Province · East China
Zhejiang
浙江
West Lake, tea hills and private enterprise on the East China Sea
Zhejiang is a coastal province south of Shanghai whose northern plain belongs to the lower-Yangtze Jiangnan region and whose south is mountainous and island-studded. Its capital is Hangzhou, capital of the Southern Song; the province is known for West Lake, Longjing tea, silk, celadon, Shaoxing wine and one of China's most dynamic private-sector economies.
Key facts
- Capital
- Hangzhou
- Abbreviation
- 浙 (Zhè)
- Area
- about 105,500 km²[1]
- Resident population
- 67.01 million(as of end of 2025)[2]
- Gross regional product
- CNY 9.45 trillion(as of 2025)[2]
- Census population
- 64.57 million(as of 2020 census)[3]
- Divisions
- 11 prefecture-level cities[1]
- UNESCO World Heritage sites
- 4, two of them shared (2010–2019)[4]
Profile
- Chinese name
- 浙江
- Abbreviation (简称)
- 浙
- Type
- Province
- Region
- East China
- Capital
- Hangzhou
- Area
- about 105,500 km²
- Divisions
- 11 prefecture-level cities
- Ethnic groups
- Han, She, Tujia, Miao, Buyei
- Languages
- Wu, Hangzhou dialect, She speech, Southern Min
Languages
Wu
吴语
Spoken across nearly the whole province in many local varieties, from the Hangzhou and Ningbo dialects in the north to the Wenzhou dialect, notoriously difficult for outsiders, in the south.
Hangzhou dialect
杭州话
A Wu variety with Mandarin features, often attributed to the Southern Song court's migration from Kaifeng.
She speech
畲话
A Hakka-like language spoken by the She people in the mountains of Lishui and Wenzhou.
Southern Min
闽南语
Spoken in pockets along the southern coast near the Fujian border.
Name and abbreviation
The province is named after the Zhe River (浙江), the old name of the Qiantang River that flows past Hangzhou. The character 浙 is often explained as “winding”, for the river's bends. The name became that of an administrative region in the Tang, when the Jiangnan circuit was divided into Zhexi and Zhedong (west and east of the Zhe); the Ming established Zhejiang province in 1368 with nearly its present borders.
Historic names
越
The Spring and Autumn state of Yue, centred on Shaoxing, whose king Goujian defeated Wu in 473 BCE.
吴越
The Five Dynasties kingdom (907–978) ruled from Hangzhou by the Qian family, which surrendered peacefully to the Song.
两浙
“The two Zhe” — Tang and Song name for the region east and west of the Qiantang.
丝绸之府
“home of silk”
Epithet for the silk-producing plain of Hangzhou, Huzhou and Jiaxing.
Land and climate
Zhejiang is one of China's smallest provinces but among its most varied. The north-east is the flat Hang-Jia-Hu plain and the Ningbo–Shaoxing plain, crossed by canals and part of the Yangtze Delta. Most of the rest is hill and mountain — the Tianmu, Kuaiji and Yandang ranges, rising to Huangmaojian (about 1,929 m) in the south-west — cut by short rivers that reach the sea at Hangzhou Bay, Taizhou and Wenzhou. Offshore lie more than two thousand islands, the most of any province, including the Zhoushan archipelago.
Landforms
Hang-Jia-Hu Plain
杭嘉湖平原
The canal and mulberry country of Hangzhou, Jiaxing and Huzhou.
Tianmu Mountains
天目山
Forested range in the north-west with ancient ginkgo and giant cryptomeria trees.
Yandang Mountains
雁荡山
Volcanic peaks, cliffs and waterfalls near Wenzhou, a UNESCO Global Geopark.
Zhoushan Archipelago
舟山群岛
China's largest archipelago, with the Buddhist island of Putuoshan.
Mount Jianglang
江郎山
Three Danxia sandstone pillars in Quzhou, part of the China Danxia World Heritage site.
Rivers and lakes
Qiantang River
钱塘江
The province's longest river; its funnel-shaped estuary produces the world's largest tidal bore, best seen at Yanguan.
Fuchun River
富春江
Middle Qiantang, painted by Huang Gongwang in Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains.
Ou River
瓯江
Flows from Lishui to the sea at Wenzhou.
Grand Canal
京杭大运河
Ends in Hangzhou; the Eastern Zhejiang Canal continues it to Ningbo.
Qiandao Lake
千岛湖
Reservoir of the Xin'an River dam (1959), with more than a thousand islands.
Climate
Zhejiang has a humid subtropical monsoon climate. Summers are hot and humid; the plum-rain season in June and early July is followed by typhoons, which strike the coast most years between July and September. Winters are cool and damp, colder in the northern plain and the mountains. Spring, when the tea is picked and West Lake is in blossom, and autumn, the season of osmanthus and the Qiantang tidal bore, are the best times to travel.
History
Neolithic Zhejiang produced some of the earliest rice-farming cultures in the world — Shangshan, Hemudu and Liangzhu, whose walled city near Hangzhou is a World Heritage site. The state of Yue, ruled from Shaoxing, rivalled Wu in the fifth century BCE. The province grew rich after the Sui canal reached Hangzhou, and the Wuyue kingdom kept it at peace in the tenth century. When the Jurchen took northern China the Song court fled south and made Hangzhou its capital (1138–1276), then the largest city in the world. In the Ming and Qing the region was the heart of the silk economy, and Ningbo became a treaty port in 1842. Since 1978 Zhejiang's private businesses, from Wenzhou's family workshops to Hangzhou's internet companies, have made it a model of market-led growth.
c. 5000–3300 BCE
Hemudu culture
Waterlogged village near Yuyao with some of the earliest cultivated rice, pile-built wooden houses and lacquer.
c. 3300–2300 BCE
Liangzhu culture
A walled city with palaces, jade ritual objects and large water-management works near Hangzhou — evidence of an early state society.
473 BCE
Yue conquers Wu
King Goujian of Yue, who according to tradition had “slept on brushwood and tasted gall” to keep his resolve, destroyed the state of Wu.
353
The Orchid Pavilion gathering
Wang Xizhi's preface to the poems composed at Lanting near Shaoxing became the most celebrated work of Chinese calligraphy.
907–978
Wuyue kingdom
The Qian family ruled from Hangzhou, built sea walls against the Qiantang tides and submitted peacefully to the Song, sparing the region from war.
1138–1276
Hangzhou capital of the Southern Song
As Lin'an, Hangzhou became the largest and richest city in the world; Marco Polo later described it as Quinsai.
1368
Zhejiang province established
The Ming set up the province with borders close to today's.
1842
Ningbo opened as a treaty port
Ningbo merchants went on to play a leading role in Shanghai's banking and shipping.
1921
Red boat on South Lake
The First National Congress of the Communist Party of China concluded on a boat on South Lake in Jiaxing.
1980s
The Wenzhou model
Household workshops and specialised markets in Wenzhou and Yiwu became the emblem of private enterprise in reform-era China.
2016 and 2023
G20 summit and Asian Games
Hangzhou hosted the G20 leaders' summit in 2016 and the 19th Asian Games in 2023.
World heritage
World Heritage sites
Cultural · inscribed 2011
West Lake Cultural Landscape of Hangzhou
杭州西湖文化景观
The lake, its causeways, islands, temples and pagodas, shaped over a thousand years into a landscape that influenced garden design across China, Japan and Korea.
Natural · inscribed 2010 · shared
中国丹霞
Red sandstone landscapes in six provinces; Zhejiang's component is Mount Jianglang in Jiangshan.
Cultural · inscribed 2014 · shared
大运河
The Zhejiang components include the canal in Hangzhou with the Gongchen Bridge, sections in Jiaxing and Huzhou, and the Eastern Zhejiang Canal to Ningbo.
Cultural · inscribed 2019
Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City
良渚古城遗址
The Neolithic city, dams and cemeteries of the Liangzhu culture in the Yuhang district of Hangzhou.
Intangible cultural heritage (UNESCO lists)
Inscribed 2009
Sericulture and silk craftsmanship of China
中国蚕桑丝织技艺
Silkworm rearing, reeling and weaving in Hangzhou, Jiaxing and Huzhou, with the silkworm-goddess customs of the villages (shared with Jiangsu and Sichuan).
Inscribed 2009
Traditional firing technology of Longquan celadon
龙泉青瓷传统烧制技艺
Green-glazed stoneware fired in dragon kilns in Longquan since the Song dynasty.
Inscribed 2009
The art of Chinese seal engraving
中国篆刻艺术
Nominated with the Xiling Society of Seal Arts, founded in Hangzhou in 1904.
Inscribed 2009
Traditional design and practices for building Chinese wooden arch bridges
中国木拱桥传统营造技艺
On the list in need of urgent safeguarding; the covered woven-arch bridges of Taishun and Qingyuan (shared with Fujian).
Inscribed 2010
Wooden movable-type printing of China
中国活字印刷术
On the urgent-safeguarding list; practised in Rui'an for printing clan genealogies.
Inscribed 2022
Traditional tea processing techniques and associated social practices in China
中国传统制茶技艺及其相关习俗
Includes West Lake Longjing and other Zhejiang teas.
Culture
Northern Zhejiang shares the refined Jiangnan culture of southern Jiangsu — water towns, silk, scholars and gardens — while the mountainous south and the coast have a tougher, more commercial character. The province has produced an unusual number of writers, painters and thinkers, from Wang Xizhi's circle in Shaoxing to Lu Xun, and is the home of Yue opera, now the second most popular Chinese opera form after Peking opera.
江南好，风景旧曾谙。日出江花红胜火，春来江水绿如蓝。能不忆江南？Jiāngnán hǎo, fēngjǐng jiù céng ān. Rì chū jiāng huā hóng shèng huǒ, chūn lái jiāng shuǐ lǜ rú lán. Néng bù yì Jiāngnán?
“Jiangnan is fair; its scenery I once knew well. At sunrise the river flowers are redder than fire; in spring the river water is green as indigo. How could I not remember Jiangnan?”
— Bai Juyi, “Remembering Jiangnan” (忆江南), Tang dynasty, 9th century
Opera, music and dance
Yue opera
越剧
Born in Shengzhou around 1906 and famous for its all-female casts and lyrical love stories such as The Butterfly Lovers.
Shao opera
绍剧
Robust, high-pitched opera of Shaoxing, known for martial plays such as the Monkey King.
Wu opera (Jinhua)
婺剧
Opera of the Jinhua region that preserves several old musical styles.
Nanxi (Southern drama)
南戏
The earliest mature Chinese drama form, which emerged in Wenzhou in the Song dynasty.
Crafts
Longquan celadon
龙泉青瓷
Jade-green stoneware exported across Asia and to East Africa in the Song and Yuan dynasties.
Dongyang woodcarving
东阳木雕
Deep-relief carving in unpainted wood for architecture and furniture.
Hu brushes
湖笔
Writing brushes from Shanlian in Huzhou, counted among the Four Treasures of the Study.
Qingtian stone carving
青田石雕
Carving in the soft, translucent stone of Qingtian, also used for seals.
Hangzhou silk
杭州丝绸
Silk weaving and brocade pictures, shown at the China National Silk Museum in Hangzhou.
Festivals and customs
Watching the tidal bore
观潮
Crowds gather on the Qiantang embankments around the 18th day of the eighth lunar month for the year's highest tide.
Tea picking before Qingming
采茶
The first spring tea leaves, picked before the Qingming festival, are the most prized.
Putuoshan pilgrimages
普陀山香会
Pilgrims crowd the island on the three annual festival days of Guanyin in the second, sixth and ninth lunar months.
Cuisine
Zhejiang cuisine (浙菜) is one of the Eight Great Cuisines. It is light, fresh and seasonal, built on river fish, seafood, bamboo shoots and the region's rice wine. The Hangzhou style is delicate and slightly sweet, the Ningbo style salty and centred on seafood, the Shaoxing style rich with wine and fermented foods, and the Wenzhou style draws on the sea.
Signature dishes
West Lake fish in vinegar sauce
西湖醋鱼
Grass carp poached and dressed with a sweet-sour vinegar sauce.
Dongpo pork
东坡肉
Squares of pork belly braised slowly in Shaoxing wine and soy sauce, named after Su Dongpo.
Longjing shrimp
龙井虾仁
River shrimp stir-fried with fresh Longjing tea leaves.
Beggar's chicken
叫花鸡
Chicken wrapped in lotus leaves and clay and baked.
Sister Song's fish soup
宋嫂鱼羹
Thick soup of flaked fish said to date from Southern Song Hangzhou.
Ningbo tangyuan
宁波汤圆
Glutinous rice balls filled with black sesame and lard.
Specialities
West Lake Longjing tea
西湖龙井
Flat, pan-fired green tea from the hills west of West Lake, the most famous Chinese green tea.
Shaoxing rice wine
绍兴黄酒
Amber yellow wine brewed from glutinous rice and the water of Jian Lake, aged in earthenware jars.
Jinhua ham
金华火腿
Dry-cured ham from Jinhua, used to flavour stocks and banquet dishes.
Anji white tea
安吉白茶
A pale green tea from Anji, named for its whitish young leaves.
Hangzhou chrysanthemum
杭白菊
Dried white chrysanthemum flowers from Tongxiang for tea.
Notable people
Wang Xizhi (303–361)
王羲之
The “Sage of Calligraphy”, who lived and worked in Shaoxing (born in Langya, Shandong).
Wang Yangming (1472–1529)
王阳明
Neo-Confucian philosopher of the unity of knowledge and action, born in Yuyao.
Huang Zongxi (1610–1695)
黄宗羲
Political theorist and historian from Yuyao who criticised absolute monarchy.
Lu Xun (1881–1936)
鲁迅
Founder of modern Chinese literature, born in Shaoxing.
Cai Yuanpei (1868–1940)
蔡元培
Educator from Shaoxing who reformed Peking University.
Chiang Kai-shek (1887–1975)
蒋介石
Leader of the Nationalist government, born in Xikou, Fenghua (Ningbo).
Jin Yong (1924–2018)
金庸
Author of martial-arts novels, born in Haining.
Economy
Zhejiang is one of China's richest provinces and the one where private enterprise is most dominant. Its economy grew from clusters of family firms, each town specialising in a product — buttons, lighters, shoes, socks, eyewear — and from specialised wholesale markets such as Yiwu's. Hangzhou is now a leading centre of e-commerce, digital payment and platform companies; Ningbo-Zhoushan is the world's largest port by cargo tonnage; and the province has large petrochemical, automotive and textile industries.
Main industries
- Digital economy, e-commerce and software
- Textiles, garments and chemical fibres
- Automotive and parts, including electric vehicles
- Petrochemicals (Ningbo and Zhoushan)
- Small commodities and light industry
- Electrical machinery and household appliances
- Port logistics and shipping
Zones, ports and hubs
China (Zhejiang) Pilot Free Trade Zone
中国（浙江）自由贸易试验区
Established in Zhoushan in 2017 with a focus on oil and gas trade; extended in 2020 to Hangzhou, Ningbo and Jinhua-Yiwu.
Zhoushan Archipelago New Area
舟山群岛新区
The first national-level new area based on islands (2011).
Port of Ningbo-Zhoushan
宁波舟山港
Deep-water port formed by merging the two ports in 2006.
Yiwu International Trade City
义乌国际商贸城
One of the world's largest wholesale markets for small commodities.
Cities
- Hangzhou杭州Capital · Historic city · Scenic area · Cultural centreWest Lake, Longjing tea and the capital of the Southern Song
- Ningbo宁波Port · Historic city · Industrial centrePort city of merchants, book collectors and Buddhist mountains
- Shaoxing绍兴Historic city · Cultural centreCanal city of Yue, rice wine, calligraphy and Lu Xun
- Wenzhou温州Port · Industrial centre · Scenic areaCoastal city of entrepreneurs, Southern drama and the Yandang Mountains
Getting there
- Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport is the main gateway; Ningbo Lishe and Wenzhou Longwan also have international routes.
- High-speed lines link Hangzhou with Shanghai, Nanjing, Hefei, Huangshan, Ningbo and the coast to Wenzhou and Fujian; Hangzhou East and Hangzhou West are the main stations.
- The Hangzhou Bay Bridge and the Zhoushan island bridges link the coast and the islands by road; ferries serve Putuoshan and outer islands.
Entry rules for foreign visitors are on the visa and entry pages.
Frequently asked questions
Sources
- Zhejiang Provincial People's Government — Zhejiang Provincial People's Government (retrieved 27 September 2026)
- 2025年浙江省国民经济和社会发展统计公报 (Statistical Communiqué of Zhejiang on the 2025 National Economic and Social Development) — Zhejiang Provincial Bureau of Statistics (retrieved 27 September 2026)
- Seventh National Population Census communiqués — National Bureau of Statistics of China (retrieved 27 September 2026)
- World Heritage List: China — UNESCO World Heritage Centre (retrieved 27 September 2026)
- Intangible Cultural Heritage: China — UNESCO (retrieved 27 September 2026)
- Zhejiang — Encyclopaedia Britannica (retrieved 27 September 2026)
All provinces · 中国省级行政区
Related
Cuisine
Zhejiang Cuisine →
Zhejiang cuisine is celebrated for its fresh, tender, and mellow flavors that capture the essence of the region's abundant natural resources. Known…
Dynasty
Song Dynasty (960-1279 CE) →
The Song dynasty (960-1279 CE) was the Chinese imperial dynasty founded by the general Zhao Kuangyin that reunified China after the Five Dynasties…
Art Form
Chinese Silk Arts →
Chinese silk arts encompass weaving, embroidery, and tapestry techniques developed over 5,000 years. From the legendary discovery by Empress Leizu to…
Art Form
Chinese Porcelain →
Chinese porcelain represents the pinnacle of ceramic artistry, combining technical mastery with aesthetic refinement. Known worldwide as 'china,'…
Art Form
Chinese Calligraphy →
Chinese calligraphy is considered the highest form of Chinese art, combining writing, aesthetics, and spiritual cultivation. It transforms Chinese…