 Hangzhou was settled as early as 4,700 years ago, thus giving birth to the auroral Liangzhu Civilization. One of the seven ancient capitals and the key scenic tourism and historical culture cities in China, Hangzhou once was applauded as"the most splendid and luxurious city in the world" by Marco Polo, the Italian traveler in the 13th century.
Under the jurisdiction of Hangzhou are 8 districts, 3 county-level cities and 2 counties, with a total area of 16,596 square kilometers and a total population of 6.4278 million. As a central city on the Southern wing of Yangtze Delta, Hangzhou's city proper covers an area of 3,068 square kilometers with a population of 3.932 million.
Geography
Located in the south of Yangtse River Delta, on the northern bank of the lower reach of the Qiantang River, Hangzhou is at the southern end of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, with its center lying 30.15 degrees north latitude and 120.16 degrees east longitude. In southwest Hangzhou there is a foothill, joined by the undulated Tianmu Mountains, with an altitude generally lower than 500 meters. The northeastern part of the city is flat, with an altitude of 3 to 10 meters.
Hangzhou has 6 urban districts: Shangcheng, Xiacheng, Jianggan, Gongshu, West Lake, Banshan; and 7 suburban counties: Xiaoshan, Fuyang, Yuhang, Tonglu, Lin'an, Jiande, Chun'an, with an area of more than 16 thousand sq.km.
Climate
Located in the joint of the middle and north semitropical area, Hangzhou has a warm and humid climate with distinct four seasons, sufficient sunshine and plenty of rainfall. The annual mean temperature is 16.2¡æ, 28.6¡æ in summer and 3.8¡æ in winter. The frost-free period lasts 230 to 260 days. The annual mean precipitation is 1,435 mm and the annual mean relative humidity is 76%.
Transportation
Hangzhou is serviced by the Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport, which has direct flights to Japan, Thailand, Korea, and Singapore, regional routes to Hong Kong and Macau, as well as numerous domestic routes. Located just outside of the city in the Xiaoshan district, it is one of the major secondary international airports in China. Hangzhou Railway Station (colloquially the "City Station" ³ÇÕ¾) and the significantly less modern Hangzhou East Railway Station (colloquially "East Station" ¶«Õ¾) serve the city  centre, from which one can catch a train to Shanghai and almost anywhere in China. A Shanghai-Hangzhou Maglev Train Line has been proposed. North, east, south and west long-distance bus stations offer regular large and small coach services to towns within Zhejiang province and surrounding provinces.
Transrapid has now been contracted to construct an extension of the existing Long Yang Road - Pudong International Airport Maglev line. This would be the first inter-city maglev line in the world; work has however been suspended with the authorities citing "radiation concerns".
Public transport within Hangzhou city is primarily in the form of an extensive public (trolley)bus network. As the city area is so flat, bicycles were traditionally very popular and are still popular with the less well-off residents, though many now use electric bicycles and scooters. Taxis are also very common. The construction of a subway system had long been planned, and recently received approval from the central government. The completion of the first two lines is expected in 2010. |
