Zhejiang Travel Guide

Zhejiang Overview

Zhejiang lies in the southern part of the Yangtze River Delta on the southeast coast of China. It faces the East China Sea on the east and neighbors Fujian on the south; and it shares borders with Jiangxi and Anhui on the west and Shanghai, China's largest city, and Jiangsu on the north.

The whole province has a land area of 101,800 km². Hills and mountains occupy 70.4% of the total area in the province, while plains and basins account for 23.2% and the rest is water area composed of rivers and lakes. Zhejiang is a province with the most islands in China, having 3,061 islands with a total area of 1,670 square kilometers; among which, Zhoushan Archipelago is definitely the largest. Also, it has a lot of bays with more than 60 natural ports of various sizes, constituting a port-cluster.

This province is abundant in non-metallic mineral reserves, 12 of which taking the first three places in China, such as reserves of stone coal, pyrophyllite, alunite, etc... Furthermore, abundant deposits of oil and natural gas in the continental shelf are awaiting exploitation. Also, it is rich in fishery resources. Zhoushan Archipelago is the largest base for marine fishery in China.

Because of its long history, uniquely favorable natural environment, splendid culture, Zhejiang has vairous titles like "the home of silk, a paradise for tourists, a land full of cultural heritage, a region of fish and rice, etc... "

Zhejiang Facts

Provincial capital: Hangzhou

Area: Zhengjiang has a land of 104,141 km2

Geography: Zhejiang lies between 27°12' and 31°31' north latitude and 118°00' and 123° 00' east longitude. It has picturesque and rich landscapes. From dense alluvial plain in the north area, to the mountains in eastern Zhejiang coastal areas, and to the island landform in Zhoushan City, this province owns mountains, rivers, lakes as well as sea. It boasts renowned mountains, like Xuedou Mountain and Tiantai Mountain; as well as well known lakes, like Hangzhou West Lake and Ningbo Dongqian Lake. Major rivers in this province are the Qiantang River, the Oujiang River as well as the Nanxi River.

Population: a population of almost 54 millions

Administrative Division: Zhejiang is divided into eleven prefecture-level divisions, all prefecture-level cities:

#	Name	Hanzi	Administrative Seat	Population (2010)
1	Hangzhou	杭州市	Gongshu District	8.7 million
2	Ningbo	宁波市	Haishu District	7.6 million
3	Wenzhou	温州市	Lucheng District	9.5 million
4	Jiaxing	嘉兴市	Nanhu District	4.5 million
5	Chaozhou	潮州市	Renhuangshan New District	2.9 million
6	Shaoxing	绍兴市	Yuecheng District	4.9 million
7	Jinhua	金华市	Wucheng District	5.4 million
8	Quzhou	衢州市	Kecheng District	2.1 million
9	Zhoushan	舟山市	Dinghai District	1.1 million
10	Taizhou	台州市	Jiaojiang District	6.0 million
11	Lishui	丽水市	Liandu District	2.1 million

Culture
Hemudu Culture in Zhejiang, which dates back 7000 years ago, is one of the cradles of Chinese civilization. Hemudu was the world's origin of paddy rice cultivation.

Liangzhu Culture, dating back 4,200-5,300 years ago, found near the Taihu Lake and the Qiantang River, was another major peak of proto-Chinese civilization. The inventions of silk and jade carving were Liangzhu man's most significant contributions to mankind.

Zhejiang also enjoys high reputation in Buddhism culture. During the 4th century, Ningbo Tiantong Temple and Hangzhou Lingyin Templewere well known. Tiantong Temple was the cradle of the Soto-shu Sect of Japanese Buddhism. Nowadays, over one millennium later, they remain outstanding representatives of Buddhism culture.

Transportation
Airways: There are 7 civil airports in Hangzhou, Ningbo, and other cities in Zhejiang, carrying 185 domestic and international flight routes.
　　
Highways: A "4-hour road traffic circle" has been established, linking the capital city Hangzhou to all the other cities in Zhejiang within 4-hour reach.

Railways: A railway transportation network has been formed in Zhejiang by railway lines including Shanghai-Hangzhou,Xiaoshan-Ningbo, Xuancheng (Anhui)-Hangzhou, etc...

Zhejiang Climate & Weather

Under subtropical and monsoon conditions, Zhejiang has four distinct seasons, and plentiful sunshine. Zhejiang has long been known as "a region of fish and rice, the home of silk, a paradise for tourists and a land of rich cultural heritage". It has an average annual temperature of 15.3-17.9℃, 230-270 frost-free days along with an average annual rainfall of 1000-1900 mm. It has numerous rivers with an average annual surface water runoff of over 90 billion cubic meters.

The average temperature in spring is about 13 ~ 18 ℃. The summer mean temperature of the total province is about 24 ~ 28 ℃, while which in autumn is about 16 ~ 21 ℃, in winter is about 3 ~ 9 ℃.

Tips for Zhejiang Weather

Best season to visit Zhejiang:
The best time to travel in Zhejiang is in spring and autumn, especially late March April, and September to October. In Spring, Zhejiang climate features cold with lots of rain; its coastal and offshore often appears high wind, the weather is extremely indefinite. Zhejiang Summer climate features high temperature, much precipitation, strong light, and dry air. Zhejiang's autumn has various weathers. In Winter, Zhejiang is cold with little rain; and the air in this season is dry. There may appear cold wave, high wind, great snow and dense fog.

Clothes for travelling:
In Spring, Zhejiang often suffers rainy days, you'd better bring your rain gear. Summer is hot in Zhejiang, you can just put on your T-shirt, but also take your thin long sleeve to prevent the cold weather. The temperature difference changes a lot in Autumn in Zhejiang Province, please bring enough clothes to keep warm. In winter, you need to wear thick sweater and warm clothes, also you can bring down jacket.

Avoid Peak Holidays:
It is not a good idea to travel in China during Chinese holidays when huge numbers of Chinese people are travelling around. The busiest three national holidays in China are Chinese Spring Festival (usually in late Jan or early Feb.), International Labor Day (May 01 to 03) and National Day (Oct 01-07). Spring Festival is an especially crowded time to travel. The advantage of being in China at this time is that you will get the opportunity to experience "first hand" the significance of these celebrations in Chinese culture.

Other Tips:
An umbrella should be carried in case of unexpected rainfall, and sun-glasses and sun-block cream are advised to protect you from high UV, especially in summer.

As Zhejiang is influenced by the Southeast Monsoon, the rain in the mountain areas here is much more than that in coastal areas; and the weather is moist; tourists should bring your rain gear.