Hangzhou 🔥

Key data

Items shown in Chinese are kept from the original Chinese source; no English name is available yet.

Landmarks

City Overview

• West Lake's ten scenic views, Longjing tea fields and the paradise of poets.

History

• Hangzhou's history dates back to the Liangzhu civilization five thousand years ago, whose ancient city ruins have been inscribed on the World Cultural Heritage list. Hangzhou later served twice as a capital, under the Wuyue Kingdom and the Southern Song dynasty, when the city of Lin'an reached its peak and became one of the world's most commercially prosperous metropolises. The opening of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal made Hangzhou a key hub for north-south grain transport and trade. From the Ming and Qing dynasties onward, Hangzhou was known for silk weaving, tea, and commerce. In modern times the city has retained its status as a major center of the Jiangnan region, and today it is renowned nationwide for its digital economy, where the ancient and the innovative meet and thrive together.

Culture

• Hangzhou's culture is known for blending natural scenery with everyday street life. The local Wu dialect, Hangzhouhua, has a soft tone. The fragrance of West Lake Longjing tea fills the air, and tea culture is woven into residents' daily lives; Hangzhou cuisine emphasizes lightness and freshness, with famous dishes such as Dongpo pork and Longjing shrimp renowned nationwide. Traditional crafts like silk, folding fans, and scissors have deep roots. The Xiling Seal Art Society carries on the art of seal carving, while folk tales such as The Legend of the White Snake and The Butterfly Lovers add romance to the landscape. Teahouses by the canal and Yue opera and pingtan on the streets reveal the charm of the Jiangnan region everywhere.

Science & Technology

• Hangzhou is a leading hub for China's digital economy and internet innovation, home to the headquarters of companies such as Alibaba, while parks like Yunqi Town and Dream Town gather large numbers of tech teams. The city hosts universities and research institutes including Zhejiang University, and leads the country in fields such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, e-commerce and fintech. Hosting major sporting events has also driven the development of digital urban governance and intelligent transport. Aiming to become the "top city for the digital economy," Hangzhou is building a vibrant innovation ecosystem.

Economy

• Hangzhou's 2025 GDP reached 2.3011 trillion yuan, ranking among the top cities nationwide and making it the economic leader of the southern Yangtze River Delta. The digital economy is its brightest growth engine, with e-commerce, cloud computing, fintech and software services forming the core industry cluster. Meanwhile, equipment manufacturing, biomedicine, cultural creativity and tourism and exhibition industries develop in tandem, while Xiaoshan International Airport and a dense high-speed rail network support busy business travel. Driven by the vitality of its private economy and its first-mover advantage in digital industries, Hangzhou's economy continues to grow strongly.

Climate