Hangzhou

About Hangzhou

Hangzhou is the capital and most populous city of Zhejiang province, China, situated at the intersection of the southern terminus of the Grand Canal and the head of Hangzhou Bay. Renowned as one of the Eight Ancient Capitals of China, Hangzhou is celebrated for its cultural heritage and its West Lake.

Established as a county seat in 221 BC, Hangzhou later served as the capital of the Wuyue Kingdom (923–997) and the Southern Song dynasty (1138–1276). The city has three UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the West Lake Cultural Landscape, the Grand Canal, and the Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City.

Hangzhou is designated as a sub-provincial city. Hangzhou ranked ninth in GDP among mainland Chinese cities and 14th according to the Global Innovation Index. The city hosts the headquarters of Alibaba Group, Ant Group, DeepSeek, Geely, and NetEase. According to the Nature Index, it ranks 10th globally in scientific research output.

The celebrated neolithic culture of Hemudu is known to have inhabited Yuyao, 100 km (62 mi) south-east of Hangzhou as far back as seven thousand years ago. It was during this time that rice was first cultivated in southeast China. Excavations...

Overview adapted from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA. Photography via Wikimedia Commons.