Historical Vicissitudes

Hangzhou has enjoyed a history of over 2,200 years since the county administration was established in Qin Dynasty. It is one of the cradles of Huaxia (China) Civilization. The Kuahuqiao Ruins showed that there were human beings multiplying and living in Hangzhou area early 8,000 years ago. Liangzhu Culture, as early as over 5,000 years ago, was known as "the Dawn of Civilization". Hangzhou, one of the seven ancient capitals of China, was the capital of Wuyue State of the Five-Dynasties

and also the capital of the Southern Song Dynasty. In the 13th century, the Italian traveler Marco Polo admired Hangzhou as "the Most Splendid and Luxurious City in the World". Hangzhou was called Qiantang in ancient time. In the ninth year of Kaihuang of Sui Dynasty (589), Hangzhou was founded to replace the original Qiantang County and the name of Hangzhou was recorded for the first time in history. In the first year of the Republic of China (1912), the original Qiantang County and Renhe County were merged into Hangzhou County. In the 16th year of the Republic of China (1927), Hangzhou County was dismantled and Hangzhou was founded as a city. It was on May 3, 1949 when Hangzhou was liberated that Hangzhou began to write its new chapter of development in history.