Building Lakes, Cities, and Paradise: How Hangzhou Rides the Asian Wave

Hangzhou, a city with creativity akin to "defying fate."

Few cities in the world are like her—lacking innate natural advantages, long-term policy support, or resource privileges—yet, over the span of 5,000 years of civilization, she has relentlessly transformed nature and reinvented herself, turning a flood-prone land where "humans could become fish or turtles" into a veritable "paradise on earth."

5,000 years ago, the Liangzhu people built here a majestic city covering nearly 3 million square meters, along with China's earliest discovered large-scale hydraulic engineering project, heralding the dawn of 5,000 years of Chinese civilization.

1,000 years ago, Su Shi submitted the "Petition to Dredge West Lake in Hangzhou." Over the centuries, under the efforts of dozens of Hangzhou governors and countless laborers, a lake that defines Chinese beauty—West Lake—was created.

Over the past 45 years, countless Hangzhou-born private entrepreneurs have become "trailblazers of the era." The "E-commerce Capital," the "Internet Capital"... this land has witnessed waves of "wealth-creation" legends.

The Grand Canal Asian Games Park and Future Sci-Tech City.

Today, they are crafting an unprecedented grand spectacle—

They manipulate the blooming cycles of flowers by hand, just so the over 500 kilometers of city viaducts adorned with 2.15 million rose bushes can bloom in unison for Asian Games visitors.

They staged a magnificent light show along both banks of the Qiantang River, with beams piercing the clouds, humorously dubbed by netizens as "informing the heavens that Hangzhou is hosting the Asian Games" and "even the Jade Emperor would toast if he came."

More details hide in the city's streets and alleys. How severe is Hangzhou's "pre-delivery anxiety"? Every brick, every patch of ground, every road is meticulously polished to perfection. Every building, every green space, every subway ride is infused with Asian Games elements. Everywhere you look, flowers bloom in abundance—even potted plants are delivered to residents' homes...

Source/Asian Games Opening and Closing Ceremony Documentary "Bloom" Team, Photo/Tang Zhengxun

Behind this world-renowned spectacle lies the dedication of countless public servants, builders, students, and every Hangzhou resident working in unison—just as behind this timelessly elegant city lies the toil of countless rulers, scholars, merchants, and commoners across dynasties.

Yes, Hangzhou is indeed a "man-made paradise."

The Qiantang River Era: The Transformation of a Wilderness

Zhejiang is, in fact, the name of a river.

The Qiantang River winds through the province like the sinuous strokes of a calligrapher's "之" character, hence its alternate names "Zhi River" or "Zhejiang." As the mother river of Zhejiang people, it single-handedly contributed to the province's name and one of Hangzhou's ancient names, "Qiantang." Millennia ago, as a river charging into the sea, the Qiantang River shaped the alluvial plains where ancestors thrived, but it also brought devastating floods.

An aerial view of West Lake and the Qiantang River.

Indeed, Hangzhou was not born privileged, nor was Qiantang always prosperous.

During the flood-ridden "Qiantang River Era," the Liangzhu people took the lead in creation. On elevated lands by the water, they built a grand ancient city spanning nearly 3 million square meters—rivaling the Summer Palace. Within the city, over a dozen dams formed the world's most monumental dam system at the time. The most striking Mojiaoshan platform had an earthwork volume comparable to Egypt's Great Pyramid.

Beyond this, the Liangzhu ruins revealed 5,600 square meters of rice field remnants, proving the prosperity of rice cultivation. Excavated artifacts—gourds, melons, peaches, plums, apricots, persimmons, foxnuts, water chestnuts, shells, and pig bones—paint a vivid "Hangzhou menu" across millennia. Exquisite jade artifacts like cong, yue, and bi further symbolize status and abundance.

Representative jade artifacts of the Liangzhu culture.

Photo/Liu Yedao, Design/Yu Yitiao

This millennium-spanning, prosperous civilization may have vanished into history due to floods, wars, or other reasons, yet it lifted a corner of the curtain on humanity's transformation of nature in the land of Hangzhou.

Imagine this: a millennium ago, most of today's Hangzhou was still a vast expanse of water, where the sea and river merged into one, with only a few mountains protruding above the surface—Solitary Hill standing alone as an island, the scattered peaks of Lingyin, and the southern Wu Hill and northern Precious Stone Hill facing each other like capes. Around 2,600 years ago, as silt from the Qiantang River accumulated, a "lagoon" formed between the capes, cutting off the seawater and beginning to reveal its grandeur.

Yes, this was the precursor to West Lake.

Yet Hangzhou remained wild at that time. In the 25th year of the Qin Dynasty, Qiantang County was established (renamed "Tang" in the Tang Dynasty due to naming taboos). Legend has it that when Qin Shi Huang, accompanied by Li Si and Hu Hai, marched eastward, the raging Qiantang River left even the emperor in awe, forcing him to cross at a narrower, calmer section upstream near the Fuchun River.

By the Eastern Han Dynasty, under the advocacy of officials like Hua Xin, the people of Hangzhou reinforced and upgraded the silt between the Qiantang River and the lagoon, creating a "Great Sea Wall." From then on, the river and lake were completely separated—each to its own, better forgotten than clinging together in hardship.

Thus, a world-famous lake shaped by human effort was born: West Lake.

The West Lake Era: A Celebrity Magnet

Among all lakes in China, West Lake is the most proud.

It is like a masterpiece painting spanning ancient and modern times, collecting seals from hundreds of renowned figures across dynasties. Others might treasure a single seal as a gem, enshrining it or framing it, boasting of their "hometown of xx" or "birthplace of xx." But West Lake is simply West Lake—it doesn’t rely on any celebrity for fame. Instead, literati regret not having visited it.

However, the original purpose of managing West Lake was not "scenic creation" but to secure farmland and water resources for residents.

Since Hua Xin built the embankment and separated the river and lake, nearly every notable ruler of Hangzhou contributed to West Lake's governance and public welfare—or you could call them "Hangzhou mayors." Behind West Lake's unparalleled beauty lies a painstaking history of Hangzhou's urban development.

Among the "Hangzhou mayors" we know today, Su Shi and Bai Juyi are the most famous, likely because they were both politicians and literati, frequently appearing in textbooks as "celebrity mayors." But in fact, the Tang Dynasty alone had 99 Hangzhou governors, most of whom worked diligently for the people's benefit.

Bai Juyi, of course, needs no introduction. "I cannot bear to leave Hangzhou, half because of this lake," he wrote, viewing West Lake as the city's foundation. He not only harnessed its value for irrigation, flood control, and drought resistance but also promoted its cultural significance through his literary fame.

Breeze-Ruffled Lotus at Quyuan Garden in Autumn, Spring Dawn on Su Causeway, Melting Snow on Broken Bridge, Leifeng Pagoda in Evening Glow.

Top left, top right, bottom left photos/Xiao Yisan; bottom right photo/Pan Jincao

The last "Hangzhou mayor" of the Tang Dynasty—or more commonly known as King Qian Liu of Wuyue—also made remarkable contributions to West Lake's governance. He even established a specialized team called "Lake Dredging Soldiers" to clear silt and maintain the lake daily, embodying his governance philosophy: "The people depend on the lake for survival; without water, there are no people."

Around 1,000 years ago, in the fifth year of the Yuanyou era of the Northern Song Dynasty, the man who understood West Lake best—Su Shi—submitted a historic petition, "Memorial Requesting the Dredging of West Lake in Hangzhou," offering a perfect analogy: "Hangzhou's West Lake is like the eyebrows and eyes of a person—it cannot be abandoned."

This small lake shaped by river and sea should have shared the fate of countless lagoons, gradually silting up and fading away. It is only through the concerted efforts of countless Hangzhou officials and laborers that it has survived to this day, even becoming the most favored destination for China's luminaries.

The West Lake Scenic Spots in Song Dynasty Paintings and Calligraphy.

Photo/Liu Yedao, Design/Dongzi

It may be the most popular celebrity cemetery, housing the "Tomb of Su Xiaoxiao of Qiantang" with infinite tenderness, the loyal Yue Fei who "served his country with utter devotion," Yu Qian who "wished to leave purity in the human world," and Zhang Cangshui who "also left righteousness between heaven and earth." By the West Lake, where singing and dancing abound daily, there always stands the indomitable spirit of the Chinese people.

Fig.1-Fig.2: The tombs of Yue Fei and Su Xiaoxiao.

It is also a hub for the spread of new ideas. Since modern times, artistic strongholds like the Lakeside Poetry Society, Xiling Seal Art Society, and the National Art Academy have emerged here. Even the draft of the later Constitution of the People's Republic was completed in a courtyard at No. 84 Beishan Street by the West Lake, earning the draft of New China's first constitution another name: the "West Lake Draft."

Xiling Seal Art Society (note: not "Leng").

As for the West Lake we see today, it is not only shaped by historical figures but also a model of contemporary governance.

Starting from the mid-1980s, Hangzhou invested heavily in the Qiantang River Water Diversion Project. Purified Qiantang River water was channeled through Yuhuang Mountain and Jiuyao Mountain into Xiaonan Lake, then into Xili Lake and the outer lake, with a daily intake capacity of 400,000 cubic meters. Every 33 days, the entire West Lake undergoes a complete water replacement. Additionally, continuous efforts optimize its ecology: adjusting aquatic plant coverage in different zones, clarifying biological community structures and resource conditions, and refining the food chain structure of the lake's fauna.

Thus, rivers, lakes, and seas integrate seamlessly; flowers, birds, fish, and insects coexist harmoniously. The beauty of West Lake lies in human efforts that align with nature—meticulous yet imperceptible, appearing natural while being man-made.

The Grand Canal Era: Hangzhou's Millennium History of Prosperity

The West Lake is Hangzhou's face; the Grand Canal is its backbone.

Su Shi likened the West Lake to eyebrows and eyes—without them, one's charm fades. Similarly, the Grand Canal is like bones—without them, one cannot stand. The West Lake made Hangzhou a sanctuary for literati, while the Grand Canal fueled its prosperity, contributing to the city's enduring commercial DNA.

The Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, traversing the city, forms Hangzhou's spine.

In the 6th year of the Daye era (610 AD), a north-south river appeared on China's map—though not today's Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. It started from Zhuojun (Beijing) in the north, reached Yuhang (Hangzhou) in the south, and took a "人"-shaped detour through Luoyang. The canal's construction blessed the land for millennia, marking the dawn of Hangzhou's prosperity.

The canal's transport convenience rapidly turned Hangzhou into a commercial hub where "rare treasures gathered" and "merchants converged," earning its reputation as the "preeminent city of the southeast." The thriving salt trade even influenced another figure who elevated Hangzhou to greatness—a man of humble origins, initially a salt peddler: Qian Liu, the King of Wuyue, whose literary grace matched "slowly returning as flowers bloom on the path" and whose martial prowess could "chill fourteen provinces with a single sword."

Wuyue Kingdom jades and Qian Liu's iron-bound golden pledge.

Fig.1 Photo/Pan Jincao; Fig.2 Photo/Artery Shadow, Design/Yu Yitiao

A city's character is often tied to its historical figures. If one must be chosen, Hangzhou resembles the Wuyue King who "protected the land and pacified the people"—it is neither a city of iron and blood, nor a cradle of ambition, nor a battleground deciding the fate of empires. Instead, it is a gentle haven that neither wears people down nor pressures them into heroism.

This mild temperament greatly benefited Hangzhou's commercial environment, explaining why the Southern Song regime, after much deliberation, still chose to "seek temporary peace" here.

The Damalong Community, adjacent to the Southern Song Imperial Ancestral Temple.

The Southern Song Dynasty's southward migration brought Hangzhou's prosperity to its peak, with some scholars even considering Lin'an, a city of one million people at the time, to be the world's largest metropolis. In this wealth-creating city, the imperial relatives, nobles, and high-ranking officials formed a powerful consumer group, while small artisans, vendors, craftsmen, and farmers became the driving force of commercial civilization.

Here, workshops, guilds, wine houses, teahouses, and entertainment venues were everywhere. The brightly lit night markets, all-day-open taverns, traveling performers, vendors hawking through the night, and the constant influx of tourists painted a vivid and lively picture of Southern Song life.

Hefang Street was once the site of the mansion of Zhang Jun, Prince of Qinghe during the Southern Song Dynasty.

Here, the silk industry produced breathtaking embroideries, printing reached the pinnacle of engraved printing in Chinese history, the Southern Song official kilns represented the aesthetic zenith of traditional ceramics, and exquisite gardens were cultivated by royalty, nobility, and monasteries.

Left image / Visual China Group; Right image photographed by Dongmai Ying.

As an international trade port, Arabs freely traveled to and from Hangzhou. The Phoenix Mosque, one of China's four great mosques, is located here. Precious stones, coral, pearls, ivory, ambergris, and medicinal incense flowed in, while silk, porcelain, and tea flowed out, making Hangzhou a truly global city.

The Southern Song Dynasty designated the 18th day of the eighth lunar month as the Tide-Watching Festival. On this day, countless skilled swimmers from Yuezhong would wave colored flags amid the waves, battling nature—a spectacle poets described as "tide-riders stand atop the surges, their flags untouched by the waves." Beyond producing such heroes, Hangzhou has also been a breeding ground for "trailblazers of the times."

The East China Sea Era: Trailblazers Stand Atop the Surging Tide

Over the past month, the three figures most familiar to Hangzhou residents are undoubtedly the Asian Games mascots—Congcong, Lianlian, and Chenchen—appearing in every corner of the city. They represent Hangzhou's three UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the "jade cong" of the Liangzhu Ancient City, the "endless lotus leaves under heaven" of West Lake, and the Gongchen Bridge on the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal.

These three heritage sites also bear witness to classical Hangzhou's transformative journey—from the flood-prone Qiantang River era, where the Liangzhu Ancient City ignited the dawn of civilization; to the Tang-Song cultural flourishing of the West Lake era, where the lakeshore wove together Hangzhou's literary legacy; and to the commercial boom of the Canal era, where Gongchen Bridge witnessed economic prosperity.

Yet, after the twilight of classical Jiangnan faded, Hangzhou embraced an even broader era: the East China Sea Era. In this age, the city's boundless creativity has given rise to countless trailblazers.

As a national leader in private enterprise, Hangzhou has topped China's "Top 500 Private Enterprises" list for 20 consecutive years, with nearly 30% of the top 500 private manufacturers hailing from the province.

In Hangzhou's ever-expanding administrative landscape: behind the internet-famous "Xiaoshan son-in-law" lies the thriving local private economy; the poetic riverside town of Tonglu on the Fuchun River birthed the "Three Tong One Da" express delivery giants; Qiandao Lake's water fills Nongfu Spring bottles, its sturgeon produce caviar for Xunlong Technology, and its depths house data centers for Alibaba and other internet giants.

According to recruitment platforms, Hangzhou's average salary ranks fourth nationwide, surpassing Guangzhou and Suzhou. It's often said that Zhejiang natives abroad generate GDP nearly equivalent to the province's annual output—as if "recreating a Zhejiang overseas." Meanwhile, Hangzhou, as the internet and e-commerce capital, has "rebuilt itself" in the digital realm.

Statistics show Hangzhou now hosts nearly 50,000 live-streamers and over 5,000 live-streaming companies—the highest in China—supporting over a million jobs. In 2020, 60% of China's 28,000 MCN agencies were concentrated here. Fittingly for the "Internet Capital," esports were added to the Hangzhou Asian Games lineup.

On the morning of June 15, 2023, the Asian Games flame was lit atop Damojiao Mountain in Liangzhu Ancient City. On the evening of September 23, a golden digital torchbearer, symbolizing 100 million "virtual participants," "ignited" the "Tide Surging" cauldron.

From the Liangzhu ancestors 5,000 years ago to today's digital metropolis and every pioneering Hangzhou resident, the city's creativity mirrors the Qiantang River tides—driven by lunar gravity, wave after wave, never ceasing.

Image Editor | YIRAN