In the Qin dynasty, (221 B.C.) a settlement was founded on the shores of the West Lake, just north of the Qiantang River. It received its current name of Hangzhou or river-ferrying prefecture during the Sui dynasty (581 – 618) when it became the terminus of the Grand Canal which stretched all the way to Beijing. The waterway was to play a major hand in the city’s subsequent development and by 907 it had been chosen by King Qian Liu, as the capital of his Wuyue Kingdom. The emergence of sea transportation and stronger ties with Japan, Korea and India helped to make the city one of the great southern Chinese cultural centers. Buddhism flourished and leaders patronized the arts, leading to an influx of scholars and diplomats. By the southern Song (1127 – 1279) the thriving porcelain, textiles, paper and printing industries encouraged more intellectuals and merchants to ride the wave, together with refugees from the conquered northern lands. The population reached over a million, making it one of the largest urban centers in the world at the time. By the time the Mongols had taken China in 1279, Hangzhou remained the provincial seat. Marco Polo who visited the city during this period described it as “the finest and noblest in the world.” It has exploited this reputation ever since, with numerous rulers from Qianlong to Chairman Mao choosing the city as a place for vacation. Throughout China’s tempestuous history, the natural beauty of Hangzhou has been preserved, and the central focus continues to be the West Lake with its surrounding hills where Longjing (Dragon Well) green tea, the most famous in China is grown.
