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Hangzhou Facts
Phone Code: 0571
Postal Code: 310000
Area: 16,600 Sq km (6,409.3 Sq miles)
Population: 8.7004 million (in 2010)
Nationalities: Han
Neighboring Areas: Fujian, Jiangxi, Anhui, and Jiangsu Provinces; Shanghai Municipality
Location: On the southeastern coastline of China, Hangzhou neighbors Huzhou and Jiaxing cities in the north, connects Shaoxing and Jinhua cities in the south, faces Hangzhou Bay in the east, and borders Quzhou and Huangshan cities in the west.
Physical Features: Being a typical city south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, Hangzhou landform and terrain is complicated, blended with rivers, lakes and mountains. Beijing- Hangzhou Grand Canal and the Qiantang River just flow through the city. The western part is low mountains and hills, while the eastern part is Zhebei Plain.
History: Having around 2,200 years' history, Hangzhou was once the capital of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127 - 1279) when Hangzhou had communication and trade with over 50 countries and regions of the world. It originated from the Qiantang County of the Qin Dynasty (221 - 207 BC), and boasted of its unique geographic position in ancient China since the construction of the Beijing- Hangzhou Grand Canal in the Sui Dynasty (581 - 618). Presently, Hangzhou is the second largest economic city of the Yangtze River Delta and the political, economic and cultural center of Zhejiang Province.
Hangzhou Attractions: Reputed as the paradise on earth, Hangzhou was praised as the most beautiful and splendid city in the world by Italian traveler Marco Polo in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). The world-famous West Lake is just a shinning pearl set in Hangzhou, famed for both is charming natural landscape and numerous historical and cultural sites like Gu Shan (Solitary Hill), Mausoleum of General Yue Fei, the Six Harmonies Pagoda, Fei Lai Feng, Ling Yin Temple and 'Ten Views of the West Lake'. For its long history and rich culture, museums in Hangzhou are also numberless like National Silk Museum, National Tea Museum and Southern Song Dynasty Official Kiln Museum. Besides, many other scenic spots in Hangzhou also enjoy high prestige in China even in the world, including Xixi National Wetland Park, Qiandao Lake (Thousand Islets Lake), Tianmu Mountain, Mt. Putuoshan Scenic Spot, Qiantang River Tide, Wuzhen and Xitang.
Hangzhou Transportation: As an important transportation hub in southeastern China, Hangzhou has a developed netlike transportation system made up of air, water, railway and road.
Air: Located on the Qiantang River Bank, Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport is an important tourism airport in China, having 126 air routes to 59 cities at home and abroad. There are over 1300 flights arriving and departing from this airport, of which 95 fights are Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and foreign cities.
Train: There are three railway stations in Hangzhou, namely, Hangzhou Railway Station that is the main railway station in Hangzhou, Hangzhou East Railway Station and Hangzhou South Railway Station.
Ferry: With rivers and lakes crisscrossing the city, Hangzhou has developed water transport. There are ferries from Wulinmen Passenger Port to Suzhou and Wuxi daily.
Subway: It's planned that there will be a total of 10 subway lines and 180 subway stations in Hangzhou by the year 2050. Of them, subway line 1 and 2 will be put into use in 2 years.
Bus: Buses from the 4 major long-distance bus stations of Hangzhou can take passengers to all the towns and cities of Zhejiang, Beijing, Shanghai, Xian, Huangshan, Datong and lots of other cities in China; buses from Hangzhou Tourist Center especially run between Hangzhou and the tourist cities or attractions around Hangzhou. At present, there are over 500 incity bus routes in Hangzhou. Most of the buses are self-service, with a ticket fare of general CNY1-3.
Taxi: Taxi fare in Hangzhou is calculated like this – CNY10 for the first 3 km, CNY2 per km from 3-10 km, CNY3 per km exceeding 10 km, and additional CNY1 for the fuel surcharge.
Hangzhou Weather: Known as 'Small Furnace' of China, Hangzhou is very hot in summer because of its high humidity. Oppositely, winter in Hangzhou is cold and dry. Thus, the pleasant spring and autumn become the golden time for tourism.
Dining and Shopping
Well-known Hangzhou dishes are Xi Hu Cu Yu (West Lake Fish in Vinegar Gravy), Dong Po Rou (Braised Dong Po Pork) and Long Jing Xia Ren (Fried Shrimps with Long Jing Tea Leaves). Meanwhile, Hangzhou snacks also worth tasting, including Xie Rou Xiao Long (Steamed Juicy Meat Buns with Crabmeat), Cong Bao Gui (crisp and yellow like twisted dough-strips), Mao Er Duo (Cat-ear Shaped Noodle), Pian Er Chuan (Noodles with Preserved Vegetable, Sliced Pork, and Bamboo Shoots in Soup) and Su You Bing (Buttered Pancake). Branded restaurants in Hangzhou are Zhi Wei Guan, Kui Yuan Guan and Old Man Quick Fried Shrimp. For snacks, you can go to Xin Feng Snacks or Hefang Street.
Local specialties are of course good souvenirs like Silk products, Longjing tea, West Lake Lotus Root Powder and Hangzhou White Chrysanthemum. Wushan Night Market, Jiaogong Road and Guangfu Road are just for traditional handcrafts and local specialties. Other shopping areas are Yan'an Road specializing in branded casual and fashionable clothing for the youth, and Jiefang Road where is full of old-brand shops such as Hengdeli Watch & Clock Shop, Zhang xiaoquan Scissors Store and Zhiweiguang Restaurant.
