Hangzhou 杭州

West Lake, Hangzhou
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:West_Lake.JPG
Author: Nat Krause


Hangzhou (杭州) is a city on the Yangtze River Delta. It is the capital of Zhejiang Province, China. Located 180 kilometers (112 miles) to the southwest of Shanghai, the Hangzhou region has a population of 6.4 million people.

Hangzhou is a popular tourist destination in China, due in part to its picturesque sceneries and cultural heritage. The best known attraction in Hangzhou is its famous West Lake.

The Hangzhou region has been settled as early as seven thousand years ago, when the prehistoric Hemudu people settled in Yuyao, about 100 kilometers southeast of present-day Hangzhou.

The city of Hangzhou was founded 2,200 years ago, during the Qin Dynasty. The medieval city walls dates to the Sui Dynasty, around AD 591.

Places of Interest in Hangzhou

Hangzhou is one of the Seven Ancient Capitals of China. It was the capital of the Wuyue Kingdom during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdom periods, from AD 907 to 978. At that time, it was known as Xifu. It ranks with Nanjing and Chengdu as the tree great cultural centers of southern China.

Hangzhou was the new capital of the Southern Song Dynastry, and remained the capital until the Mongol invasion in 1276. Marco Polo is said to have visited it in the late 13th century. He referred to the city as Kinsay in his writing.

The importance of Hangzhou declined towards the middle of the Ming Dynasty, when its harbor began to silt up. With the fall of the imperial government, Hangzhou came under the rule of the Republic of China under the Kuomintang from 1928 until 1949. Deng Xiaoping's reforms enabled it to rapidly develop its economy, becoming one of the most prosperous cities in China today.

Maitreya Buddha at Feilai Feng Caves, Hangzhou
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Maitreya_and_disciples_carving_in_Feilai_Feng_Caves.jpg
Author: Miguel A. Monjas

Planning your trip to Hangzhou

By Plane
The Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport (HGH) receives mostly domestic flights. It also receives international flights from several cities including Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo and Osaka, among others.

Hangzhou Airport is 30 kilometers from downtown Hangzhou. There is a shuttle bus that goes from the airport to the Xiaoshan Bus Ticket Office on Tiyuchang Road, just west of Wulin Square. The fare is ¥ 15.

You can also get to Hangzhou by bus from Pudong International Airport in Shanghai. It departs from the 2nd floor parking lot near Gate 15. The fare is ¥100.

By Train
You can easily reach Hangzhou from Shanghai by train. The high-speed "D" trains take a mere 1 hour 18 minutes to make the journey. The cost is ¥54 for Second Class seat and ¥64 for First Class seat.

Exploring Hangzhou

Buses with a "Y" before the number, for example Y2, ply a tourist route, so it will pass through a tourist attraction. It is quite possible to just take the Y buses the whole day and see most of the sites in Hangzhou. The bus fare is between ¥1.00 and ¥1.50 for regular buses and ¥2-¥4 for air-conditioned buses.

Ancient Chinese storage jars in Hangzhou
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alcoholic_beverage-china.JPG
Author: Shizhao

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