Hangzhou, China

Hangzhou, China

The port city of Hangzhou, which has a population of more than 13 million people, is the capital and most populous city of Zhejiang Province East China. Hangzhou's architecture and gardens are renowned, and it is situated among hills and valleys in which some of the most famous monasteries in China are located. Known as “Heaven on Earth” since ancient times, Hangzhou boasts mountains, springs, lakes, bridges, pagodas and temples.

Known as ‘the House of Silk’, the city was one of the seven ancient capitals of China with silk fabrics uncovered in the region dating back 4,700 years to the Neolithic Liangzhu culture (3400-2250 BC). The arrival of people from other regions along the Silk Roads to Hangzhou precipitated great cultural, artistic, and religious exchange.

Today, Hangzhou is a major economic and e-commerce hub within China, and the second biggest city in the Yangtze Delta after Shanghai. It is a major city for scientific research in the Asia-Pacific and has been repeatedly rated as the best commercial city in mainland China by Forbes.