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Introduction to Hangzhou, China

Introduction to Hangzhou, a famous historical and cultural city in Zhejiang

Hangzhou, referred to as “Hangzhou”, is the provincial capital of Zhejiang Province, a sub-provincial city, the core city of the Hangzhou metropolitan area, the provincial capital of Zhejiang Province and the economic, cultural, scientific and educational center of the whole province and one of the central cities in the Yangtze River Delta approved by the State Council.

Hangzhou is located on the southeastern coast of China, the northern part of Zhejiang Province, the lower reaches of the Qiantang River, and the southern end of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal.

There are many cultural relics in Hangzhou. There are a large number of natural and human landscape relics in and around the West Lake. The representative ones are the West Lake culture, Liangzhu culture, silk culture, tea culture, and many stories and legends that have been handed down have become representatives of Hangzhou culture.

Hangzhou has a history of more than 2,200 years since the establishment of the county seat in the Qin Dynasty, and was once the capital of the Wuyue Kingdom and the Southern Song Dynasty. Because of its beautiful scenery, it is known as “paradise on earth”.

Benefiting from the convenience of the Beijing-Hangzhou Canal and trade ports, as well as its own well-developed silk and grain industries, Hangzhou was once an important commercial distribution center in history. Later, relying on the opening of railway lines such as the Shanghai-Hangzhou Railway and Shanghai’s drive in import and export trade, the light industry developed rapidly. Since the beginning of the new century, driven by high-tech companies such as Alibaba, the Internet economy has become a new economic growth point for Hangzhou.

Hangzhou History and Culture

1. Dialect

Hangzhou dialect is a kind of Wu dialect and belongs to the Taihu piece of Wu dialect.

Hangzhou dialect generally refers to the dialect of the main urban area of ​​Hangzhou, which belongs to the Wu dialect Taihu area of ​​Hangzhou, which is distributed in Gongshu District, Shangcheng District, Xiacheng District, Jianggan District and Xihu District of Hangzhou. Hangzhou dialect is the living fossil of Hangzhou history.

During the Southern Song Dynasty, northern soldiers and civilians from Kaifeng and surrounding areas moved southward with the Song Dynasty and settled in Lin’an. Since then, the Eight Banners soldiers of the Qing Dynasty have been stationed in Hangzhou for more than 200 years. The sharp increase in immigration from the north has led to the fusion of the predominant Wu dialect with the political predominant northern Mandarin, especially in the urban area of ​​Hangzhou.

Hangzhou dialect has er-suffix (the word “er” is read alone, not er-like), and it is mostly used in literary reading. This is the product of long-term integration and evolution with northern dialects, and it is also the difference from Linshao Wu dialect and Tiaoxi Wu dialect. The tone of Hangzhou dialect is no different from the surrounding Linshao Wu dialect, and is greatly influenced by Shaoxing dialect. The interdependence between Hangzhou and Shaoxing is similar to that of Shanghai and Suzhou.

Hangzhou urban dialect has fully voiced, four complete tones, and the opposite of clear and voiced, which is a typical sign of belonging to Wu dialect.

The Binjiang, Xiaoshan and Fuyang dialects in Hangzhou area, as well as the Lin’an and Tonglu dialects belong to the Wu dialect Taihu piece Linshao piece. Yuhang dialect belongs to the small piece of Tiaoxi in Taihu Lake of Wu dialect. The Wu language and Linshao dialect are spoken by a large number of people in Hangzhou area. In addition, the former Yanzhou prefecture is now classified into Hangzhou’s Chun’an County and Jiande City as Hui language.

2. Religion

Hangzhou has five religions: Taoism, Buddhism, Islam, Catholicism and Christianity.

Christianity – about 180,000 people, of which more than half in Xiaoshan District, 30,000 people in the old urban area, 39 churches: Chongyi Church, Sicheng Church, Tianshui Church, Gulou Church, Hangzhou Christian Church Chengbei Church, Jianqiao Church, Hangzhou Christian Xiasha Panshi Church, Hangzhou Chongyi Church is the largest Chinese church in the world.

Buddhism – Lingyin Temple, Jingci Temple, Shangtianzhu Faxi Temple, Zhongtianzhu Fajingchan Temple, Lower Tianzhu Fajing Temple, Taoguang Temple (Lingyin Mountain Mid-level Chaoyuwu).

Taoism – Baopu Taoist Temple. Islam – 4000 people, Phoenix Temple, etc. Catholic – more than 2,000 people, 11 Catholic churches: Immaculate Conception Hall.

After its establishment in October 1952, the Religious Affairs Office of the Hangzhou Municipal People’s Government has implemented the policy of freedom of religious belief formulated by the Chinese government, carried out anti-imperialist patriotic movements in the religious circles, pursued socialist education, guaranteed normal religious activities, and cracked down on illegal and criminal activities. ; Help all patriotic religious groups run religious undertakings well and implement the government’s specific policies on religion; actively guide religious unsympathetic people to ask the righteous society to adapt.

Patriotic figures in the religious circles in Hangzhou have made remarkable achievements in various social welfare undertakings such as disaster relief, support for education in impoverished areas of ethnic minorities, and donations to support the disabled, making contributions to the construction of two civilizations in Hangzhou.

3. Venues

Hangzhou has 16 cultural centers, 16 public libraries, and the library has a collection of 14.89 million volumes.

The city has 51 museums (memorial), 16 theaters, 3 group art halls, 2 concert halls, and 25 national key cultural relics protection units (groups). Two new national-level cultural industry demonstration bases have been added, five galleries have been named “China Integrity Galleries”, and five squares have been named “National Characteristic Cultural Plazas”.

4. Art

There are 2,036,200 cable TV users in the city, including 1,043,900 digital TV users. The comprehensive coverage rate of TV and radio reached 99.8% and 99.83% respectively. Radio and television “every villages” to achieve full coverage. Successfully held major cultural events such as the 5th China International Animation Festival and the 11th West Lake Expo. The sericulture and silk weaving skills and the “seal carving” of Xiling Yinshe are listed in the UNESCO “Representative Works of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity”.

5. Festival

1. Qianjiang Tide Watching Festival

“August 18 tides, there is nothing spectacular in the world” Every year on August 18 of the lunar calendar, the International Qianjiang Tide Watching Festival is held at the Qianjiang Tide Watching Resort in Xiaoshan. At that time, tourists can not only enjoy the wonders of the Qianjiang River, but also participate in a series of cultural, sports and tourism activities.

2. West Lake Expo

The West Lake Exposition was first established in 1929, and became world famous together with the “Chicago Exposition” in 1893, the “Paris Exposition” in 1900 and the “Philadelphia Exposition” in 1927, and was recognized as the four major international festivals. A total of 147,600 domestic and foreign items were exhibited at the first expo, which was a collection of Chinese items at that time.

In 2000, the Hangzhou Municipal Government decided to re-host the West Expo to commemorate this first-ever exhibition in China’s expo industry. Up to now, the West Expo has become a comprehensive and international expo with a certain reputation and influence at home and abroad.

6. Famous People

Ancient celebrities: Sun Quan, Xu Jingzong, Mao Wenlong, Yu Qian, Yuan Mei, Ge Yunfei, Qian Liu, Li E, Hong Sheng, Shen Kuo, He Zhizhang

Modern celebrities: Ren Bonian, Xia Yan, Li Liangyu, Ma Xulun, Liang Shiqiu, Zhang Taiyan, Yu Dafu, Li Linsi, Chen Shutong, Li Erkang, Shen Dingyi, Dai Wangshu, Gai Callian, Qian Xuesen, Shi Chengzhi, Shi Zhecun, Li Suizhi, Yu Pingbo , Hang Liwu, Gao Yang

Contemporary celebrities: Ma Yun, Zong Qinghou, Sun Zhonghua, Lu Wei, Zhu Bingren, Qin Benli, Zhang Kangkang, Chen Congzhou, Jiang Zhuying, Hu Bing, Yu Feihong, Yuan Li, Tang Wei, Michelle Ye, He Zhuoyan, Shao Bing, Li Shengjiao, Ji Chunhua, Lu Guanqiu, Li Yanhua, Ye Shiwen, Han Dong, Xia Da, Nanpai Sanshu, Sun Yang, Guo Chuyang, Jiang Zhaoyue, Fu Yuanhui

Fun Places in hangzhou

1. West Lake

West Lake is located in the west of Hangzhou City and the center of Hangzhou City. It is famous both at home and abroad for its beautiful lakes and mountains and numerous historical sites. It is a famous tourist destination in China, with a total area of ​​49 square kilometers. The beauty of West Lake lies in the glistening water in sunny days and the mountains in the sky in rainy days.

No matter it is rainy, snowy, sunny or cloudy, no matter whether it is morning or evening, it can change into a scene; in spring flowers, autumn moon, summer lotus, and winter snow, it has its own beauty. The lake area is famous for the beautiful scenery of Su Causeway and Bai Causeway.

2. Xixi

Three Embankments and Ten Scenes Xixi “Three Embankments”: Fu Embankment, Lu Embankment, and Shou Embankment; Xixi “Ten Scenic Spots”: Autumn Reeds and Flying Snow, Fire Persimmons Reflecting Bo, Dragon Boat Festival, Liantan Heron Shadow, Hongyuan Afterglow, Jianjiapan Moon, Misty Rain in Fishing Village, Plum Seeking in Qushui, Chenji in Gaozhuang, Hezhu Listening to Music.

3. Qiandao Lake

Qiandao Lake is full of blue waters, thousands of islands are beautiful, the mountains are green, the canyons are deep, the streams are beautiful, the caves are strange, and there are many kinds of biological resources, cultural relics and rich native products, which constitute the famous scenic features of the island and lake both at home and abroad.

After large-scale renovation and construction, 14 scenic spots in six scenic spots including Xianshan, Pingfeng, Meifeng, Longshan, Animal Series and Stone Forest with high grade and rich connotation have been formed.

4. Gongchen Bridge

Gongchen Bridge spans the Grand Canal from east to west and is the end point of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal to Hangzhou. It was built in the fourth year of Chongzhen in the Ming Dynasty and rebuilt in the eleventh year of Guangxu in the Qing Dynasty. The bridge has a total length of 92 meters and is a three-hole thin-pier stone arch bridge. The bridge is majestic and majestic in shape and is a landmark building in Gongshu District, Hangzhou. On the east and west sides of the bridge are the China Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal Museum, China Umbrella Museum, China Fan Museum, and China Knife Scissors Museum.

5. Guangji Bridge

Guangji Bridge is the only remaining seven-hole stone arch bridge on the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, located in Tangqi Town, Yuhang District, Hangzhou City. Guangji Bridge, also known as Tongji Bridge and Bitian Bridge, commonly known as Long Bridge, was built by Chen Shouqing, a Yin native, in the eleventh year of Hongzhi in Ming Dynasty (1498). Nearby are Shuibei Ming and Qing Street, Qianlong Imperial Monument, Zhejiang Water Conservancy Tong Judgment Hall, Guopu Well, and Shuinan Temple.

6. Fuyi warehouse

Fuyi Warehouse is the only existing canal shipping storage building in Hangzhou, which has important cultural relic value. It was built in the sixth year of Guangxu (1880), and its name means “to get rich with benevolence, and to achieve justice with harmony”. At that time, all the rice grains used in Hangzhou were transported from the canal and stored in Fuyi Warehouse. Together with Nanxin Warehouse in Beijing, it was called “the granary of the world”.

7. Qiantang River

Qiantang River is the largest river in Zhejiang Province and one of the main birthplaces of Yue culture. The total length of the river is 688 kilometers, the drainage area is 55,600 square kilometers, and the average annual flow is 44.25 billion cubic meters.

The time of Qianjiang tide watching is calculated according to the lunar calendar. The tide is the largest on the third and eighteenth days of each month, and decreases before and after. There are two tidal surges a day, the exact timing of which changes regularly. In a year, the tide on the eighteenth day of the eighth lunar month is the most spectacular, and the most people go to watch the tide. In history, this day was commonly known as “the birthday of the tide god”, but now it is called the “watching tide festival”.

8. Liangzhu Ruins

The Liangzhu site is about 5250~4150 years ago. It was named after it was discovered in Liangzhu Town in 1936. After more than half a century of archaeological investigation and excavation, it was initially found that the site was distributed in the Taihu Lake area.

In the three towns of Liangzhu, Anxi and Pingyao in Yuhang District, Hangzhou, there are more than 50 Liangzhu cultural sites centered on the Mojiaoshan site. There are various relics such as villages, cemeteries, altars, etc., which are rich in connotation, wide in scope and dense in sites. . The ancient city of Liangzhu, an ancient city with a total area of ​​more than 2.9 million square meters discovered by archaeologists in the core area of ​​Liangzhu culture is equivalent to about 400 football fields.

9. Xianghu Lake

Zhejiang Xianghu Tourist Resort is connected to Xiaoshan City in the east, Qiantang River in the west, Zhejiang-Jiangxi Railway in the north, Hangzhou Ring Expressway in the south, and only 15 kilometers from the West Lake. Therefore, Huxi Tiger Cave is a place where Goujian lies and tries his best.

The eight scenic spots of Xianghu Lake are the nostalgic scenery of Chengshan Mountain, the view from the pavilion, the morning light first, the night moon across the lake, the sound of Yangqi bells, the song of Hengtang, the cloud shadow in the center of the lake, and the smoke from the kiln at the foot of the mountain. At present, Xianghu Phase III has officially opened. Its total water area reaches 6.1 square kilometers, forming a “long-necked gourd-shaped” lake landscape as a whole.

10. The Ruins of the Cross Lake Bridge

The Kuahu Bridge site is located in Xianghu Village, Chengxiang Street, about 4 kilometers southwest of Xiaoshan City. The original area of ​​the site is tens of thousands of square meters, and 1030 square meters have been excavated. The accumulation of the site is 2-3 meters thick, and the carbon-14 dating is 7000-8000 years ago. The actual cultivated rice unearthed from the Kuahuqiao site has advanced the history of cultivated rice in Zhejiang by 1,000 years; the unearthed canoe is the earliest boat in China so far.

11, Yaolin Wonderland

Yaolin Wonderland is located in Tonglu County, 80 kilometers away from Hangzhou. It is a typical representative of karst caves in the subtropical humid area of ​​​​the central east coast of China. It is a national scenic spot, also known as Yaolin Cave. One of “Top 40 Tourist Attractions in China” and “Top Ten Tourist Attractions in Zhejiang Province”.

In 2002, it entered the ranks of national AAAA-level scenic tourist attractions. It is known as “the crown of all caves in the country” for its tortuous cave landform and magnificent rocky landscape. The painter Ye Qianyu praised it as “rare in China and rare in the world”.

12. Ten Scenes of West Lake

Ten Old Scenes of West Lake: Spring Dawn on Su Causeway, Wind Lotus in Quyuan, Autumn Moon on Pinghu, Remnant Snow on Broken Bridge, Singing Orioles in Willow Waves, Viewing Fish in Flower Harbor, Sunset at Leifeng, Shuangfeng Inserting Clouds, Nanping Evening Bell, Three Pools Reflecting the Moon

New Ten Scenes of West Lake: Yunqi Bamboo Trail, Manlong Guiyu, Tiger Pao Mengquan, Longjing Tea, Jiuxi Smoke Tree, Wushan Tianfeng, Ruan Dunhuanbi, Huanglong Tucui, Jade Emperor Feiyun, Gem Liuxia

Three Comments on the Ten Scenes of West Lake: Lingyin Zen Track, Liuhe Tingtao, Yue Tomb Qixia, Lakeside Rainy Rain, Qianci Biaozhong, Wansong Shuyuan, Yangdi Jingxing, Santai Yunshui, Meiwu Spring Morning, North Street dream.

Hangzhou City in China