The celebratedneolithic culture ofHemudu is known to have inhabitedYuyao, 100 km (62 mi) south-east of Hangzhou as far back as seven thousand years ago.[19] It was during this time that rice was first cultivated in southeast China.[20] Excavations have established that thejade-carvingLiangzhu culture (named for itstype site just northwest of Hangzhou) inhabited the area immediately around the present city around five thousand years ago.[21] The first of Hangzhou's present neighborhoods to appear in written records wasYuhang, which probably preserves an oldBaiyue name.[22]
In 222 BC, theFirst Emperor of theQin establishedQiantang (錢唐)[dubious –discuss] as a county under the direction ofKuaiji Commandery (nowShaoxing). It was located in the area of the Wulin Mountains and the Wulin Lakes. Under the Han, the same area was known asWulin (武林).[23]
Hangzhou was made the seat of theprefecture ofHang under theSui inAD 589, entitling it to acity wall which was constructed two years later. By a longstanding convention also seen in other cities likeGuangzhou andFuzhou, the city took on the name of the area it administered and became known as Hangzhou. Hangzhou was at the southern end of China'sGrand Canal which extends to Beijing. The canal evolved over centuries but reached its full length by 609.[24]
In theTang dynasty,Bai Juyi, a renowned poet, was appointed governor of Hangzhou.[25] He noticed that the farmland nearby depended on the water ofWest Lake, but due to negligence the olddyke had collapsed, and the lake so dried out that the local farmers were suffering from severedrought. He ordered the construction of a stronger and taller dyke, with adam to control the flow of water, 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 West Lake, visiting it almost daily. He then had willows and other trees planted along the dyke, making it a landmark.
In 1089, another renowned poet governorSu Shi (Su Dongpo) used 200,000 workers to construct a 2.8 km (1.7 mi) longcauseway across West Lake made of mud dredged from the lake bottom. The lake is surrounded by hills on the northern and western sides. TheBaochu Pagoda sits on the Baoshi Hill to the north of the lake.
Once the prospect of retaking northern China had diminished, buildings in Hangzhou were extended and renovated to become a permanent imperial capital. The imperial palace in Hangzhou, modest in size, was expanded in 1133 with new roofed alleyways, and in 1148 with an extension of the palace walls.[34] The city walls were built withtamped earth and stone and was 30 feet high and 10 feet thick at its base. There were 13 gates and several towers on the walls. The walls covered the city by four miles north to south and only one mile east to west.[35] According to the Italian explorerOdoric of Pordenone, Hangzhou was the greatest city in the world. It was heavily populated and filled with large family estates. It had 12,000 bridges. Bread, pork, rice, and wine were abundant despite the large population.[36] Arab merchants lived in Hangzhou during theSong dynasty, due to the fact that the oceangoing trade passages took precedence over land trade during this time.[37] ThePhoenix Mosque was constructed by a Persian settler in Hangzhou at this time.[38]
From 1132 until theMongol invasion of 1276, Hangzhou remained the capital of the Southern Song dynasty and was known asLin'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 thecivil service. During that time the city was a gravitational center of Chinese civilization as what used to be considered "central China" in the north was taken by theJin, an ethnic minority dynasty ruled byJurchens.
Numerous philosophers, politicians, and men of literature, including some of the most celebrated poets in Chinese history such asSu Shi,Lu You, andXin Qiji came here to live and die. Hangzhou is also the birthplace and final resting place of the scientistShen Kuo (1031–1095 AD), his tomb being located in theYuhang district.[39]
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 theEncyclopædia Britannica, Hangzhou had a population of over 2 million at that time, while historianJacques 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.[40][41]
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 1208, 1229, 1237, and 1275. The 1237 fire alone destroyed 30,000 dwellings. However, the worst was the 1208 fire which burned for 4 days in a 3-mile diameter and burnt 58,097 houses as well as killing 59 people. To combat this threat, the city constructed storage buildings that were rented out to merchants where watchmen patrolled by night and was enclosed by water on all sides.[35] Besides this, 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 fire.
Hangzhou was besieged and captured by the advancingMongol armies ofKublai Khan in 1276, three years before the final collapse of the Southern Song.[42] HistorianPatricia Buckley Ebrey noted that the MongolYuan dynasty killed the Jurchen Wanyan royal family by the hundreds in theSiege of Kaifeng (1232), while sparing the city of Hangzhou including the Chinese Zhao royal family of theSouthern Song. The Mongols rehired Southern Song government officials and had Han Chinese artisans inShangdu marry the palace women.[43] The capital of the newYuan dynasty was established in the city ofDadu (Beijing), but Hangzhou remained an important commercial and administrative center for their southern territory.
Yuan China was very open to foreign visitors, and several returned west describing Hangzhou—under the namesKhinzai,[44]Campsay,[45] etc.[note 1]—as one of the foremost cities in the world. TheVenetian merchantMarco Polo supposedly visited Hangzhou in the late 13th century. Inhis book, he records that the city was "greater than any in the world"[33] and that "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". Polo's account greatly exaggerates the city's size, although it has been argued that the "hundred miles" of walls would be plausible ifChinese miles were intended instead ofItalian ones[48] and that the "12,000 stone bridges" might have been a copyist error born from the city's 12 gates.[49] In the 14th century, theMoroccan travelerIbn Battuta arrived; his later account concurred thatal-Khansā was "the biggest city I have ever seen on the face of the earth."[50][51][52] He visited Hangzhou in 1345 and noted its charm and described how the citysat on a beautiful lake and was surrounded by gentle green hills.[53] He was particularly impressed by the large number of well-crafted and well-painted Chinese wooden ships with colored sails and silk awnings in the canals. He attended a banquet held by Qurtai, theYuan Mongol administrator of the city, who according to Ibn Battuta, was fond of the skills of local Chineseconjurers.[54] Hangzhou's reputation among Europeans of the time was such that it was the intended destination ofChristopher Columbus'first voyage to the Americas in 1492-93.[55]
The city remained an important port until the middle of theMing dynasty era, when its harbor slowlysilted up. Under theQing, it was the site of animperial army garrison.[56]
In 1856 and 1860, theTaiping Heavenly Kingdom occupied Hangzhou. The city was heavily damaged during its conquest, occupation, and eventual reconquest by the Qing army.
Hangzhou is located in northwestern Zhejiang province, at the southern end of theGrand Canal of China, which runs toBeijing, in the south-central portion of theYangtze River Delta. Its administrative area (sub-provincial city) extends west to the mountainous parts ofAnhui province, and east to the coastal plain nearHangzhou Bay.[9]: 86 The city center is built around the eastern and northern sides of the West Lake, just north of theQiantang River.[9]: 86
TheQiantang River is the largest river in Zhejiang Province, China. Every year during August 15 to August 18 of the lunar month in China, the Qiantang Tide occurs. It is called "the Biggest Tide in the World". The world's largesttidal bore races up the Qiantang River through Hangzhou reaching up to 12 m (39 ft) in height.
Hangzhou's climate ishumid subtropical (KöppenCfa) with four distinct seasons, characterised by long, very hot, humid summers and chilly, cloudy and drier winters, albeit with occasional snow. The mean annual temperature is 17.0 °C (62.6 °F), with monthly daily averages ranging from 5 °C (41.0 °F) in January to 29.3 °C (84.7 °F) in July. The city receives an average annual rainfall of 1,438 mm (56.6 in) and is affected by theplum rains of the Asian monsoon in June. In late summer (August to September), Hangzhou sufferstyphoon storms, but typhoons seldom strike it directly. Generally they make landfall along the southern coast of Zhejiang, and affect the area with strong winds and stormy rains.[61] Extremes since 1951 have ranged from −9.6 °C (15 °F) on 6 February 1969 up to 41.9 °C (107 °F) on 3 August 2024;[62][63] unofficial readings have reached −10.5 °C (13 °F), set on 29 December 1912 and 24 January 1916, up to 42.1 °C (108 °F), set on 10 August 1930.[64] With monthly percent possible sunshine ranging from 30% in March to 51% in August, the city receives 1,709.4 hours of sunshine annually.
Climate data for Hangzhou, elevation 42 m (138 ft), (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1951–present)
As of 2023, Hangzhou had a permanent population of 12.522 million (including Xiaoshan and Yuhang), of which 10.543 million (84.2%) lived in urban areas.[71][72] The encompassingmetropolitan area was estimated by theOECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) to have, as of 2010[update], a population of 13.4 million,[73] although other sources put the figure at over 21 million. The Hangzhou metropolitan area includes the major cities ofShaoxing,Jiaxing andHuzhou.[74][75]
Hangzhou has alife expectancy of 83.18 years for the city's registered population as of 2021[update], one of the highest in China.[76]
In 1848, during theQing dynasty, Hangzhou was described as the "stronghold" ofIslam in China, the city containing several mosques with Arabic inscriptions.[77] A Hui fromNingbo also told an Englishman that Hangzhou 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.[78] Within the city of Hangzhou are two notable mosques:New Hangzhou Great Mosque and thePhoenix Mosque. As late as the latter part of the 16th and early 17th centuries, the city was an important center ofChinese Jewry, and may have been the original home of theKaifeng Jewish community.[79] 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 were in Kaifeng.[80] Two of theThree Pillars of Chinese Catholicism were from Hangzhou. TheImmaculate Conception Cathedral of Hangzhou is one of the oldestCatholic churches in China, dating back 400 years to theMing dynasty. There waspersecution of Christians in the early 21st century in the city.[81]
Chenghuangmiao located on Wushan, Hangzhou
There are many temples near the West Lake.Lingyin Temple was founded in the first year of Xianhe in the Eastern Jin Dynasty (AD 326). It has a history of about 1,700 years and is the earliest famous temple in Hangzhou.Yuefei Temple, a temple constructed during theSong Dynasty in 1221 to commemorateYue Fei, is located near theWest Lake.Lingyin Temple (Soul's Retreat), located about 2 km (1.2 mi) west of West Lake, is believed to be the oldestBuddhist temple in the city, which has gone through numerous destruction and reconstruction cycles.Yue Fei Temple, on the northwest shore of West Lake, was originally constructed in 1221 in memory of GeneralYue Fei, who died due to political persecution. There is also theJingci Temple, theBaochu Pagoda, and theLeifeng Pagoda. TheQiantang River is the largest river in Zhejiang Province, China. Every year during August 15 to August 18 of the lunar month in China, the Qiantang Tide occurs. It is called "the Biggest Tide in the World".
Other religious sites in Hangzhou include theLiuhe Pagoda, located on Yuelun Hill on the north bank of Qiantang River and theHupao Temple (虎跑寺).[82]
In 2019, Hangzhou established a pilot program artificial intelligence-based Internet Court to adjudicate disputes related to ecommerce and internet-relatedintellectual property claims.[83]: 124 Parties appear before the court via videoconference and AI evaluates the evidence presented and applies relevant legal standards.[83]: 124
Hangzhou is classified as asub-provincial city[14] and forms the core of the Hangzhou metropolitan area,[74] the fourth-largest in China.[84] It is the capital and most populous city ofZhejiang Province inEast China.[9]: 86 Hangzhou comprises 10districts, 1county-level city, and 2counties. The ten urban districts occupy 8,292.31 km2 (3,201.68 sq mi) and have a population of 8,241,000, in which there are six central urban districts and four suburban districts. The central urban districts occupy 706.27 km2 (272.69 sq mi) and have a population of 3,780,000 and the suburban districts occupy 7,586.04 km2 (2,928.99 sq mi) and have a population of 4,461,000. TheWest Lake Scenic Area holds the country-level administrative power, though not formally a county or district.[85]
In the early 90s, the urban districts of Hangzhou only comprised Shangcheng, Xiacheng, Gongshu, Jianggan. On December 11, 1996,Binjiang District was established. On March 12, 2001, Xiaoshan and Yuhang, formerly twocounty-level cities under the administration of Hangzhouprefecture-level city, were re-organized as two districts. On December 13, 2014, and in July 2017, Fuyang and Lin'an, formerly twocounty-level cities under the administration of Hangzhouprefecture-level city, were re-organized as two districts. On April 9, 2021,Linping District andQiantang District was established.[86][87]
Hangzhou's economy has rapidly developed since its opening up in 1992. It is an industrial city with many diverse sectors such as light industry, agriculture, and textiles. It is considered an important manufacturing base and logistics hub for coastal China.[89] Additionally, the city is ane-commerce and technology hub.[90] The 2001 GDP of Hangzhou wasRMB 156.8 billion, which ranked second among all of the provincial capitals after Guangzhou. The city has more than tripled its GDP since then, increasing from RMB 156.8 billion in 2001 to RMB 1.3509 trillion in 2018 and GDP per capita increasing from US$3,020 to $21,184.[89][91] As of 2019, the Hangzhou metropolitan area was estimated to produce agross metropolitan product (nominal) of 3.2 trillion yuan ($486.53 billion),[92]making it larger than the economies of Argentina, with a GDP of $452 billion (the 26th biggest in the World) and Nigeria with a GDP of $448 billion (the largest in Africa).[93]
A study conducted byPwC and China Development Research Foundation saw Hangzhou ranked first among "Chinese Cities of Opportunity".[94] Hangzhou is also considered aWorld City with a "Beta+" classification according toGaWC.[95] Hangzhou ranked 89 in theGlobal Financial Centres Index in 2018.[96] It was also ranked first in the China Emerging City Rankings of theEconomist Intelligence Unit, which assesses Chinese cities growth potential, in both 2021 and 2022.[97] Hangzhou ranks 11th in the world and 6th in China (afterBeijing,Shanghai,Hong Kong,Shenzhen andGuangzhou) in terms of the number of billionaires according to the Hurun Global Rich List 2020.[98] As of August 2023, Hangzhou has the tenth-mostFortune Global 500 headquarters of any city in the world and the fourth-most in China – after Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen – within its city limits.[99]
Hangzhou has asmart city initiative and undertakes efforts to digitize the economy and build a cashless city.[100]: 122–123
Hangzhou is the headquarters of several technology companies includingAlibaba Group,NetEase,[9]: 90 Ant Group,DeepSeek,Geely, andHikVision. As a result of its internet industry, many programmers from other cities such as Shanghai or Beijing have come to Hangzhou.[101] The city has developed many new industries, including medicine, information technology, heavy equipment, automotive components, household electrical appliances, electronics, telecommunication, fine chemicals, chemical fibre and food processing.[102] The city describes its important industries as "1 + 6" industrial clusters, with the "1" referring to the digital economy and the "6" referring to cultural/creative economy, finance, tourism, fashion manufacturing, and high-end equipment manufacturing.[9]: 91 As of at least 2023, Hangzhou's economic growth has been led by the digital sector and the creative/cultural sectors.[9]: 91
In March 2013, the Hangzhou Tourism Commission started an online campaign via Facebook, the 'Modern Marco Polo' campaign. Over the next year nearly 26,000 participants applied from around the globe, in the hopes of becoming Hangzhou's first foreign tourism ambassador. In a press conference in Hangzhou on 20 May 2014,Liam Bates was announced as the successful winner and won a $55,000 contract, being the first foreigner ever to be appointed by China's government in such an official role.[103]
Hangzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone was established and approved as a national development zone by theState Council in 1993. It covers an area of 104.7 km2 (40.4 sq mi). Encouraged industries include electronic information, biological medicine, machinery and household appliances manufacturing, and food processing.[104] 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 km2 (1.13 sq mi). It is located close toHangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport and Hangzhou Port.[105]
Hangzhou Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone was set up with approval from the State Council as a state-level high-tech Industrial Development Zone in March 1991. The HHTZ is composed of three parts, with the main regions being the Zhijiang Sci-Tech Industrial Park and Xiasha Sci-Tech Industrial Park. HHTZ has become one of the most influential high-tech innovation and high-tech industry bases in Zhejiang Province. As of 2013[update], HHTZ hosts more than 1,100 software developers andBPO enterprises. Major companies such asMotorola,Nokia andSiemens have established R&D centers in the zone. In 2011, the GDP of the zone rose by 13.1 percent, amounting to RMB 41.63 billion. This accounted for 5.9 percent of Hangzhou's total GDP. The HHTZ positions itself as the "Silicon Valley" of China. The Alibaba Group is headquartered in the zone.[106][107]
The coastline of Hangzhou's West Lake during sunset. December 2023.Aerial panorama of West Lake sunset and its lakeside district. December 2023.Aerial panorama of West Lake and its surrounding mountains. December 2023.
Although Hangzhou has been through many recent urban developments, it still retains its historical and cultural heritage and natural environment. Today,tourism remains an important factor for Hangzhou's economy.[108] Hangzhou hasnumerous skyscrapers, making it the 19thcity in the world with the most skyscrapers as well as the 9th in China.[109]
One of Hangzhou's most popular sights isWest Lake, aUNESCO World Heritage Site. The West Lake Cultural Landscape covers an area of 3,323 ha (8,210 acres) and includes some of Hangzhou's most notable historic and scenic places. Adjacent to the lake is an area which includes historical pagodas, cultural sites, as well as the natural environment of the lake and hills, includingPhoenix Mountain. There are twocauseways across the lake.[108] The west of the lake containsDreaming of the Tiger Spring, popular forlongjing tea fields.[110]
TheXixi National Wetland Park was established with the aim of preserving the wetland ecological system, it covers an area of about 10 km2 (4 sq mi). Fish ponds and reed beds have been restored and it is home to many types of birds. It holds a temple and several historic rural houses. TheQiandao Lake is a man-made lake with the largest number of islands inChun'an County, under administration of the Hangzhouprefecture-level city. These islands are different in size and shape, and have distinctive scene. TheHangzhou Botanical Garden and theHangzhou Zoo are located in theXihu District.
The native residents of Hangzhou, including those ofZhejiang and southernJiangsu, speak theHangzhou dialect, aWu dialect unique to the area. Hangzhou's dialect differs from those of regions in southern Zhejiang and southernJiangsu. As the official language defined by China's central government,Mandarin is the dominant spoken language, though it is mutually unintelligible with the Hangzhou dialect. The Hangzhou dialect has an estimated total of 1.2 to 1.5 million speakers.
There are several museums located in Hangzhou includingChina National Silk Museum, the largest silk museum in the world,China National Tea Museum (中国茶叶博物馆), andZhejiang Provincial Museum, which has a collection of integrated human studies, exhibition and research with over 100,000 collected cultural relics.
Many theaters in Hangzhou host opera shows such asYue opera. There are several big shows themed with the history and culture of Hangzhou likeImpression West Lake and the Romance of Song Dynasty. The landscapes in Hangzhou bridges stories of celebrities in Chinese history and feelings of ordinary people visiting Hangzhou with joy and enthusiasm.[111]
The local government of Hangzhou heavily invests in promoting tourism and the arts, with emphasis placed uponsilk production,umbrellas, and Chinese hand-held foldingfans.[citation needed]
Xihu Longjing (西湖龙井), Longjing tea planted near the West Lake
Hangzhou's local cuisine is often considered to be representative ofZhejiang provincial cuisine, one ofChina's eight fundamental cuisines. The locally accepted consensus among Hangzhou's natives defines dishes prepared in this style to be "fresh, tender, soft, and smooth, with a mellow fragrance".[citation needed]
Generally, Hangzhou's cuisines tend to be sweeter rather than savoury. The local people enjoy a light diet incorporating river fishes from the Yangtze River. There are historical stories revolving around the origins of local dishes.
West Lake Fish in Vinegar GravyDongpo pork
Dishes such as Pian Er Chuan Noodles (片儿川),West Lake Vinegar Fish (西湖醋鱼),Dongpo Pork (东坡肉), Longjing Shrimp (龙井虾仁),Beggar's Chicken (叫化鸡), Steamed Rice and Pork Wrapped by Lotus Leaves(荷叶粉蒸肉), Braised Bamboo Shoots (油焖笋), Lotus Root Pudding (藕粉) and Sister Song's Fish Soup (宋嫂鱼羹) are some of the better-known examples of Hangzhou's regional cuisine.
Longjing tea is the most famous green tea and rank first among top ten famous teas in China. Those planted by theWest Lake is the best Longjing tea. Tea is an important part of Hangzhou's economy and culture. Hangzhou is best known for originatingLongjing, a notable variety ofgreen tea.[112]
An ancient Chinese proverb about Hangzhou and Suzhou is:
There is Heaven above, and 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".Marco Polo in his accounts described Suzhou as "the city of the earth" while Hangzhou is "the city of heaven".[113] The city presented itself as "Paradise on Earth" during theG20 summit held in the city in 2016.[114]
Another saying about Hangzhou is:
Be born inSuzhou, live in Hangzhou, eat inGuangzhou, die inLiuzhou. (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 (ofGuangxi) for its wooden coffins which supposedly halted the decay of the body (likely made from thecamphor tree).
The Hangzhou Ancient Book Restoration and Display Center, affiliated with theZhejiang Library, offers regular public demonstrations of traditional paper restoration and binding techniques used to preserve ancient Chinese texts. This center plays a key role in the conservation ofJiangnan cultural documents.[115]
Hangzhou has a bus network consisting of a fleet of diesel, hybrid and electric buses, as well astrolleybuses. Hangzhou was once known for its extensivebus rapid transit network expanding from downtown to many suburban areas through dedicated bus lanes on some of the busiest streets in the city. However, as of mid-2021, all but one BRT routes and feeding routes had closed or been transformed to regular routes. Only route B1 is still in operation.
Taxis are also popular in the city, with the newest line ofHyundai Sonatas andVolkswagen Passats, and tight regulations. In early 2011, 30 electric taxis were deployed in Hangzhou; 15 wereZotye Langyues and the other 15 wereHaima Freemas. In April, however, one Zoyte Langyue 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.[116] In 2014, a large number of new electric taxis produced by Xihu-BYD (Xihu (westlake) is a local company which produced televisions in the past) were deployed.
Central (to the east of the city centre, taking the place of the former east station), north, south, and west long-distance coach stations offer frequent coach service to nearby cities/towns within Zhejiang province, as well as surrounding provinces.
Hangzhou Metro has a network of 323 km as of mid-2021, not including theHangzhou-Haining Intercity Railway which has a length of 46 km. Major expansion plans continue. It is the 17th city in China to have a rapid rail transit system. In 2018, theState Council approved the planning for 15 metro lines, including extensions to the three existing lines, scheduled to open in time for the2022 Asian Games.[117] By then the Hangzhou Metro system is projected have a network of 617 km (383 mi).[118]
The construction of the Metro started in March 2006, and Line 1 opened on November 24, 2012.[119] Line 1 connects city centre with suburbs. It run from Xianghu to Wenze Road with a branch to Lingping, which would later become part of Line 9. By June 2015, the southeast section of Line 2 (starts in Xiaoshan District, ends to the south of the city centre) and a short part of Line 4 (fewer than 10 stations, connecting Line 1 and Line 2) were completed. The system is expected to have 15 lines upon completion; most lines are still under construction. The extensions of Line 2 (city centre and northwest Hangzhou) and Line 4 (east ofBinjiang District) opened in 2018. Line 5/6/7/8 opened their first parts in 2019 and 2020.
Bicycles andelectric scooters are very popular, and major streets have dedicated bike lanes throughout the city. Hangzhou has an extensivepublic bike rental system called theHangzhou Public Bicycle system. There is a dock-and-station system like those of Paris or London and users can hire bicycles with IC card or mobile phone application. Journeys within 60 minutes are free of charge.
Hangzhou sits on the intersecting point of some of the busiest rail corridors in China. The city's main station isHangzhou East station (colloquially "East Station"东站). It is one of the biggest rail traffic hubs in China, consisting of 15 platforms that house the High Speed services to Shanghai, Nanjing, Changsha, Ningbo, and beyond. The metro station beneath the rail complex building is a stop along the Hangzhou Metro Line 1 and Line 4. There are frequent departures forShanghai with approximately 20-minute headways from 6:00 to 21:00. Non-stop CRH high-speed service between Hangzhou and Shanghai takes 50 minutes and leaves every hour (excluding a few early morning/late night departures) from both directions. OtherCRH 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. TheHangzhou railway station (colloquially the "City Station" Chinese:城站) was closed for renovation in mid 2013 but has recently opened again.
A second high-speed rail channel through Hangzhou is operational along with another major station,Hangzhou West, opened on September 22, 2022.[120]
Direct trains link Hangzhou with more than 50 main cities, including 12 daily services toBeijing and more than 100 daily services toShanghai; they reach as far asÜrümqi. TheChina Railway High-Speed service inaugurated on October 26, 2010. The service is operated by the CRH 380A(L), CRH 380B(L) and CRH380CL train sets which travel at a maximum speed of 350 km/h (220 mph), shortening the duration of the 202 km (126 mi) trip to only 45 minutes.[121]
Hangzhou is a major city for education and scientific research in China and Asia, ranking 6th in the Asia-Oceania region and 10th globally by theNature Index as of 2025.[124] Hangzhou hosts many universities, most notablyZhejiang University, one of the world's top 50th comprehensive public research universities[125][126][127][128] and a member of theC9 League, an alliance of elite Chinese universities offering comprehensive and leading education.[129]
^For a discussion of the many sources and variant spellings of the names, seeMoule.[46] The ultimate Chinese source of these names has been variously given asJīngshī (京師, "the Capital");Xingzai, an abbreviated form ofXíngzàisuǒ (行在所, "the Place of Temporary Residence"), which had formerly been a byname for the Song capital from the hope that the court would eventually return north toKaifeng; andHangtsei, theHangzhounese pronunciation of the town's name.[47]
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^Franke, Herbert (1994). Denis C. Twitchett; Herbert Franke; John King Fairbank (eds.).The Cambridge History of China: Volume 6, Alien Regimes and Border States, 710–1368. Cambridge University Press. p. 229.ISBN978-0-521-24331-5.
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