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Hangzhou is one of the important tourism cities in China, famous for its natural beauty and historical and cultural heritages. Hangzhou is the capital of Zhejiang province. It is the political, economic and cultural center of the province as well. It is one of the 15 vice-provincial level cities in China.

Hangzhou is located on the low reaches of Qiantang river in southeast China, with a distance of 180 kilometers to Shanghai. It is one of the key cities in the Yangzi Delta area.

It possesses the population of 6.16 million.

It encompasses 16,847 square kilometers.

Area code: 0571
Postal code: 310000

Hangzhou is bounded to the south by the Qiantang River and to the west by hills. The land surface descends from south-west to northeast. The northeastern part, including the urban area is flat. Hangzhou is rich in mineral deposits. Up to now 34 kinds ores have been discovered, most of which are nonmetallic ores.

It has a subtropical monsoon climate with an annual average temperature of 16.3 degrees Celsius, and 250 frost-free days. Annual rainfall averages 1,500 millimeters. However, it is neither too hot in summer nor too cold in winter making it a year round destination.

At night Hangzhou has much to offer and teahouses and various kinds of pubs are both plentiful and popular. Choosing one overlooking the West Lake for a pleasant chat over a cup of tea is sure to make you feel totally relaxed and refreshed.

Hangzhou is one of the cradles of Chinese civilization. The human being had lived and prospered in this land 4700 years ago, which is called "Liangzhu Culture". Hangzhou had once been the capitals of Wu and Yue kingdoms of Five Dynasties during the 10th Century and capital of Southern Song Dynasty during the 12-13th Century. It is one of the seven ancient Chinese capitals, famous for its historical and cultural heritages. The city has a history of more than 2200 years since it was established as a county by the First Emperor Qing.

Hangzhou is one of China's major textile industry centers, and the largest producer of gunnysacks in China. Furthermore it is noted for its silk, paper, wireless communication equipment, food processing, and handcraft, Steel, chemical products, machinery, rubber, construction materials, and electronic equipment are also produced here.

Hangzhou dishes are noted for their elaborate preparation, sophisticated cooking and refreshing taste. Beggar's Chicken (a chicken baked in clay), West Lake Fish in Sweet Sour Source (vinegar coated fish fresh caught from the lake), Dongpo Pork (braised pork) and Fried Shrimps with Longjing Tea, etc.

The West Lake is undoubtedly the most renowned feature of Hangzhou, noted for the scenic beauty that blends naturally with many famous historical and cultural sites. In this scenic area, Solitary Hill, the Mausoleum of General Yue Fei, the Six Harmonies Pagoda and the Ling Yin Temple are probably the most frequently visited attractions. The "Ten West Lake Prospects" have been specially selected to give the visitor outstanding views of the lake, mountains and monuments. A number of national museums can be found in Hangzhou and are representative of Chinese culture. Fine examples are the National Silk Museum and Tea Museum.

The chief farm products include rice, wheat, cotton, silkworm cocoons, tea, and freshwater fish. The special local-made products are silk, Xihu silk umbrellas, color-glazed porcelain, Longjing tea, and white chrysanthemum.

Relevant links:

• Hangzhou Government Official Site: http://english.hangzhou.gov.cn/english/index.html
• Hangzhou.com.cn: http://www.hangzhou.com.cn/english/
• Answer.com: http://www.answers.com/hangzhou
• Hangzhou Weather Forecast: http://www.wunderground.com/global/stations/58457.html
• Hangzhou at wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hangzhou

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