of the Song Dynasty, and one of the major poets of the Song era. His courtesy name was Zizhan and his pseudonym was Dongpo Jushi , and he is often referred to as Su Dongpo...
, and the Bai Causeway built by Bai Juyi, a Tang Dynasty poet who was once the governor of Hangzhou, were both built out of mud dredged from the bottom of the lake. The lake is surrounded by hills on the northern and western sides. The Baochu Pagoda
Baochu Pagoda
Baochu Pagoda is a pagoda in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China. Known as one of the landmarks of the West Lake, it is located just north of the lake on top of Precious Stone Hill...
sits on the Baoshi Hill to the north of the lake.
Foreign community
Arab merchants lived in Hangzhou during the Song dynastySong Dynasty
The Song Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty. It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes or paper money, and the first Chinese government to establish a...
, due to the fact that the ocean going trade passsages took precedence over land trade during this time.There were also Arabic inscriptions from the 1200s and 1300s. During the Yuan dynasty
Yuan Dynasty
The Yuan Dynasty , or Great Yuan Empire was a ruling dynasty founded by the Mongol leader Kublai Khan, who ruled most of present-day China, all of modern Mongolia and its surrounding areas, lasting officially from 1271 to 1368. It is considered both as a division of the Mongol Empire and as an...
, Muslims were persecuted through the banning of their traditions, and they participated in revolts against the Mongols. The Fenghuangshi mosque was constructed by an Egyptian trader who moved to Hangzhou.
Ibn Battuta
Ibn Battuta
Abu Abdullah Muhammad Ibn Battuta , or simply Ibn Battuta, also known as Shams ad–Din , was a Muslim Moroccan Berber explorer, known for his extensive travels published in the Rihla...
is known to have visited the city of Hangzhou in the year 1345, he noted its charm, describes the city sat on a beautiful lake
West Lake
Xī Hú is a famous fresh water lake located in the historic center of Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province in eastern China. The lake is divided by the causeways of Sū Tí , Bái Tí , and Yánggōng Tí...
and is surrounded by gentle green hills. During his stay at Hangzhou, he was particularly impressed by the large number of well-crafted and well-painted Chinese wooden ships with colored sails and silk awnings assembling in the canals later he attends a banquet of the Yuan
Yuan
Yuan may refer to:* Chinese yuan, the basic unit of currency in China** Renminbi, the current currency used in the People's Republic of China, whose basic unit is Yuan...
Mongol administrator of the city named Qurtai, who according to Ibn Battuta, was very fond of the skills of local Chinese conjurers.
Southern Song
Hangzhou was chosen as the new capital of the Southern Song Dynasty when they regrouped after their defeat at the hands of the Jin in 1123. It remained the capital from the early 12th century until the MongolMongol Empire
The Mongol Empire , initially named as Greater Mongol State was a great empire during the 13th and 14th centuries...
invasion of 1276, and was known as Lin'an (臨安). It served as the seat of the imperial government, a center of trade and entertainment, and the nexus of the main branches of the civil service
Civil service
The term civil service has two distinct meanings:* A branch of governmental service in which individuals are employed on the basis of professional merit as proven by competitive examinations....
. During that time, the city was a sort of gravitational center of Chinese civilization: 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 the most celebrated poets in Chinese history such as Su Shi
Su Shi
Su Shi , was a writer, poet, artist, calligrapher, pharmacologist, gastronome, and statesman of the Song Dynasty, and one of the major poets of the Song era. His courtesy name was Zizhan and his pseudonym was Dongpo Jushi , and he is often referred to as Su Dongpo...
(苏轼), Lu You
Lu You
Lu You , was a Chinese poet of the Southern Song dynasty.-Early life and marriage:Lu You was born on a boat floating in the Wei River early on a rainy morning, October 17, 1125...
(陆游), and Xin Qiji
Xin Qiji
Xīn Qìjí was a Chinese poet, military leader, and statesman during the Southern Song dynasty.-Life:During Xin's lifetime, northern China was occupied by the Jin or Jurchen, a nomadic people from what is now north-east China then regarded as barbarians. Only southern China was ruled by the Han...
(辛弃疾) came here to live and die. Hangzhou is also the birthplace and final resting place of the scientist Shen Kuo
Shen Kuo
Shen Kuo or Shen Gua , style name Cunzhong and pseudonym Mengqi Weng , was a polymathic Chinese scientist and statesman of the Song Dynasty...
(1031-1095 AD), his tomb being located in the Yuhang
Yuhang
Yuhang District is a district of the Zhejiang province, China, under the jurisdiction of Hangzhou. It is located in the suburbs of Hangzhou. Population : 152,429. The primary languages spoken is Wu....
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 a corresponding population increase and the city developed well outside its 9th century ramparts. According to the Encyclopædia Britannica
Encyclopædia Britannica
The Encyclopædia Britannica , published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., is a general knowledge English-language encyclopaedia that is available in print, as a DVD, and on the Internet. It is written and continuously updated by about 100 full-time editors and more than 4,000 expert...
, 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 is believed that Hangzhou was the largest city in the world from 1180 to 1315 and from 1348 to 1358.
Kublai Khan
Kublai Khan , born Kublai and also known by the temple name Shizu , was the fifth Great Khan of the Mongol Empire from 1260 to 1294 and the founder of the Yuan Dynasty in China...
in 1276, three years before the final collapse of the empire. The capital of the new Yuan Dynasty
Yuan Dynasty
The Yuan Dynasty , or Great Yuan Empire was a ruling dynasty founded by the Mongol leader Kublai Khan, who ruled most of present-day China, all of modern Mongolia and its surrounding areas, lasting officially from 1271 to 1368. It is considered both as a division of the Mongol Empire and as an...
was established in the city of Dadu
Khanbaliq
Khanbaliq or Dadu refers to a city which is now Beijing, the current capital of the People's Republic of China...
(Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
).
The Venetian
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
Marco Polo
Marco Polo
Marco Polo was a Venetian merchant traveler from the Venetian Republic whose travels are recorded in Il Milione, a book which did much to introduce Europeans to Central Asia and China. He learned about trading whilst his father and uncle, Niccolò and Maffeo, travelled through Asia and apparently...
supposedly visited Hangzhou in the late 13th century. His book refers to the city as "beyond dispute the finest and the noblest in the world." He called the city Kinsay (or Kinsai) which simply means "capital" in Chinese (actually Polo used a Persianized version of the word). Although he exaggerated that the city was over one hundred miles in diameter and had 12,000 stone bridges, he still presented elegant prose about the country: "The number and wealth of the merchants, and the amount of goods that passed through their hands, was so enormous that no man could form a just estimate thereof."
The renowned 14th century Moroccan
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
explorer Ibn Battuta
Ibn Battuta
Abu Abdullah Muhammad Ibn Battuta , or simply Ibn Battuta, also known as Shams ad–Din , was a Muslim Moroccan Berber explorer, known for his extensive travels published in the Rihla...
said it was "the biggest city I have ever seen on the face of the earth."
Ming and after
The city remained an important port until the middle of the Ming DynastyMing Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
era when its harbor slowly silt
Silt
Silt is granular material of a size somewhere between sand and clay whose mineral origin is quartz and feldspar. Silt may occur as a soil or as suspended sediment in a surface water body...
ed up.
In 1856 and 1860, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom
Taiping Heavenly Kingdom
The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom was an oppositional state in China from 1851 to 1864, established by Hong Xiuquan, the leader of the Taiping Rebellion...
occupied Hangzhou and caused heavy damage to the city.
Hangzhou was ruled by Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
government under the Kuomintang
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
from 1928 to 1949. On May 3, 1949, the People's Liberation Army
People's Liberation Army
The People's Liberation Army is the unified military organization of all land, sea, strategic missile and air forces of the People's Republic of China. The PLA was established on August 1, 1927 — celebrated annually as "PLA Day" — as the military arm of the Communist Party of China...
entered Hangzhou and the city came under Communist control. After Deng Xiaoping
Deng Xiaoping
Deng Xiaoping was a Chinese politician, statesman, and diplomat. As leader of the Communist Party of China, Deng was a reformer who led China towards a market economy...
's reformist policies began in 1978, Hangzhou took advantage of being situated in the Yangtze River Delta
Yangtze River Delta
The Yangtze River Delta, Yangtze Delta or YRD, also called Yangzi, or Chang Jiang Delta, Rive Chang Delta Tai Lake Region or the Golden Triangle of the Yangtze, generally comprises the triangular-shaped territory of Wu-speaking Shanghai, southern Jiangsu province and northern Zhejiang province of...
to bolster its development. It is now one of China's most prosperous major cities.
Jewish and Muslim communities during Ming and Qing dynasties
As late as the latter part of the 16th and early 17th centuries, the city was an important center of Chinese JewryHistory of the Jews in China
Jews and Judaism in China have had a long history. Jewish settlers are documented in China as early as the 7th or 8th century CE, but may have arrived during the mid Han Dynasty, or even as early as 231 BCE. Relatively isolated communities developed through the Tang and Song Dynasties Jews and...
, and may have been the original home of the better-known Kaifeng Jewish community
Kaifeng Jews
The Kaifeng Jews are members of a small Jewish community that has existed in Kaifeng, in the Henan province of China, for hundreds of years. Jews in modern China have traditionally called themselves Youtai in Mandarin Chinese which is also the predominant contemporary Chinese language term for...
.
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 are in Kaifeng.
In 1848 during the Qing dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
, Hangzhou was described as the "stronghold" of Islam in China, the city containing several mosques with Arabic inscriptions. A Hui from Ningbo
Ningbo
Ningbo is a seaport city of northeastern Zhejiang province, Eastern China. Holding sub-provincial administrative status, the municipality has a population of 7,605,700 inhabitants at the 2010 census whom 3,089,180 in the built up area made of 6 urban districts. It lies south of the Hangzhou Bay,...
also told an Englishman that Hanzhou 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.
De Guignes visited a deserted mosque at Hangzhou fu. The edifice resembled Chinese building only in the roof; it was higher and more imposing ; the gate, which was large and high, and rounded out under the top like a cupola, was covered wiht holes a foot apart ; there were columns on each side surmounted with an entablature, the tops of which terminated in a kind of crescent. An Arabic inscription on the outside read, 'Temple for Mussulmans who travel and wish to consult the Koran.' There is no reason to believe that any serious efforts were made to increase the number of their adherents by proselyting the heathen. Those who adhered to Islam, did so because their fathers did so before them, and they did not wish to abandon the religion in which they were born. Some of the members of the Community have attained rank as officers of the imperial government, and in all probability, did not scruple to perform the idolatrous ceremonies prescribed to official personages.
A Christian missionary described his visit to a mosque in Hangzhou- "a large, irregular building, in the principal part of the city. I was introduced to the priest as a Christian from America. Though disposed to be polite, the old gentleman could not refrain from hinting in a delicute manner that we were addicted to image worship. When, however, he understood that this form of idolatry was an abomination to us likewise, he become very affable und inquisitive. We were able to leave only one book at the mosque, but have since made arrangements, according to our promise, to send him copies of the scriptures and of all our tracts for the temples at Hangchau, Suchau, and other places at a distance. He seemed anxious to possess them."
William R. Kahler described a mosque in Hangzhou during the Qing dynasty as being cleaner than Chinese temples- "Among other places of worship is a Mahometan mosque, but, when we visit it there is not a single person belonging to it to be seen. The mosque is much cleaner than any of the Chinese temples and has a lofty roof and dome and at the entrance over the door is an Arabic inscription stating that the mosque is for the benefit of Mahometans travelling to consult the Coran, while inside the building there is another inscription."
In the "Reports from the consuls of the United States, Issues 124-127", the following REPORT BY CONSUL FOWLER, OF NINGPO*, "SHEEP AND WOOL IN CHINA.", an account suggested that the Chinese in Hangzhou learned to eat mutton from the Muslim community-
Wool in China is simply called "sheep's hair." While sheep, in the neighborhood of Hang-Chow-Foo and the coast ports, maybe obtained in large quantities—in fact, are a staple article of food—not a pound of mutton can be had 120 miles to the north, and, although it is sometimes used as a fertilizer, yet in some parts of this same district, especially near Kin-wha (in this district), wool is so scarce that the boatmen in winter wear stockings made of human hair. The Chinese do not attempt to explain this. Rev. R. V. Lancaster, an American missionary, gives as a possible explanation that in Hang-Chow-Foo there is a colony or church of Mohammedans with a large mosque, and they, eating mutton, have taught the other Chinese.
Sheep in this district are kept only for food, not for the wool. The variety of sheep which alone is seen here is the bent-nose, broad-tailed variety; the tail is a lump of fat, sometimes weighing 2 pounds or more.
JOHN FOWLER, United States Consulate, Consul. Ningpo, January 28, 1891.
Geography
Hangzhou is located in northern Zhejiang province, eastern China, at the southern end of the Grand Canal of ChinaGrand Canal of China
The Grand Canal in China, also known as the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal is the longest canal or artificial river in the world. Starting at Beijing, it passes through Tianjin and the provinces of Hebei, Shandong, Jiangsu and Zhejiang to the city of Hangzhou...
, on the plain of the mid-lower reaches of the Yangtze River
Yangtze River
The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...
(Cháng Jiāng). The prefecture-level region of Hangzhou extends west to the border with the hilly-country Anhui Province, and east to the flat-land near Hangzhou Bay
Hangzhou Bay
Hangzhou Bay, or the Bay of Hangzhou , is an inlet of the East China Sea, bordered by the province of Zhejiang and the municipality of Shanghai. The Qiantang River flows into the bay.It lies south of Shanghai, and ends at the city of Hangzhou...
. The city center is built around the eastern and northern sides of the West Lake, just north of the Qiantang River
Qiantang River
The Qiantang River is a southeast Chinese river that originates in the borders of Anhui and Jiangxi provinces and passes through Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province, before flowing into the East China Sea through Hangzhou Bay....
.
Climate
Hangzhou's climate is Humid Subtropical (KoppenKöppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
Cfa) with four distinctive seasons, characterised by long, very hot, humid summers and short, chilly, cloudy and dry winters (with occasional snow). The average annual temperature is 16.5 °C (61.7 °F), ranging from 4.3 °C (39.7 °F) in January to 28.4 °C (83.1 °F) in July. The city receives an average annual rainfall of 1450 millimetres (57.1 in) and is affected by the Plum Rains of the Asian Monsoon in June. In late summer (August to September), Hangzhou, along with other cities in Zhejiang
Zhejiang
Zhejiang is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. The word Zhejiang was the old name of the Qiantang River, which passes through Hangzhou, the provincial capital...
province, suffer typhoon storms, but typhoons seldom strike it directly. Generally they make land along the southern coast of Zhejiang, and affect Hangzhou with strong winds and stormy rains.
Administrative divisions
Hangzhou Region or prefecture-level city contains the Hangzhou metropolitan area (eight districts), 3 metropolitan counties, and 2 ordinary counties. The central six urban districts occupy 682 km² (263.4 mi²) and have 1,910,000 people. The two suburban districts occupy 2,642 km² (1020 mi²) and have 1,950,000 people.It has direct jurisdiction over 8 districts (区 qu), 3 county-level cities
County-level city
A county-level city is a county-level administrative division of mainland China. County-level cities are usually governed by prefecture-level divisions, but a few are governed directly by province-level divisions....
(市 shi) and 2 Counties (县 xian):
| Map | Subdivision | Hanzi | Area | Population (approx) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
||||
| Hangzhou City Proper | ||||
| ■ Gongshu-qu Gongshu District Gongshu District is a district of Hangzhou, China.... |
拱墅区 | 87.49 km² | 280,000 | |
| ■ Xiacheng-qu Xiacheng District Xiacheng District is an administrative district in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province of China.It has an area of 31 square kilometers, and a population of 330,000. Its postal code is 310006.... |
下城区 | 31.46 km² | 330,000 | |
| ■ Shangcheng-qu Shangcheng District Shangcheng District is an administrative district in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province of China. There lies the ruins of Empire City of Song Dynasty... |
上城区 | 18.30 km² | 310,000 | |
| ■ Jianggan-qu Jianggan District Jianggan District is a district of Zhejiang, China. It is under the administration of the Hangzhou city.... |
江干区 | 210.22 km² | 350,000 | |
| ■ Xihu-qu Xihu District, Hangzhou Xihu District is a district in Hangzhou, China, near West Lake.It has an area of 263 square kilometers, and a population of 520,000. The postal code is 310013.The district government is located on 1 Zheda Rd.-External links:... |
西湖区 | 308.70 km² | 520,000 | |
| ■ Binjiang-qu Binjiang District Binjiang is a county-level district under the jurisdiction of Hangzhou city, in Zhejiang, a province of the People's Republic of China. It is across the Qiantang River from West Lake and the older parts of Hangzhou. Like Pudong in Shanghai, it a very modern, and rapidly developing, area that was... |
滨江区 | 72.02 km² | 120,000 | |
| Hangzhou Suburban and Rural | ||||
| ■ Yuhang-qu | 余杭区 | 1,223.56 km² | 826,900 | |
| ■ Xiaoshan-qu | 萧山区 | 1,420.00 km² | 1,150,000 | |
| ■ Lin'an-shi Lin'an City Lin'an City is a county-level city in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province of China. It is located in northwestern Zhejiang.... |
临安市 | 3,126.80 km² | 520,000 | |
| ■ Fuyang-shi Fuyang, Zhejiang Fuyang a county-level city under jurisdiction of Hangzhou, the provincial capital of Zhejiang province. Fuyang is located on the Fuchun River, a 285 mile long lower stream of Qiantang River, an important commercial artery, it flows NE to the East China Sea at Hangzhou... |
富阳市 | 1,831.20 km² | 640,000 | |
| ■ Jiande-shi Jiande Jiande is a city district of Zhejiang, China. It is under the administration of the Hangzhou city.... |
建德市 | 2,321.00 km² | 510,000 | |
| ■ Tonglu-xian Tonglu County Tonglu County is a county of Zhejiang, China. It is under the administration of the Hangzhou city.The districts in Tonglu County include a She ethnic township.-External links:*... |
桐庐县 | 1,825.00 km² | 400,000 | |
| ■ Chun'an-xian Chun'an County Chun'an County is a county under charge of Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province of China. It has a land area of 4,452 square kilometers and a population of 450,000... |
淳安县 | 4,427.00 km² | 450,000 | |
Economy
Hangzhou's economy has rapidly developed since its opening up in 1992. It is an industrial city with many diverse sectors such as in light industry, agriculture, textile, It is also considered an important manufacturing base and logistics hub for coastal China.In 2001, the GDP of the whole city amounts to RMB 156.8 billion which ranks the second among all of the provincial capitals except for Guangzhou. The city has more than tripled GDP in the last eight years, with GDP increasing from RMB ¥156.8 billion in 2001 to RMB ¥509.9 billion in 2009 and GDP per capita increasing from USD 3,025 to USD 10,968.
The city has developed many new industries since, they include medicine, information technology, heavy equipment, automotive components, household electrical appliances, electronics, telecommunication, fine chemicals, chemical fibre and food
processing.
Economic and Technological Development Zones
- Hangzhou Economic & Technological Development Zone
- Hangzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone was established and approved as a national development zone by State Council in 1993. It covers an area of 104.7 square kilometers. The zone is located in the eastern Zhejiang Province and is only one and a half hours' drive from Shanghai, Suzhou and Ningbo. Encourage industries include electronic information, biological medicine, machinery manufacturing, food processing.
- Hangzhou Export Processing Zone
- Hangzhou Export Processing Zone was established on April 27, 2000 upon approval of the State Council. It 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 sqkm. It is located close to Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport and Hangzhou Port.
- Hangzhou Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone
- Hangzhou Hi-tech Industry Development Zone (abbreviated to Hi-tech Zone) was set up in March 1990, after receiving approval from the State Council as a state level Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone in March 1991. The Hangzhou Hi-tech Zone is composed of three parts, with the main regions being the Zhejiang Sci-Tech Industrial Park and Xiasha Sci-Tech Industrial Park. The Hi-tech Zone makes good use of the concentrated superior intelligence in the park zone, relies on Hangzhou city's richly endowed natural environment and depends on preferential investment policies to gradually build a scientifically based hi-tech city --- Paradise Silicon Valley will capture world attention.
Tourism
Tourism in China
Tourism in China has greatly expanded over the last few decades since the beginning of reform and opening. The emergence of a newly rich middle class and an easing of restrictions on movement by the Chinese authorities are both fueling this travel boom. China has become one of the world's...
remains an important factor for Hangzhou's economy. One of Hangzhou's most popular sights is the West Lake
West Lake
Xī Hú is a famous fresh water lake located in the historic center of Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province in eastern China. The lake is divided by the causeways of Sū Tí , Bái Tí , and Yánggōng Tí...
, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The West Lake Cultural Landscape covers an area of 33 km2 (3,323 hectares) and includes some of Hangzhou's most notable historic and scenic places. Adjacent to the lake is a scenic area includes historical pagodas, cultural sites, as well as the natural beauty of the lake and hills. There are two causeways across the lake.
Scenic places near West Lake:
- Jingci TempleJingci TempleJingci Temple is located at the foot of Huiri Peak of Nanping Hill. It is the second prominent Buddhist temple around West Lake. Together with Lingyin Temple, it is called the jewel of the southern and northern hills...
(净慈寺) is located just south of West Lake. - Lingyin Temple (灵隐寺 "Soul's Retreat") is located about 2 km west of West Lake. This is believed to be the oldest Buddhist temple in the city, which has gone through numerous destruction and reconstruction cycles.
- Baochu PagodaBaochu PagodaBaochu Pagoda is a pagoda in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China. Known as one of the landmarks of the West Lake, it is located just north of the lake on top of Precious Stone Hill...
(保俶塔) is located just north of West Lake on top of Precious Stone Hill (宝石山) - Yue-Wang Temple (岳王庙, "King Yue's Temple") or Yue Fei Miao is on the north west shore of West Lake and was originally constructed in 1221 in memory of General Yue FeiYue FeiYue Fei , style name Pengju, was a military general of the Southern Song Dynasty. His ancestral home was in Xiaoti, Yonghe Village, Tangyin, Xiangzhou, Henan...
, who lost his life due to political persecution. - Leifeng PagodaLeifeng PagodaLeifeng Pagoda is a five story tall tower with eight sides, located on Sunset Hill south of the West Lake in Hangzhou. Originally constructed in the year AD 975, it collapsed in 1924 but was rebuilt in 2002, since when it has been a popular tourist attraction.-Original:The original pagoda was...
Other places of interest:
- The world's largest tidal boreTidal boreA tidal bore is a tidal phenomenon in which the leading edge of the incoming tide forms a wave of water that travel up a river or narrow bay against the direction of the river or bay's current...
races up the Qiantang RiverQiantang RiverThe Qiantang River is a southeast Chinese river that originates in the borders of Anhui and Jiangxi provinces and passes through Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province, before flowing into the East China Sea through Hangzhou Bay....
through Hangzhou reaching up to 40 ft (12.2 m) in height. - The Residence of Hu Xueyan 胡雪岩故居 located on Yuanbao Street was built in 1872 by Hu Xueyan, a native of Anhui, a very successful businessman. After restoration it was opened to the public in 2001
- Liuhe PagodaLiuhe PagodaLiuhe Pagoda , literally Six Harmonies Pagoda or Six Harmonies Tower, is a multi-story Chinese pagoda in southern Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China. It is located at the foot of Yuelun Hill, facing the Qiantang River...
or six harmonies pagoda is located on Yuelun Hill on the north bank of Qiantang River - Confucius Temple
- Chenghuang Temple and Pagoda Scenic Area
- Dreaming of the Tiger Spring
- The Immaculate Conception Cathedral of HangzhouImmaculate Conception Cathedral of HangzhouThe Cathedral of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception is a Roman Catholic cathedral, located at 415 Zhongshan Road North not far from Wulin Square in downtown Hangzhou, China...
is one of the oldest CatholicCatholicThe word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
churches in China, dating back 400 years to the Ming dynastyMing DynastyThe Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
. - Fenghuang Temple (凤凰清真寺) is one of the oldest mosques in China, the current construction at the intersection of Xihu Road (西湖大道) and the Central Zhongshan Road (中山中路) dating back 700 years to the Yuan dynastyYuan DynastyThe Yuan Dynasty , or Great Yuan Empire was a ruling dynasty founded by the Mongol leader Kublai Khan, who ruled most of present-day China, all of modern Mongolia and its surrounding areas, lasting officially from 1271 to 1368. It is considered both as a division of the Mongol Empire and as an...
. - Xixi National Wetland ParkXixi National Wetland ParkXixi National Wetland Park is the first and only national wetland park in China, located at the west part of Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, a total of 10.64 square kilometers . The park is densely crisscrossed with six main watercourses, among which scatter various ponds, lakes and swamps.XiXi...
established with the aim of preserving the wetland ecological system, it covers an area of about 10km2. Fish ponds and reed beds have been restored and it is home to many types of birds. There is a temple and several historic rural houses. - Hangzhou Botanical GardenHangzhou Botanical GardenHangzhou Botanical Garden is a large public botanical garden located in Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province, People's Republic of China.-Introduction:...
- Hangzhou ZooHangzhou ZooHangzhou Zoo is a zoo in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China.-External links:* *http://monkey.ioz.ac.cn/bwg-cciced/english/bwg-cciced/tech-21.htm*http://www.hudong.com/wiki/%E6%9D%AD%E5%B7%9E%E5%8A%A8%E7%89%A9%E5%9B%AD...
- Old China Street on He Fang Street (He Fang Jie), which offers various kinds of souvenirs and renowned Longjing tea
- Jade Springs (Yu Quan)
- West Lake Cultural SquareWest Lake Cultural SquareWest Lake Cultural Square is a public square in downtown Hangzhou, China. The site is located adjacent to the Chinese Grand Canal and is home to the Zhejiang Natural History Museum and Zhejiang Science and Technology Museum.-External links:*...
is the tallest building in the city and houses the Zhejiang Natural History Museum and Zhejiang Museum of Science and Technology - Qiandao LakeQiandao LakeQiandao Lake is a man-made lake located in Chun'an County, Zhejiang, China, formed since the completion of the Xin'an River hydroelectric station. There are 1,078 large islands in the lake and a few thousand smaller ones. It covers an area of 573 km² and has a storage capacity of 17.8 km³...
is a man-made lake with the largest number of islands.These islands are different in size and shape,and have distinctive scenes. - Grand Canal
Culture
The native residents of Hangzhou, like those of ZhejiangZhejiang
Zhejiang is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. The word Zhejiang was the old name of the Qiantang River, which passes through Hangzhou, the provincial capital...
and southern Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
, speak a Wu dialect. However, the Wu dialect varies throughout the area where it is spoken, hence, Hangzhou's dialect differs from regions in southern Zhejiang and southern Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
. As the official language defined by China's central government, Mandarin is the dominant spoken language.
Tea is an important part of Hangzhou's economy and culture. Hangzhou is best known for originating Longjing, a notable variety of green tea
Green tea
Green tea is made solely from the leaves of Camellia sinensis that have undergone minimal oxidation during processing. Green tea originates from China and has become associated with many cultures throughout Asia. It has recently become more widespread in the West, where black tea is traditionally...
, the most notable type being Xi Hu Long Jing. Known as the best type of Long Jing tea, Xi Hu Long Jing is grown near Xi Hu in Hangzhou, hence its name.
The local government of Hangzhou heavily invests in promoting tourism and the arts, with emphasis placed upon silk
Silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity...
production, umbrella
Umbrella
An umbrella or parasol is a canopy designed to protect against rain or sunlight. The term parasol usually refers to an item designed to protect from the sun; umbrella refers to a device more suited to protect from rain...
s, and Chinese hand-held folding fans
Fan (implement)
A hand-held fan is an implement used to induce an airflow for the purpose of cooling or refreshing oneself. Any broad, flat surface waved back-and-forth will create a small airflow and therefore can be considered a rudimentary fan...
.
Hangzhou's local cuisine is often considered to be representative of Zhejiang provincial cuisine, which is claimed as one of China’s eight fundamental cuisines. The locally-accepted consensus amongst Hangzhou's natives defines dishes prepared in this style to be "fresh, tender, soft, and smooth, with a mellow fragrance."
Dishes like West Lake Sour Fish（西湖醋鱼）, Dongpo Pork（东坡肉）, Longjing Shrimp（龙井虾仁）, Jiaohua Young Chicken（叫花鸡）, Steamed Rice and Pork Wrapped by Lotus Leaves（荷叶粉蒸肉）, Braised Bamboo Shoots（油焖竹笋） and Lotus Root Pudding(藕粉） are some of the better-known examples of Hangzhou's regional cuisine.
Transportation
Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport
Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport is the principal airport serving Hangzhou, a major city in the Yangtze River Delta region and the capital of Zhejiang Province, China....
, which provides direct service to many international destinations such as Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
, Malaysia, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, and the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. Regional routes reach Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
and Macau
Macau
Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
. It has an extensive domestic route network within the PRC and is consistently ranked top 10 in passenger traffic among Chinese airports. Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport
Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport
Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport is the principal airport serving Hangzhou, a major city in the Yangtze River Delta region and the capital of Zhejiang Province, China....
has two terminals, namely Terminal A and Terminal B. The smaller Terminal A serves all international and regional flights while the bigger Terminal B solely handles domestic traffic. The airport is located just outside the city in the Xiaoshan District with direct bus service linking the airport with Downtown Hangzhou. The ambitious expansion project will see the addition of a second runway and a third terminal which will dramatically increase capacity of the fast-growing airport that serves as a secondary hub of Air China
Air China
Air China is the flag carrier and one of the major airlines of the People's Republic of China. Based in Beijing Capital International Airport, Air China is the world's 10th largest airline by fleet size. The airline ranked behind its main competitors China Southern Airlines and China Eastern...
. A new elevated airport express highway is under construction on top of the existing highway between the airport and downtown Hangzhou. The second phase of Hangzhou Metro Line 1 has a planned extension to the airport.
Hangzhou sits on the intersecting point of some of the busiest rail corridors in China. The city's main station is Hangzhou Railway Station
Hangzhou Railway Station
Hangzhou Railway Station is located in Shangcheng District, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province of China. It is affiliated to Shanghai Railway Bureau, and is also the terminal of Shanghai-Hangzhou Railway. The station is ranked first-class....
(colloquially the "City Station" 城站). There are frequent departures for Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
with approximately 20-minute headways from 6:00 to 21:00. Non-stop CRH high speed service between Hangzhou and Shanghai takes 45 minutes and leaves every hour (excluding a few early morning/late night departures) from both directions. While other CRH
China Railway High-speed
China Railway High-speed ; ) is the high-speed rail system operated by China Railways.Hexie Hao is the designation for high-speed trains running on this rail system. At the middle of the run, all trains were marked "CRH" on the centre of the head vehicle and the side of the walls of each vehicle...
high speed trains that stop at one or more stations along the route complete the trip in 59 to 75 minutes. Most other major cities in China can also be reached by direct train service from Hangzhou. The Hangzhou East Railway Station
Hangzhou East Railway Station
Hangzhou East Railway Station is a railway station of Hukun Railway located in Zhejiang, People's Republic of China.-History:The station opened in 1992.Since 2010, the station is the terminal of the Shanghai–Hangzhou High-Speed Railway.- See also :...
(colloquially "East Station" 东站), is closed for renovation until late 2011. Once completed, it will become one of the biggest rail traffic hubs in China consisting of 15 platforms that will house the High Speed CRH service to and from Shanghai, Nanjing, Changsha, Ningbo, and beyond. The subway station beneath the rail compex building is a stop along the Hangzhou Metro Line 1.
Direct trains link Hangzhou with more than 20 cities, including 4 daily services to Beijing (1650 km), more than 45 daily services to Shanghai (200 km) and it reaches as far as Ürümqi
Ürümqi
Ürümqi , formerly Tihwa , is the capital of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, in the northwest of the country....
. The Shanghai–Hangzhou High-Speed Railway
Shanghai–Hangzhou High-Speed Railway
The Shanghai–Hangzhou High-Speed Railway , also known as the Huhang High-Speed Railway or Huhang Passenger Railway is a high-speed rail line in China between Shanghai and Hangzhou. The line is in length and designed for commercial train service at . It was built in 20 months and opened on October...
service inaugurated on October 26, 2010. The service is operated by the CRH 380A and CRH 380BL train sets which travel at a maximum speed of 350 km/h, shortening the duration of the 202 km trip to only 45 minutes.
The construction of the Shanghai-Hangzhou Maglev Train Line
Shanghai-Hangzhou Maglev Train
Shanghai-Hangzhou Maglev Train is a proposed maglev train line from Shanghai to Hangzhou, to be built by Germany's Transrapid consortium . Originally planned to be ready for Expo 2010, the controversial project was repeatedly delayed, with final approval being granted on August 18, 2008...
has been debated for several years. On August 18, 2008 Beijing Authorities gave the project the go-ahead to start construction in 2010. Transrapid
Transrapid
Transrapid is a German high-speed monorail train using magnetic levitation. Based on a patent from 1934, planning of the Transrapid system started in 1969. The test facility for the system in Emsland, Germany was completed in 1987...
has been contracted to construct the line. However, as of 2011 construction has not yet started.
Central, north, south and west long-distance bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
stations offer frequent coach service to nearby cities/towns within Zhejiang province, as well as surrounding provinces.
Hangzhou has an efficient public transportation network, consisting of a modern fleet of regular diesel bus, trolley bus
Trolleybus
A trolleybus is an electric bus that draws its electricity from overhead wires using spring-loaded trolley poles. Two wires and poles are required to complete the electrical circuit...
, hybrid diesel-electric bus
Hybrid electric bus
A hybrid electric bus combines a conventional internal combustion engine propulsion system with an electric propulsion system. These type of buses normally use a diesel-electric powertrain and are also known as hybrid diesel-electric buses....
and taxi. The first subway
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
line is expected to enter into service by October 1, 2012. Hangzhou is known for its extensive Bus Rapid Transit
Bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit is a term applied to a variety of public transportation systems using buses to provide faster, more efficient service than an ordinary bus line. Often this is achieved by making improvements to existing infrastructure, vehicles and scheduling...
network expanding from downtown to many suburban areas through dedicated bus lanes on some of the busiest streets in the city. Bicycle
Bicycle
A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....
s and electric scooters
Motorized bicycle
A motorized bicycle, motorbike, cyclemotor, or vélomoteur is a bicycle with an attached motor and transmission used either to power the vehicle unassisted, or to assist with pedaling. Since it always retains both pedals and a discrete connected drive for rider-powered propulsion, the motorized...
are very popular and major streets have dedicated bike lanes throughout the city. Hangzhou has an extensive free public bike rental system.
Taxis
Taxicab
A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
are also very popular in the city. With its line of the newest Hyundai Sonata
Hyundai Sonata
The Hyundai Sonata is a mid-size car/full-size car manufactured and marketed globally by Hyundai Motor Company. From the sixth generation onwards, it is known as the i45 in the Australian, Singaporean and New Zealand markets...
s and Volkswagen Passat
Volkswagen Passat
The Volkswagen Passat is a large family car marketed by Volkswagen Passenger Cars through six design generations since 1973. Between the Volkswagen Golf / Volkswagen Jetta and the Volkswagen Phaeton in the current Volkswagen line-up, the Passat and its derivatives have been badged variously as...
s, and tight regulations, the city's taxi service is rated amongst the best in the country. In early 2011 30 electric taxis were deployed in Hangzhou. 15 were Zoyte Langyues and the other 15 were Haima
Haima (car)
Haima is the name of a subsidiary of China's First Automobile Works conglomerate based on southern the island of Hainan. It produces vehicles based on old Mazda mechanical components.-History:...
Freemas, however in April one Zoyte Langye caught fire and all of the electric taxis were taken off the roads later that day. The city still intends to have a fleet of 200 electric taxis by the end of 2011.
The Hangzhou Metro
Hangzhou Metro
Hangzhou Metro is a metro system currently under construction to serve the city of Hangzhou, Zhejiang and its suburbs. The construction commenced in March 2006, and is expected to complete by October 1, 2012....
is currently under construction. It is expected to have 8 lines upon completion. Phase I, which consists of Line 1, the southern segment of Line 2 and part of the Line 4 that links Line 1 and 2, is scheduled to open for service on October 1, 2012.
Education
Hangzhou has a large student population with many higher education institutions based in the city. Public universities include Zhejiang University
Zhejiang University
Zhejiang University , sometimes referred to as Zheda, is a national university in China. Founded in 1897, Zhejiang University is one of China's oldest institutions of higher education...
, Zhejiang University of Technology
Zhejiang University of Technology
Zhejiang University of Technology is located in the city of Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. It is considered one of the top industrial universities in mainland China and the second largest university in Zhejiang Province after the most comprehensive university - Zhejiang University.Engineering,...
and Hangzhou Normal University
Hangzhou Normal University
Hangzhou Normal University（杭州师范大学）is a public university in China, located in the capital of Zhejiang province, Hangzhou. It has four campuses--Xiasha, Man all the way, Jade Hill, Gudang Bay...
etc. There are several college towns, each with a cluster of several universities and colleges. Xiasha, located near the east end of the city, is by far the largest college town in Hangzhou.
- Zhejiang UniversityZhejiang UniversityZhejiang University , sometimes referred to as Zheda, is a national university in China. Founded in 1897, Zhejiang University is one of China's oldest institutions of higher education...
(浙江大学) (founded in 1897) - China Academy of ArtChina Academy of ArtChina Academy of Art is the highest university of art in China. It was founded in Hangzhou in 1928 by the government of Republic of China.-Introduction:...
(中国美术学院) (founded in 1928) - Zhejiang University of TechnologyZhejiang University of TechnologyZhejiang University of Technology is located in the city of Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. It is considered one of the top industrial universities in mainland China and the second largest university in Zhejiang Province after the most comprehensive university - Zhejiang University.Engineering,...
(浙江工业大学) (1953) - Zhejiang Gongshang UniversityZhejiang Gongshang UniversityZhejiang Gongshang University is a public higher educational institution focuses on the fields of business and technology.The university is administrated by Zhejiang Province...
(浙江工商大学) - Hangzhou Dianzi UniversityHangzhou Dianzi UniversityHangzhou Dianzi University is a university located in Hangzhou, China. It was founded in 1956 as the second public university in Zhejiang Province. It was formerly named Hanghzou Institute of Electrical Engineering and was renamed in 2004....
(杭州电子科技大学) - Zhejiang Forestry UniversityZhejiang Forestry UniversityZhejiang Forestry University is provincial university established in 1958. It is located in Lin'an City, Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang province in China.- History :Zhejiang Forestry University was created in 1958...
(浙江林学院) - Zhejiang Sci-Tech UniversityZhejiang Sci-Tech UniversityZhejiang Sci-Tech University is a university in Zhejiang province provides programs in the fields of engineering, sciences, humanities , economics, management and law with engineering being its main focus...
(浙江理工大学) - Zhejiang University of Science and Technology (浙江科技学院)
- Zhejiang Chinese Medical University (浙江中医药大学)
- China Jiliang University (中国计量学院) (founded on Oct. 18, 1978)
- Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics (浙江财经学院)
- Hangzhou Normal University (杭州师范大学)
- Zhejiang University of Media and Communications (浙江传媒学院)
- City College,Zhejiang University (浙江大学城市学院)
Note: Institutions without full-time bachelor programs are not listed.
Italic text
High schools
- Zhejiang Xiaoshan No.5 High School (浙江省萧山第五中学）
- Hangzhou High School (杭州高级中学)
- Hangzhou No. 2 High School (杭州第二中学)
- Hangzhou XUEJUN High School (杭州学军中学)
- Affiliated Senior High School to Hangzhou Normal University (杭州师范大学附属中学)
- Hangzhou No. 4 High School (杭州第四中学)
- Hangzhou Foreign Language School (杭州外国语学校)
- Zhejiang Xiaoshan High School (浙江省萧山中学)
- Hangzhou No. 14 Middle School (杭州第十四中学)
- Hangzhou No. 15 Middle School (杭州第十五中学)
- Hangzhou International SchoolHangzhou International SchoolHangzhou International School is a Pre-School through 12th grade institution serving the local expat population in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China. The school campus, located on the grounds of the highly respected Hangzhou Number Two Middle School, is fully equipped and staffed to offer a comprehensive...
(International Students Only)
Chinese sayings
- "Be born in SuzhouSuzhouSuzhou , previously transliterated as Su-chou, Suchow, and Soochow, is a major city located in the southeast of Jiangsu Province in Eastern China, located adjacent to Shanghai Municipality. The city is situated on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and on the shores of Taihu Lake and is a part...
, live in Hangzhou, eat in GuangzhouGuangzhouGuangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
, die in LiuzhouLiuzhou-History:thumb|Liuchow in 1945.Liuzhou has a history of more than 2,100 years. The city was founded in 111 B.C. when it was known as Tanzhong....
." (生在苏州, 活在杭州, 吃在广州, 死在柳州)- The meaning here lies in the fact that Suzhou was renowned for its beautiful and highly civilized and educated citizens, Hangzhou for its scenery, Guangzhou for its food, and Liuzhou (of GuangxiGuangxiGuangxi, formerly romanized Kwangsi, is a province of southern China along its border with Vietnam. In 1958, it became the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, a region with special privileges created specifically for the Zhuang people.Guangxi's location, in...
) for its nanmuNanmuNanmu is a type of wood that was frequently used for boat building, architectural woodworking and wood art in China. Ming Dynasty era writings indicate this wood as superior durable softwood...
wood coffins which supposedly halted the decay of the body.
- The meaning here lies in the fact that Suzhou was renowned for its beautiful and highly civilized and educated citizens, Hangzhou for its scenery, Guangzhou for its food, and Liuzhou (of Guangxi
- "Heaven Above, Suzhou and Hangzhou below." (上有天堂，下有苏杭)
- This phrase has a similar meaning to the English phrases "heaven on Earth" or "God's country".
Twin towns — sister cities
Hangzhou is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with:
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