Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China

🇨🇳 Hangzhou, also Hangchow, is the capital and most populous city of Zhejiang, People's Republic of China. It sits at the head of Hangzhou Bay, which separates Shanghai and Ningbo. Hangzhou grew to prominence as the southern terminus of the Grand Canal and has been one of China's most renowned and prosperous cities for much of the last millennium. Its West Lake, a UNESCO World Heritage site immediately west of the city, is among its best-known attractions. A study conducted by PwC and China Development Research Foundation ranked Hangzhou first among "Chinese Cities of Opportunity".

Economy 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. In recent years, Hangzhou has seen substantial development in its financial sector. Hangzhou ranks 11th in the world and 6th in China in terms of the number of billionaires according to the Hurun Global Rich List 2020.

Industries Hangzhou is the headquarters of several technology companies including Alibaba Group, Ant Group, NetEase and HikVision. As a result of its internet industry, many programmers from other cities such as Shanghai or Beijing have come to Hangzhou. 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.

The GDP of Hangzhou is over RMB 1.3509 trillion, which ranks second among all of the provincial capitals of China. 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. As the headquarters of Internet industry enterprises such as Alibaba, Hangzhou has also strongly attracted people who work in the Internet industry. A study conducted by PwC and China Development Research Foundation saw Hangzhou ranked first among "Chinese Cities of Opportunity".

Economic and Technological Development Zones Hangzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone was established and approved as a national development zone by the State Council in 1993. It covers an area of 104.7 km². Encouraged industries include electronic information, biological medicine, machinery and household appliances manufacturing, and food processing.

Hangzhou Export Processing Zone has a total planned area of 2.92 km². It is located close to Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport and Hangzhou Port.

Hangzhou Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone is a state-level high-tech Industrial Development Zone. 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. HHTZ hosts more than 1,100 software developers and BPO enterprises. Major companies such as Motorola, Nokia and Siemens have established R&D centres in the zone. The GDP of the zone is over 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, the world's largest online business-to-business portal and China's largest website in terms of market value, is headquartered in the zone.

Tourist Industry Hangzhou is known for its historic relics and natural environment. 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. One of Hangzhou's most popular sights is West Lake, a UNESCO 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, including Phoenix Mountain. There are two causeways across the lake.

Other places of interest • Grand Canal, also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The part of the Canal in Hangzhou was built in 610 AD. The core historical sites are accessible by Hangzhou Metro Line 5's The Grand Canal station or East Gongchen Bridge station. • The world's largest tidal bore races up the Qiantang River through Hangzhou reaching up to 12 m (39 ft) 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. It was restored and opened to the public in 2001. • Xixi National Wetland Park. 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. • Hangzhou Botanical Garden • Hangzhou Zoo • Old China Street on He Fang Street (He Fang Jie or Qing He Fang, literally 'neighbourhood along the river'), which offers various souvenirs. • Jade Springs (Yu Quan) • Yuefei Temple A temple constructed during the Song Dynasty in 1221 to commemorate Yue Fei, which is located near the West Lake. • West Lake Cultural Square is one of the tallest buildings in the city centre (about 160 m; 520 ft) 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 in Chun'an County, under administration of the Hangzhou prefecture-level city. These islands are different in size and shape, and have distinctive scene. • Longjing tea fields, west of the lake. • Qiantang 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".

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.

Universities Hangzhou hosts many universities, most notably the Zhejiang University, which is one of the world's top 100th comprehensive public research universities. 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. Xiasha, located near the east end of the city, and Xiaoheshan, located near the west end of the city, are college towns with a cluster of several universities and colleges.

The universities in Hangzhou include: • China Academy of Art (1928) • China Jiliang University • Hangzhou Dianzi University • Hangzhou Normal University (1908) • Westlake University (2018) • Zhejiang Chinese Medical University • Zhejiang Forestry University • Zhejiang Gongshang University (1911, China's first business school in China) • Zhejiang International Studies University (1955, also known as Zhejiang Education Institute) • Zhejiang Sci-Tech University • Zhejiang University (1897), one of the top universities in China. • Zhejiang University City College • Zhejiang University of Science and Technology • Zhejiang University of Media and Communications (1984) • Zhejiang University of Technology (1953).