Hangzhou History

Hangzhou, as one of the famous eight ancient capitals in Chinese history, has a long historical standing. As early as 4700 years ago, the Liangzhu Culture appeared in the Hangzhou area, and then the Wuyue Kingdom and the Song Dynasty all chose Hangzhou for their capital cities.

The cultural heritage of Hangzhou is rich and profound. It took its shape from a complete culture development system of the Liangzhu Culture, Wuyue Culture to the Southern Song Dynasty Culture and the Culture of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Up until the present day, every tree and every blade of grass as well as every building along the West Lake are all imprinted with this history.

With its splendid culture, many talented people are produced every generation in Hanghzou. The profound Hangzhou civilization like a huge magnet attracted kings, perdanas, hermits and other notable personages over all ages. They not only left behind deep imprints on Hangzhou’s civilization, but also add some historical flavors to the sceneries of West Lake.

Hangzhou, alternately named “Qiantang”, achieved its golden age of prosperity when it became the capital city of the South Song Dynasty. During the Yuan Dynasty (late 13th Century), the Venetian Marco Polo once supposedly visited Hangzhou and he refers to the city as “beyond dispute the finest and the noblest in the world.". Up until the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Hangzhou continued to develop its local industry especially in silk weaving, and it thus became the silk center of China. At present, Hangzhou is one of the most prosperous cities in China and moreover a famous tourist destination for both domestic and international travelers.