Hangzhou is one of the famous capitals in China's history. It
was made the capital of the Kindom of the Wuyue (893-978 A.D.)
and of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279 A.D.) by 14 emperors
and kings for more than 200 years. It is now the capital of
Zhejiang Province and the political, economic and centre of
the province as well as a hub of communications.
Hangzhou is well-known in the worlds for its beautiful West
Lake. The lake is 5.6 square kilometers in size, surrounded
by hills on three sides. Its green hills and blue waters, its
attractive landscape, especially the Eight Beautiful Spots of
West Lake, have earned it the reputation as "an earthly
paradise", which is confirmed by an old Chinese saying:"Above
us there is Paradise, and here below we have Suzhou and Hangzhou."
With a history of more than 2,000 years, Hangzhou has abundant
cultural relics and places of historical interest.
