Hangzhou: the land of fish and rice, the home of silk, and the paradise of the state of cultural relics

Hangzhou, referred to as “Hangzhou”, is a prefecture-level city, provincial capital, sub-provincial city and megacity under the jurisdiction of Zhejiang Province, the core city of Hangzhou metropolitan area, the economic, cultural, scientific and educational center of Zhejiang Province approved by the State Council, and one of the central cities of the Yangtze River Delta. The city is known for its beautiful nature, rich history and culture, and unique cuisine. Let’s get to know this intoxicating place together.

Historical evolution: Hangzhou is the birthplace of Chinese civilization and one of the seven famous ancient capitals of China. Excavations at the site of the bridge show that humans lived here more than 8,000 years ago. More than 5,000 years ago, the Liangzhu culture was known as the “dawn of Chinese civilization”. Since the establishment of county governance in the Qin period (222 BC), it has a history of more than 2,200 years. In the ninth year of Emperor Kaihuang of Sui Dynasty (589), Qian Tang County was abolished and Hangzhou, and the name of Hangzhou appeared for the first time in history. The five dynasties of Wu Yue (907-978) and the Southern Song Dynasty (1138-1279) built their capital in Hangzhou. It was praised by the 13th-century Italy traveler Marco · Polo as “the most beautiful and luxurious city in the world”. In the first year of the Republic of China (1912), the original Qiantang and Renhe counties were juxtaposed with Hangzhou County. In the 16th year of the Republic of China (1927), Hangzhou County was divided into urban areas and other places to set up Hangzhou City, and Hangzhou City began here. On May 3, 1949, Hangzhou was liberated, which opened a new chapter in the history of Hangzhou’s development.

Location: Hangzhou is located in the southern wing of the Yangtze River Delta and the west end of Hangzhou Bay, and is an extension of the “Silk Road Economic Belt” and the “21st Century Maritime Silk Road” and a strategic hub city of the “Online Silk Road”. The city is bounded between latitude 29°11′-30°34′ north latitude and 118° 20′-120°37′ east longitude.

Administrative area: Lin’an, Qiantang, Wulin, Hangcheng in ancient times, postal code: 310000, license plate code: Zhejiang A. As of November 2022, Hangzhou has 10 districts (Shangcheng, Gongshu, West Lake, Binjiang, Xiaoshan, Yuhang, Linping, Qiantang, Fuyang, Lin’an), 2 counties (Tonglu, Chun’an), and 1 county-level city (Jiande).

Topography: Located in the southern edge of the Yangtze River Delta and the Qiantang River Basin, the terrain is complex and diverse. The western part of Hangzhou belongs to the hilly area of western Zhejiang, and the main mountain range includes Tianmu Mountain. The eastern part belongs to the North Zhejiang Plain, with low and flat terrain, dense river network, dense lakes, rich products, and typical characteristics of “Jiangnan Water Town”.

Climatic characteristics: Hangzhou is located in the subtropical monsoon area, which belongs to the subtropical monsoon climate, with four distinct seasons and abundant rainfall. The annual average temperature is 17.8 °C, the average relative humidity is 70.3%, the annual precipitation is 1454 mm, and the annual sunshine hours are 1765 hours. The summer climate is hot and humid, and it is one of the four new stoves. On the contrary, winters are cold and dry. Spring and autumn are pleasant and are the prime season for sightseeing.

Hangzhou West Lake Scenic Area: A national AAAAA-level tourist attraction, located at No. 1 Longjing Road, West Lake District, Hangzhou, it is divided into Lakeside District, Huxin District, Beishan District, Nanshan District and Qiantang District, with a total area of 59.04 square kilometers, including 6.38 square kilometers of lake surface and 35.64 square kilometers of peripheral protection area. There are 122 main scenic spots in Hangzhou West Lake Scenic Area, including 26 special scenic spots, 25 first-class scenic spots, 39 second-class scenic spots, 21 third-level scenic spots, and 11 fourth-class scenic spots; There are 5 national key cultural relics protection units, 35 provincial cultural relics protection units, 25 municipal cultural relics protection units, and 39 cultural relics protection points and various special museums.

Qiandao Lake National Forest Park: A national AAAAA-level tourist attraction, located in Chun’an County, Hangzhou, 100 kilometers away from Hangzhou and Huangshan from east to west. As of 2008, the total area of the park is 95,000 hectares, of which 41,700 hectares are mountainous, and the forest vegetation resources are abundant, mainly evergreen coniferous pure forest and coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forest. The Qiandao Lake Forest Oxygen Bar scenic spot contains 58,000-62,000 negative oxygen ions per cubic centimeter of air.

Lingyin Temple: The ancient temple of Chinese Buddhism, also known as Yunlin Temple, is located in Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province, backed by the North Peak, facing the Feilai Peak, was built in the first year of Xianhe in the Eastern Jin Dynasty (326 years), covering an area of about 87,000 square meters. The founder of Lingyin Temple was a monk Huili in West India. Emperor Wu of Liang in the Southern Dynasty gave land and expanded. Qian Biao, the king of Wuyue in the fifth generation, ordered to ask the master of Yongming to renew and open up, and gave the name Lingyin New Temple.