A coastal province in eastern China with a developed economy and world cultural heritage sites such as West Lake.
Hangzhou City, referred to as "Hangzhou", was formerly known as Lin'an, Qiantang, and Wulin. It is a prefecture-level city, provincial capital, sub-provincial city, and megacity under the jurisdiction of Zhejiang Province. It is located in the northern part of Zhejiang Province and the lower reaches of the Qiantang River. It is a city in the central area of the Yangtze River Delta [160] and a global financial technology center [162-164]. As of the end of 2024, Hangzhou City has 10 districts, 2 counties, and administers 1 county-level city, with a total area of 16,850 square kilometers. As of the end of 2024, the permanent population of Hangzhou City is 12.624 million. [170] Hangzhou City has a subtropical monsoon climate with distinct four seasons, sufficient sunshine, abundant rainfall, short spring and autumn, and long winter and summer. The terrain of the city gradually decreases from west to east, with low mountains and hills, river valley basins, and accumulation plains. [140] [143] After the Qin Dynasty unified the six kingdoms, it established a county seat at the foot of Lingyin Mountain, called Qiantang. In 589, Qiantang County was abolished and Hangzhou was established. The name Hangzhou appeared for the first time in history. In 1912, the former Qiantang and Renhe counties were merged into Hangzhou County. In 1927, Hangzhou City was established by dividing the urban area of Hangzhou County and other areas. [144] Hangzhou City is an important central city in eastern China approved by the State Council, a national historical and cultural city, an international comprehensive transportation hub city, a national digital economy innovation center and a regional science and technology innovation highland, an advanced manufacturing base, an eastern modern service industry center, and an international tourist destination. [1] [147] Hangzhou is known as the "paradise on earth" for its beautiful scenery, represented by the West Lake culture, Qiantang River culture, and canal culture. [145] The excavation of the Kuahuqiao site in Hangzhou City shows that humans have lived and multiplied here as early as more than 8,000 years ago. The Liangzhu culture, which dates back more than 5,000 years, is known as the "dawn of Chinese civilization." Hangzhou City is an important birthplace of Chinese civilization and is known as the "famous county in the southeast." The Wuyue Kingdom of the Five Dynasties and the Southern Song Dynasty established their capitals in Hangzhou. [144] In 2024, Hangzhou's GDP will reach RMB 2,186 billion, a year-on-year increase of 4.7%.
Ningbo, abbreviated as "Yong", is a prefecture-level city, a sub-provincial city, and a state-planned city under the jurisdiction of Zhejiang Province [127]. It was formerly known as Siming and Mingzhou [234]. It is located in the northeastern coastal area of Zhejiang Province [188]. The terrain is high in the southwest and low in the northeast. It is mainly plains and low mountains and hills. It has a subtropical monsoon climate [201]. As of the end of 2024, Ningbo has jurisdiction over 6 districts, 2 counties, and 2 county-level cities, with a total area of 9,816 square kilometers and a permanent population of 9.777 million [75] [229] [231]. Ningbo is a national historical and cultural city [1] and the cultural capital of East Asia. It has prospered because of its port since ancient times. It is the starting point of the "Maritime Silk Road" and one of the earliest cities in China to open ports [203]. It gave birth to the Siming School, Yangming School, and Zhejiang School. Ningbo Tianyi Pavilion is the oldest existing library in Asia [192] [236]. The Ningbo Gang is the largest business gang in modern China [198]. The number of Ningbo-born academicians ranks first in the country [195-196]. Ningbo's history can be traced back to the Hemudu culture 7,000 years ago. The Jingtoushan site pushes the history of Ningbo's humanities back to more than 8,000 years ago. In the first year of the Changqing period of the Tang Dynasty (821), the Mingzhou prefecture was moved to Sanjiangkou and a sub-city was built, marking the beginning of the construction of Ningbo. In the 14th year of the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty (1381), it was renamed Ningbo, which means "when the sea is calm, the waves are calm" [202]. Ningbo is an important central city in the Yangtze River Delta region, a modern marine city, a national comprehensive transportation hub, a national advanced manufacturing base, a regional science and technology innovation highland, a national shipping and logistics center, an important node city for the "Belt and Road" port and shipping cooperation [1], an important member of the Shanghai metropolitan area [131], the first National Civilized City [239], the first pilot demonstration city of Made in China 2025 [110], and has the world's third largest container port and the world's largest port in terms of cargo throughput, Ningbo-Zhoushan Port [205]. Ningbo has formed a modern industrial system dominated by digital industries, green petrochemicals, and high-end equipment, with new functional materials, new energy, key basic components, smart home appliances, fashion textiles and clothing, and modern health as its features, as well as a number of emerging and future industrial clusters with forward-looking layout [235]. In 2024, Ningbo's GDP will be 1,814.77 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 5.4%.
Wenzhou (Wenzhou dialect pronunciation: Iu ciou [ʔy33-11 tɕiɤu33-32], Zhejiang Min dialect pronunciation: Un-chiu) is a prefecture-level city under the jurisdiction of Zhejiang Province, People's Republic of China. It is an important commercial city and regional center city on the southeast coast approved by the State Council. It is a famous overseas Chinese hometown in Zhejiang Province. It is located in the southeast of Zhejiang Province, on the south bank of the lower reaches of Oujiang River. It is a coastal port city and also a coastal open city of the People's Republic of China. It was included in the Yangtze River Delta integration plan in 2019. [4] It was called Ou in ancient times. The old city was built by Guo Pu, a famous scholar in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, according to Feng Shui ideas. At that time, Guo Pu climbed Xiguo Mountain on the south bank and saw several peaks standing in a staggered manner, shaped like the Big Dipper, and Huagai Mountain locked the "mouth of the Big Dipper". He designed Wenzhou City based on this. Therefore, Wenzhou has the beautiful name of "mountains like the Big Dipper and the city like a lock", also known as "Dou City" [5]. Legend has it that when the city was built, a white deer passed by with a flower in its mouth, which people regarded as a good omen, so Wenzhou is also known as "Deer City". The municipal government is located at No. 321 Xiushan Road, Lucheng District. Wenzhou is known as the Jerusalem of China and has become the largest urban Christian center in China. [6] In 2019, the program "A Family in Wenzhou" broadcast by China Central Television Comprehensive Channel showcased the innovation and development of Wenzhou's private economy.