Hangzhou 杭州
—  Sub-provincial city  —
杭州市
Location of Hangzhou City in Zhejiang
Hangzhou Location in China
Coordinates: 30°15′N 120°10′E / 30.25°N 120.167°E / 30.25; 120.167Coordinates: 30°15′N 120°10′E / 30.25°N 120.167°E / 30.25; 120.167
Country	People's Republic of China
Province	Zhejiang
Government
• Type	Sub-provincial city
• CPC Ctte Secretary	Huang Kunming
• Mayor	Shao Zhanwei
Area
• Sub-provincial city	16,847 km2 (6,505 sq mi)
• Urban	3,372 km2 (1,302 sq mi)
Population (2010)[1]
• Sub-provincial city	8,700,400
• Density	1,214/km2 (3,143/sq mi)
• Urban	6,242,000
• Metro	7,922,500 Hangzhou-Shaoxing Metro area(including Hangzhou city, Shaoxing City)
Demonym	Hangzhouvian
Time zone	China standard time (UTC+8)
Postal code	310000
GDP (Nominal)	2011
- Total	CNY 701.2 billion (USD 111.1 billion)
- Per capita	CNY 80,000 (USD 12,380)
- Growth	10.1%
Licence plate prefixes	浙A
Regional Dialect	Wu: Hangzhou dialect
Website	City of Hangzhou
City tree Camphor laurel (Cinnamomum camphora) City flower Sweet Osmanthus (Osmanthus fragrans)

This article contains Chinese text. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Chinese characters.

Hangzhou (Chinese: 杭州; Hangzhou dialect: ɦaŋ tsei; Mandarin pinyin: Hángzhōu Mandarin pronunciation: [xɑ̌ŋtʂóʊ] ( listen)), formerly transliterated as Hangchow, is the capital and largest city of Zhejiang Province in Eastern China. It is governed as a sub-provincial city. As of 2010, the entire administrative division ("shì", 杭州市) or prefecture had a registered population of 8.7 million people.^[2] The built up area of the Hangzhou municipality had a resident population of 6.242 million in 2010 (urban and suburban districts), of which 3.56 million lived in the six urban core districts.

A core city of the Yangtze River Delta, Hangzhou has a position on the Hangzhou Bay 180 kilometres (110 mi) southwest of Shanghai that gives it economic power. It has 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.

History[link]

Early history[link]

Hangzhou Castle Area map in 1867, Traditonal Chinese edition

The celebrated Neolithic 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 (Chinese: 錢塘縣). In AD 589, the city was renamed "Hangzhou", literally meaning "River-ferrying Prefecture",^[3] 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 the Tang Dynasty Bai Juyi was appointed governor of Hangzhou. Already an accomplished and famous poet, his deeds at Hangzhou have led to his being praised as a great governor. He noticed that the farmland nearby depended on the water of West Lake, but due to the negligence of previous governors, the old dyke had collapsed, and 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, and thus providing water for irrigation and so 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 beauty of West Lake, visiting it almost daily. He also ordered the construction of a causeway connecting Broken Bridge with Solitary Hill to allow walking on foot, instead of requiring the services of a boat. He then had willows and other trees along planted along the dyke, making it a beautiful landmark. Afterwards, this causeway was later named "Bai Causeway", in his honor.

In 1089, while another renowned 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.

Foreign community[link]

Statue of Marco Polo in Hangzhou

Hangzhou depicted in a French illumination from 1412

Arab merchants lived in Hangzhou during the Song dynasty, due to the fact that the ocean going trade passsages took precedence over land trade during this time.^[4] 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.^[5] The Fenghuangshi mosque was constructed by an Egyptian trader who moved to Hangzhou.^[6] Ibn Battuta is known to have visited the city of Hangzhou in the year 1345; he noted its charm and described how the city sat on a beautiful lake and was surrounded by gentle green hills.^[7] 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.^[8]

Southern Song[link]

The Liuhe Pagoda of Hangzhou, built in 1165 during the Song Dynasty.

Lakeside Buildings on the West Lake

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.^[9] It remained the capital from the early 12th century until the Mongol 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.^[10][11]

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 Lingyin Temple

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.^[12] 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."

Ming and after[link]

Hangzhou city gate in 1906

The city remained an important port until the middle of the Ming Dynasty era when its harbor slowly silted 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.

Jewish and Muslim communities during Ming and Qing dynasties[link]

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 the original home of the better-known Kaifeng Jewish community.^[13]

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.^[14]

In 1848 during the Qing dynasty, Hangzhou was described as the "stronghold" of Islam in China, the city containing several mosques with Arabic inscriptions.^[15] 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.^[16]

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 with holes a foot apart; and 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.'^[17] 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.^[18]

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 delicate 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 and 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."^[19]

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."^[20]

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.

^[21]

Geography and climate[link]

Tidal bore at the Qiantang River in Hangzhou

Hangzhou is located in northwestern Zhejiang province, eastern China, at the southern end of the Grand Canal of China, 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.

Hangzhou's climate is humid subtropical (Köppen Cfa) with four distinctive seasons, characterised by long, very hot, humid summers and chilly, cloudy and drier winters (with occasional snow). The mean annual temperature is 16.5 °C (61.7 °F), with monthly daily averages 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 1,450 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 the province, suffer typhoon storms, but typhoons seldom strike it directly. Generally they make landfall along the southern coast of Zhejiang, and affect Hangzhou with strong winds and stormy rains.^[22]

Administrative divisions[link]

Hangzhou cityscape

The sub-provincial city of Hangzhou comprises 8 districts (区 qu), 3 county-level cities (市 shi), and 2 counties (县 xian). The six central urban districts occupy 682 km² (263.4 mi²) and have 3,560,400 people. The two suburban districts occupy 2,642 km² (1020 mi²) and have 2,681,600 people.

Map	Subdivision	Hanzi	Area	Population (approx)
	City center
	■ Gongshu District	拱墅区	87.49 km²	280,000
	■ Xiacheng District	下城区	31.46 km²	551,900
	■ Shangcheng District	上城区	18.30 km²	344,600
	■ Jianggan District	江干区	210.22 km²	998,800
	■ Xihu District	西湖区	308.70 km²	820,000
	■ Binjiang District	滨江区	72.02 km²	319,000
	Suburban and Rural
	■ Yuhang District	余杭区	1,223.56 km²	1,170,300
	■ Xiaoshan District	萧山区	1,420.22 km²	1,511,300
	■ Lin'an City	临安市	3,126.80 km²	566,700
	■ Fuyang City	富阳市	1,831.20 km²	717,700
	■ Jiande City	建德市	2,321.00 km²	430,800
	■ Tonglu County	桐庐县	1,825.00 km²	406,400
	■ Chun'an County	淳安县	4,427.00 km²	336,800

Economy[link]

Wulin Square

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.^[23]

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.^[23]

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.^[24]

Economic and Technological Development Zones[link]

• 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.^[25]
• 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.^[26]
• 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.^[27]

Tourism[link]

West Lake

View from the Chenghuang pagoda area

Hu Xueyan Residence, a historic mansion in Hangzhou

Hangzhou is renowned for its historic relics and natural beauty. It is often known as one of the most beautiful cities in China, also ranking as one of the most scenic cities.^[28] Although Hangzhou has been through many recent urban developments, it still retains its historical and cultural heritage. Today, tourism remains an important factor for Hangzhou's economy.^[28] One of Hangzhou's most popular sights is the West Lake, 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.^[28]

Scenic places near West Lake:

• Jingci Temple (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 Pagoda (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 Fei, who lost his life due to political persecution.
• Leifeng Pagoda

Other places of interest:

• The world's largest tidal bore races up the Qiantang River through Hangzhou reaching up to 40 ft (12 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 Pagoda 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 Hangzhou is one of the oldest Catholic churches in China, dating back 400 years to the Ming dynasty.
• 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 dynasty.
• Xixi National Wetland Park 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 Garden
• Hangzhou Zoo
• 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 Square is the tallest building in the city and houses the Zhejiang Natural History Museum and Zhejiang Museum of Science and Technology
• Qiandao Lake 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[link]

This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

Longjing (Dragon Well Spring) in Hangzhou, famous for the Longjing tea cultivated in the surrounding plantations

The native residents of Hangzhou, like those of Zhejiang and southern Jiangsu, 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. 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, 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 production, umbrellas, and Chinese hand-held folding fans.

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[link]

Hangzhou Railway Station

High speed rail line in Hangzhou

Qiantang River Bridge

Hangzhou trolleybus

Hangzhou city bus

Taxis on Yanan Road

bicyles for rent

Hangzhou is served by the Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport, which provides direct service to many international destinations such as Germany, Thailand, Australia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, India, Vietnam, Ethiopia, Singapore, and the Netherlands.^[29] Regional routes reach Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau. 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 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. 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 (colloquially the "City Station" 城站). There are frequent departures for Shanghai 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 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 (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. The Shanghai–Hangzhou High-Speed Railway 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.^[30]

The construction of the Shanghai-Hangzhou Maglev Train Line has been debated for several years. On August 18, 2008 Beijing Authorities gave the project the go-ahead to start construction in 2010. Transrapid has been contracted to construct the line. However, as of 2011 construction has not yet started.

Central, north, south and west long-distance bus 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, hybrid diesel-electric bus and taxi. The first subway line is expected to enter into service by October 1, 2012. Hangzhou is known for its extensive Bus Rapid Transit network expanding from downtown to many suburban areas through dedicated bus lanes on some of the busiest streets in the city. Bicycles and electric scooters are very popular and major streets have dedicated bike lanes throughout the city. Hangzhou has an extensive free public bike rental system.

Taxis are also very popular in the city. With its line of the newest Hyundai Sonatas and Volkswagen Passats, 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 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.^[31]

The Hangzhou Metro 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[link]

See also List of universities in the People's Republic of China

Hangzhou has a large student population with many higher education institutions based in the city. Public universities include Zhejiang University, Zhejiang University of Technology and Hangzhou Normal University 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 University (浙江大学) (founded in 1897)
• China Academy of Art (中国美术学院) (founded in 1928)
• Zhejiang University of Technology (浙江工业大学) (1953)
• Zhejiang Gongshang University (浙江工商大学)
• Hangzhou Dianzi University (杭州电子科技大学)
• Zhejiang Forestry University (浙江林学院)
• Zhejiang Sci-Tech University (浙江理工大学)

Note: Institutions without full-time bachelor programs are not listed.

International high schools[link]

• Hangzhou International School

Chinese sayings[link]

A typical Chinese garden's window decoration in Hangzhou

"Be born in Suzhou, live in Hangzhou, eat in Guangzhou, die in Liuzhou." (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 Guangxi) for its nanmu wood coffins which supposedly halted the decay of the body.

"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".

International relations[link]

Twin towns — sister cities[link]

Hangzhou is twinned with:

See also[link]

• Jiangnan
• List of cities in the People's Republic of China by population

Further reading[link]

The Confucius Temple of Hangzhou

• Cotterell, Arthur. (2007). The Imperial Capitals of China - An Inside View of the Celestial Empire. London: Pimlico. pp. 304 pages.. ISBN 978-1-84595-009-5. 
• Gernet, Jacques. (1962). Daily Life in China on the Eve of the Mongol Invasion, 1250-1276. Stanford: Stanford University Press. ISBN 0-8047-0720-0. 

References[link]

West Lake

Luohan Tang (Arhat Hall) at Hupaoquan in Hangzhou, China

Bars alongside the street of Hangzhou (Xihu District).

•  This article incorporates text from The Middle kingdom: a survey of the ... Chinese empire and its inhabitants ..., by Samuel Wells Williams, a publication from 1848 now in the public domain in the United States.
•  This article incorporates text from The middle kingdom: a survey of the geography, government, education, social life, arts, religion, etc. of the Chinese empire and its inhabitants, Volume 2, by Samuel Wells Williams, John William Orr, a publication from 1848 now in the public domain in the United States.
•  This article incorporates text from The Chinese repository, Volume 13, a publication from 1844 now in the public domain in the United States.
•  This article incorporates text from The Baptist missionary magazine, Volume 29, by American Baptist Missionary Union. Executive Committee, Baptist General Convention. Board of Managers, a publication from 1849 now in the public domain in the United States.
•  This article incorporates text from My holidays in China: An account of three houseboat tours, from Shanghai to Hangehow and back via Ningpo; from Shanghai to Le Yang via Soochow and the Tah Hu; and from Kiukiang to Wuhu; with twenty-six illustrations (from photographs), by William R. Kahler, a publication from 1895 now in the public domain in the United States.
•  This article incorporates text from Reports from the consuls of the United States, Issues 124-127, by United States. Bureau of Foreign Commerce, a publication from 1891 now in the public domain in the United States.
•  This article incorporates text from Memoirs of the Rev. Walter M. Lowrie: missionary to China, by Walter Macon Lowrie, Presbyterian church in the U.S.A. Board of foreign missions, a publication from 1854 now in the public domain in the United States.
•  This article incorporates text from Darkness in the flowery land: or, Religious notions and popular superstitions in north China, by Michael Simpson Culbertson, a publication from 1857 now in the public domain in the United States.

• Economic profile for Hangzhou at HKTDC

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Hangzhou

Wikisource has the text of the 1905 New International Encyclopedia article Hang-chow.

• Hangzhou travel guide from Wikitravel
• Hangzhou Government website
• Hangzhou historical buildings (in Chinese)