HangZhou lies 180 kilometers south west of ShangHai in the YangTse River Delta and is the capital of ZheJiang province.
With abundant natural scenery, including the famous West Lake, HangZhou has been a popular city for over 2,000 years when it was founded during the Qin dynasty. It is listed as one of the seven great ancient capitals of China. The West Lake covers 6 square km and is surrounded by historical sites and scenic areas.
HangZhou lies at the southern end of the Grand Canal of China, with a length of nearly 1,800 km; at the northern end lies BeiJing. It was completed around 600 AD during the Sui dynasty. The longest man-made canal in the world, by far, it is a fine example of China's achievements, which include invention of the canal lock (Song dynasty; 10th century).
HangZhou is also noted for tea, silk, umbrellas and fans.
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