Brief Introduction

Hangzhou, served as the capital of the Zhejiang province, is functioning as the political, economic and cultural center, as well as a transportation hub in the province. It has 6 urban districts and 7 suburban counties under jurisdiction with an area of more than 16,000 square kilometers. Hangzhou is renowned for its beautiful scenery and regarded as "Heaven on Earth". Reputed as a "cultural county" in its history, Hangzhou is now more developed in the fields of science & technology, education, and culture. The main industries in Hangzhou include machine, textile, chemical and electronics. It is mostly famous for its light industry characterizing in its tea and silk production. Now as one of the seven ancient Chinese capitals, Hangzhou has gained its reputation for its long history, rich culture and breathtaking attractions--therefore becoming a major tourist destination in China.

Geographic Features
Located in the south of Yangtze River Delta, Hangzhou is at the southern end of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, with its center lying 30o15 north latitude and 120o16 east longitude. In southwest Hangzhou there is a foothill, joined by the undulated Tianmu Mountains, with an altitude generally lower than 500 meters. The northeastern part of the city is flat, with an altitude of 3 to 10 meters. Hangzhou is located in semitropical area with the warm and humid climate through four seasons. The frost-free period lasts 230 to 260 days. The annual precipitation is 1,435 mm and the annual mean temperature is 16.2Co. The city boasts of the two national beauty spots, namely the West Lake and Fuchun River-Xinan River-Qiandao Lake.

People
There is a population of 6.21 million in Hangzhou area with 3.12 million in urban area. Most inhabitants are Han Nationality. People speak local dialect. But government language is mandarin. Buddhism is still the largest religion in Hangzhou, and then comes the Taoism and Christianity.

 

History
Hangzhou has a long history and it has been found that fifty thousand years ago the "Jiande people", one of the ancient Homo sapiens, lived in this area. From the Spring and Autumn Period to the Warring States Period, the area was occupied as the territory of Wu, Yue and Chu successively. When Emperor Qin Shihuang had China unified in 221BC, this area was established as Qiantang County. The name was changed to Hangzhou during the reign of Emperor Kaihuang in the Sui Dynasty (581-618A.D.) and lasted to this day. It was the construction of the 1054-mile Grand Canal in the Sui Dynasty that really spurred Hangzhou into a major cultural, economic and political center in China. Hangzhou saw its height of power and splendor in its history when it served as the capital of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279A.D) for 153 years. During the period of Yuan Dynasty, Hangzhou was established as a town of strategic importance, with flourishing economy and beautiful scenery, being, in the words of the Italian traveler Marco Polo, the " the finest and most magnificent city in the world". In the period of Ming and Qing Dynasties, Hangzhou was still leading the way in economic, social and cultural development in China.