Hangzhou

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Hangzhou
—  Sub-provincial city  —
Chinese transliteration(s)
 - Chinese 杭州
 - Pinyin Hángzhōu
Hangzhou Skyline with Yellow Dragon Stadium
Hangzhou Skyline with Yellow Dragon Stadium
Hangzhou in Zhejiang
Hangzhou in Zhejiang
Hangzhou (China)
Hangzhou
Hangzhou
Location in China
Coordinates: 30°15′N 120°10′E / 30.25, 120.167
Country China
Province Zhejiang
Government
 - CPC Secretary Wang Guoping (王国平)
 - Mayor Cai Qi (蔡奇)
Area
 - Sub-provincial city 16,847 km² (6,504.7 sq mi)
Population
 - Sub-provincial city 6,400,000
 - Density 379.9/km² (983.9/sq mi)
 - Urban 3,931,900
Time zone China Standard (UTC+8)
Postal code 310000
GDP ¥410.4 billion (2007)
GDP per capita ¥ 61,313 (2007)
License Plate Prefix 浙A
City Flower Sweet Osmanthus
City Tree Camphor laurel
(Cinnamomum camphora)
Website: http://www.hangzhou.gov.cn/

Hangzhou (help·info) (Chinese: 杭州; pinyin: Hángzhōu; Postal map spelling: Hangchow) is a sub-provincial city located in the Yangtze River Delta in the People's Republic of China, and the capital of Zhejiang province. Located 180 kilometres (112 mi) southwest of Shanghai, as of 2004 the entire Hangzhou Region ("shì", 杭州市) or Prefecture-level city had a registered population of 6.5 million people.[1] The urban agglomeration of the Hangzhou metropolitan area (杭州市区) has a resident population of 3,931,900 as of 2003, of which 2,636,700 are legal residents, of which there are 1,910,000 residents in the urban core six districts.

As one of the most renowned and prosperous cities of China for much of the last 1,000 years, Hangzhou is also well-known for its beautiful natural scenery, with the West Lake (Xī Hú, 西湖) as the most noteworthy location.

Contents

[edit] 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.

[edit] History

[edit] Early history

The celebrated Neolithic culture of Hemudu has been discovered to have inhabited in Yuyao, an area (now a city) a hundred kilometers east of the City of Hangzhou, as far back as seven thousand years ago, when rice was first cultivated in southeastern China.

The city of Hangzhou was founded about 2,200 years ago during the Qin Dynasty, it is listed as one of the Seven Ancient Capitals of China, but the city wall was not constructed until the Sui Dynasty (591).

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, Su Shi constructed a 2.8 km long dike 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 Dike built by Su Shi, and the Bai Dike built by Bai Juyi, a famous Tang Dynasty poet who was once the governor of Hangzhou, are both built out of mud cleaned 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.

[edit] Southern Song

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

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.[2] 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 famed 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.[3]

Lakeside Buildings on the West Lake.
Lakeside Buildings on the West Lake.

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.[4] The capital of the new Yuan Dynasty was established in the city of Khanbaliq (Beijing).

The Venetian Marco Polo visited Hangzhou in the late 13th century and referred to the city as "beyond dispute the finest and the noblest in the world." He called the city Kinsay 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 13th century Moroccan explorer Ibn Battuta said it was "the biggest city I have ever seen on the face of the earth."

Buddhist carvings in Feilai Feng Caves in Lingyin Temple.
Buddhist carvings in Feilai Feng Caves in Lingyin Temple.

[edit] Ming and after

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

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 more well-known Kaifeng Jewish community.

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.

[edit] Geography and climate

Hangzhou is located in northern 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 with four distinctive seasons. The average annual temperature in Hangzhou is 16.2°C (61.2°F). The summers are hot and humid, while winters are relatively cool and dry. In July, the hottest month, the average temperature is approximately 33.8°C (92.8°F); in January the average temperature is about 3.6°C (38.5°F). Hangzhou receives an average annual rainfall of 1450 mm. In mid-summer, 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.[5]


Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Avg high °C 8 10 14 20 26 29 33 32 28 23 17 11
Avg low temperature °C 2 3 7 12 17 22 25 25 21 15 9 4
Source: MSN Weather

[edit] Tourism

Hangzhou is renowned for its historic relics and natural beauty. It has been ranked as one of the ten most scenic cities in China.[6] 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.[7] One of Hangzhou's most popular sights is West Lake. The lake covers an area of 6 square kilometres and includes some of Hangzhou's most famous historic and scenic places. The area includes historical pagodas, cultural sites, as well as the natural beauty of the lake and hills.[8]

The world's largest tidal bore races up the Qiantang River through Hangzhou reaching up to 40 ft in height.

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

[edit] Economy

Tea plantation in Hangzhou.
Tea plantation in Hangzhou.

Hangzhou's industries have traditionally been textile, silk and machinery, but electronics and other light industries are developing, especially since the start of the new open economy in 1992.

Toshiba has its only overseas production plant for laptop computers here.

Wahaha, the nation's largest beverage company is headquartered in the city.

Alibaba, is an e-commerce/e-auction company based in the city.

Longjing tea is produced on the outskirts of town at Longjing (龙井) or Dragon Well. It is among the only remaining places where tea is still baked by hand and is said to produce one of the finest green teas in all of China, earning a spot in the China Famous Tea list.

The GDP per capita was ¥61,313 (ca. US$8,063), ranked no. 8 among 659 Chinese cities.

The 2005 overall rank of Hangzhou among all the Chinese cities is No.5. In 2004, 2005, 2006 Forbes magazine ranked Hangzhou the number 1 city in China for business.[9]

[edit] Culture

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. In addition, Putonghua (Mandarin) is also spoken.

Tea is an important part of Hangzhou's economy and culture. Hangzhou is best known for originating Longjing, a famous variety of green tea. Furthermore, there are many types of Longjing tea, the most famous 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.[10]

Further, Hangzhou is known for its artistic creations, such as silk, umbrellas, and Chinese hand-held folding fans.

[edit] Transportation

Bars and Shops alongside the street of Hangzhou.
Bars and Shops alongside the street of Hangzhou.

Hangzhou is serviced by the Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport, which has direct flights to Japan, Thailand, Korea, and Singapore, regional routes to Hong Kong and Macau, as well as numerous domestic routes. Located just outside of the city in the Xiaoshan district, it is one of the major secondary international airports in China. A convenient route to Hangzhou for foreign visitors is to first fly into Shanghai's Pudong airport, and then take bus to Hangzhou using the Shanghai-Hangzhou-Ningbo Expressway (沪杭甬高速公路). Driving time from the airport to Shanghai is about 2.5 hrs (about 85 RMB one way), Suzhou is about 1.5 hrs, Wuxi is about 2 hrs, Ningbo is about 1.5 hrs and Wenzhou is about 3.5 hrs.

Airport buses leave for Wulin Men (downtown Hangzhou) (15 RMB one way) and Xiaoshan (also 15 RMB one way) every 15-30 minutes. There are also airport buses to prefectures further away near Hangzhou such as Yiwu (30 RMB one way).

Hangzhou Railway Station (colloquially the "City Station" 城站) and the significantly less modern Hangzhou East Railway Station (colloquially "East Station" 东站) serve the city centre, from which one can catch a train to Shanghai and almost anywhere in China. There are many trains going to or passing Hangzhou from Shanghai. Since 2006, it only takes 1h18 from Shanghai South Railway Station to Hangzhou, and costs around 50 RMB.

Trains leaving Hangzhou reach more than 20 cities directly, including Beijing (北京) (1650 km), Shanghai (上海) (200 km), and Xi'an (西安) (1550 km).

Train tickets can be purchased at the Wulinmen Ticket Office (No. 199, Wulin Road) or Huansha Road Ticket Office (No. 147, Huansha Road).

A Shanghai-Hangzhou Maglev Train Line has been proposed. North, east, south and west long-distance bus stations offer regular large and small coach services to towns within Zhejiang province and surrounding provinces.

Transrapid has now been contracted to construct an extension of the existing Long Yang Road - Pudong International Airport Maglev line. This would be the first inter-city maglev line in the world; it is now undergoing environmental assessment.

Public transport within Hangzhou city is primarily in the form of an extensive public (trolley) bus network. As the city area is so flat, bicycles were traditionally very popular and are still popular with the less well-off residents, though many now use electric bicycles and scooter (Motor cycle)s. Taxis are also very common. With its line of the newest Hyundai Elantras and Volkswagen Passats, and tight regulations (compulsory A/C, handicap service, lake-blue appearance etc.), the city's taxi service is rated amongst the top in the country. The construction of a subway system had long been planned, and recently received approval from the central government. The completion of the first two lines is expected in 2010.

[edit] Colleges and universities

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

[edit] National

[edit] Public

[edit] Private

  • Zhejiang Shuren University (浙江树人大学)
  • Zhejiang University City College (浙江大学城市学院)

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

[edit] Chinese sayings

A typical Chinese garden's window decoration in Hangzhou
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)
"Above is Heaven, Below are Suzhou and Hangzhou." (上有天堂，下有苏杭)

[edit] Sister cities

[edit] See also

[edit] References

[edit] Cited references

  1. ^ [1] Hangzhou Statistics 0nline, Hangzhou Municipality. Retrieved 14 July 2007
  2. ^ Steinhardt, Nancy (1999). Chinese Imperial City Plannning. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, p. 144. ISBN 0-8248-2196-3. 
  3. ^ Largest Cities Through History
  4. ^ Gernet, 15.
  5. ^ Hangzhou. China Today. Retrieved 22 August 2006.
  6. ^ Hangzhou Today: Tourism. China Pages. Retrieved 22 August 2006.
  7. ^ Hangzhou Today: General Survey. China Pages. Retrieved 22 August 2006.
  8. ^ Hangzhou Today: Tourism. China Pages. Retrieved 22 August 2006.
  9. ^ Following Marco Polo. Retrieved on 2006-10-26.
  10. ^ Xi Hu Long Jing Tea Tea Spring. Retrieved 23 August 2006.

[edit] General references

  • Gernet, Jacques (1962). Daily Life in China on the Eve of the Mongol Invasion, 1250-1276. Translation by H. M. Wright. Stanford: Stanford University Press. ISBN 0-8047-0720-0

[edit] External links

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