Noted as one of Chinas seven ancient capitals, Hangzhou is also known as a historic city. Hangzhou remained known as Qingtang County until the Southern and Northern Dynasties (420 - 589). In 589, during the Sui Dynasty (581-618), it was given the present name Hangzhou, which was recorded in history books for the first time. It roughly meant the city across the river or the city accessible only by boat. The late sixth century, Hangzhou saw the extension of the Grand Canal started from Beijing and end in Hangzhou. The Canal made Hangzhou from a sleepy fishing village to an economic, agricultural and cultural center.

In 907, Hangzhou began to serve as capital of Wuyue after King Qian Liu chose the region to found his kingdom which lasted 79 years. He developed sea transportation and established ties with Japan, Korea, and India.

Hangzhou underwent dramatic development when the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279) , pushed by the conquering Jin (Golden Tarta), established its capital there, officially called Linan, which means temporary peace . This was the most glorious period in Hangzhou s history. In the short period of a hundred years, the population increase to 1.24 million and the city was by far the biggest urban concentration in the world at the time. Moreover, its various industries, including porcelain manufacturing, textile, shipbuilding, papermaking and printing, got highly developed.

Under the Yuan Dynasty (1229-1368), the national political center moved north but Hangzhou remained an important city of southeast China as the seat of the provincial government.

During Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) Hangzhou was still considered one of the richest and largest in the empire. Emperor Kangqi and Qianling made Hangzhou their vacation home.

Nowadays, Hangzhou still attracts countless foreign tourists every year. They would like to see the Dragon Well Tea plantation and the silk museum and factory. Your visit to Hangzhou will be a memorable one and also a historic one.