Hangzhou

Hangzhou
杭州市
Hangchow, Kincsay
Location of Hangzhou City jurisdiction in Zhejiang
Interactive map of Hangzhou
Hangzhou
Location of the city center in Zhejiang
Hangzhou
Location of the city center in China
Coordinates (Zhejiang Municipal People's Government): 30°16′01″N 120°09′11″E / 30.267°N 120.153°E / 30.267; 120.153
Country China
ProvinceZhejiang
Municipal seatShangcheng District
Government
 • TypeSub-provincial city
 • BodyHangzhou Municipal People's Congress
 • Party SecretaryLiu Fei
 • Congress ChairmanLi Huolin
 • MayorYao Gaoyuan
 • CPPCC ChairmanMa Weiguang
Area
 • City
16,821.1 km2 (6,494.7 sq mi)
 • Urban
8,259.9 km2 (3,189.2 sq mi)
 • Metro
8,107.9 km2 (3,130.5 sq mi)
Population
 (2020 census)
 • City
11,936,010
 • Density709.586/km2 (1,837.82/sq mi)
 • Urban
10,711,238
 • Urban density1,296.8/km2 (3,358.6/sq mi)
 • Metro
13,035,329
 • Metro density1,607.7/km2 (4,164.0/sq mi)
 • National rank
5th
Demonym(s)Hangzhounese
(杭州, Hángzhōurén)
GDP(2025)
 • CityCN¥ 2.3 trillion
US$ 330.45 billion
 • Per capitaCN¥ 192,694
US$ 27,685
Time zoneUTC+8 (China Standard)
Postal code
310000
ISO 3166 codeCN-ZJ-01
Licence plate prefixes浙A, 浙M
Regional varietyWu: Hangzhou dialect
WebsiteHangzhou.gov.cn
City tree
Camphor laurel (Cinnamomum camphora)
City flower

Sweet Osmanthus (Osmanthus fragrans)
Hangzhou
"Hangzhou" in Chinese characters
Chinese杭州
PostalHangchow
Literal meaning"Hang Prefecture"
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinHángzhōu
Gwoyeu RomatzyhHarngjou
Wade–GilesHang2-chou1
IPA[xǎŋ.ʈʂóʊ]
Yue: Cantonese
Jyutpinghong4 zau1
IPA[hɔŋ˩.tsɐw˥]
Southern Min
Hokkien POJHâng-chiu
Qiantang
Simplified Chinese钱塘
Traditional Chinese錢塘
Wu2jien-dan2 (Hangzhounese)
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinQiántáng
Gwoyeu RomatzyhChyantarng
Wade–GilesChʻien2-tʻang2
IPA[tɕʰjɛ̌n.tʰǎŋ]
Wu
Romanization2jien-dan2 (Hangzhounese)
Yue: Cantonese
Jyutpingcin4 tong4

Hangzhou is the capital city and most populous city of Zhejiang province, China, situated at the intersection of the southern terminus of the Grand Canal and the head of Hangzhou Bay. Renowned as one of the Eight Ancient Capitals of China, Hangzhou is celebrated for its cultural heritage and its West Lake, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Established as a county seat in 221 BC, Hangzhou later served as the capital of the Wuyue Kingdom (923–997) and the Southern Song dynasty (1138–1276). The city has three UNESCO World Heritage Sites, which are the West Lake Cultural Landscape, the Grand Canal, and the Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City.

Hangzhou is designated as a sub-provincial city. Hangzhou ranked ninth in GDP among mainland Chinese cities and 14th according to the Global Innovation Index. The city hosts the headquarters of Alibaba Group, Ant Group, DeepSeek, Geely, and NetEase. According to the Nature Index, it ranks 10th globally in scientific research output.