Zhejiang Guide – Intro & Top Destinations (5A & 4A Attractions)

Zhejiang province (浙江 zhè jiāng) is located on the southeast coast of China with Hangzhou as its capital. It borders the East China Sea to the east, Fujian to the south, Anhui and Jiangxi to the west, and Shanghai and Jiangsu in the north. The total area of ​​Zhejiang Province is 105,500 square kilometers.

By the end of 2018, Zhejiang Province had 11 provincial cities (including two sub-provincial cities ), 20 county-level cities, 32 counties, 1 autonomous county, and 37 municipal districts.

As of the end of 2018, preliminary accounting, the annual gross domestic product (GDP) of 5619.7 billion yuan  (801 bn USD), an increase of 7.1% over the previous year.

At the end of the year, the resident population of the province was 57.37 million, an increase of 800,000 from the end of the previous year. In October 2019, Zhejiang was selected into the National Digital Economy Innovation and Development Experimental Zone.

Zhejiang Climate

Zhejiang has a subtropical monsoon climate with significant monsoons, four distinct seasons, moderate annual temperatures, abundant sunshine, abundant rainfall, and humid air. The annual average temperature is 15-18 °C.

January sees the lowest temperatures and July the highest. May and June are concentrated rainfall periods. The extreme maximum temperature is 44.1 °C, the extreme minimum temperature is -17.4 °C; the annual average rainfall in Zhejiang Province is 980-2000 mm.

Attractions

AAAAA Rated Attractions in Zhejiang

5A is China’s top rating for attractions and scenic areas.

Hengdian World Studios (横店影视城)

Location: Jinhua, Zhejiang

Hengdian World Studios is a film studio and tourist attraction located in Hengdian, Zhejiang Province. It is the largest film studio in the world. The movie studio is operated by the privately owned Hengdian Group founded by Xu Wenrong. Sometimes called “Chinawood”, Xu turned acres of farmland in central Zhejiang into one of the largest movie studios in Asia. Construction began in the mid-1990s and has been ongoing ever since with the possible recent addition of the replica of the Old Summer Palace

Xikou-Tengtou scenic spot (溪口)

Location: Ningbo, Zhejiang

It is located 20 kilometers southwest of Ningbo City. The total viewing area of ​​the scenic spot is 140 square kilometers. The main attractions are Xuedou Mountain and Chiang’s former residence. Xikou Town was the birthplace of Chiang Kai-shek and the hometown of Chiang’s father and son. During the Republic of China, it became the command center of the National Government.

Nanxun Old Town (南浔古镇)

Location: Huzhou, Zhejiang

Nanxun Ancient Town is located in Nanxun District of Huzhou City, at the junction of Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces. In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it was a famous silk town in the south of the Yangtze River. It is an ancient town in the south of the Yangtze River with abundant human resources and a combination of Chinese and Western architecture. Nanxun Ancient Town Scenic Area covers an area of ​​34.27 square kilometers

Shenxianju (神仙居景区)

Location: Taizhou, Zhejiang

Shenxianju Scenic Area, located in the south of Xianju County in the southeast of Zhejiang Province. The scenic area is 158 square kilometers and has has five key attraction areas – Shenxianju, Jingxing Mountain, Shisandu, Gongyu and Danzhu. The area has numerous peaks, waterfalls, rivers and forests.

West Lake (西湖)

Location: Hangzhou, Zhejiang

West Lake is a freshwater lake in Hangzhou, China. It is divided into five sections by three causeways. There are numerous temples, pagodas, gardens, and artificial islands within the lake. West Lake has influenced poets and painters throughout Chinese history for its natural beauty and historic relics, and it has also been among the most important sources of inspiration for Chinese garden designers. It was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2011, described as having “influenced garden design in the rest of China as well as Japan and Korea over the centuries” and reflecting “an idealized fusion between humans and nature”.

Yandang Mountains (雁荡山)

Location: Wenzhou, Zhejiang

Yandang Mountains, or Yandangshan, refers, in the broad sense, to a coastal mountain range in southeastern Zhejiang province in eastern China, covering much of the prefecture-level city of Wenzhou and extending to the county-level city of Wenling in Taizhou prefecture. Mt. Yandang is known for its natural environment,[citation needed] arising from its vertical rock faces and pinnacles, mountain slopes with forests and bamboo groves, streams, waterfalls and caves. The area also hosts several temples and shrines, many of them with a long history; characteristic for the temples is that many of them are built inside caves or in mouths of caves.

Mount Putuo (普陀山)

Location: Zhoushan, Zhejiang

Mount Putuo is an island southeast of Shanghai in Zhoushan, Zhejiang, China. It is a renowned site in Chinese Buddhism and is the bodhimaṇḍa of the bodhisattva Guanyin. Mount Putuo is one of the four sacred mountains in Chinese Buddhism, the others being Mount Wutai, Mount Jiuhua, and Mount Emei (bodhimaṇḍas for Manjushri, Kṣitigarbha, and Samantabhadra, respectively).

Qiandao Lake (千岛湖风景区)

Location: Hangzhou, Zhejiang

Qiandao Lake, a human-made, freshwater lake located in Chun’an County, Zhejiang Province, China, was formed after the completion of the Xin’an River hydroelectric station in 1959. Also known as Thousand Island Lake, its main attractions are Meifeng Island, Monkey Island, Longshan Island, Lock Island, and Tantan Island.

Wuzhen (乌镇)

Location: Jiaxing, Zhejiang

Wuzhen is a historic scenic town, part of Tongxiang, located in the north of Zhejiang Province. Wuzhen is divided into six districts. These are: the traditional workshops district, the traditional local-styled dwelling houses district, the traditional culture district, the traditional food and beverage district, the traditional shops and stores district, and the water township customs and life district. Following an east-west-east circuit created by these six districts, visitors can witness reenactment of traditional practices and cultures.

South Lake (南湖(嘉兴))

Location: Jiaxing, Zhejiang

South Lake is a lake in the South of Jiaxing, Zhejiang, China, and covers an area of 0.54 km². It is also known as “Mandarin Duck Lake” due to the its shape. Alongside the lake are the ruins of the Misty Rain Tower, which was first built in the 10th century AD. In the year 1548, during the Ming Dynasty, the local government dredged the waterways and piled up the mud into the center of South Lake, forming an islet. The Misty Rain tower was rebuilt on the islet the next year. In the following years, a group of ancient garden-style architectures emerged around it.

Xixi National Wetland Park (西溪国家湿地公园)

Location: Hangzhou, Zhejiang

Xixi National Wetland Park is a national wetland park in China, located at the west part of Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, a total of 1,150 hectares (2,800 acres). The park is densely crisscrossed with six main watercourses, among which are scattered various ponds, lakes and swamps. XiXi Wetland has a history of more than 1,800 years and an abundant cultural heritage. It’s the original site of Chinese South Opera; it has a traditional dragon boat contest; it contains the vivid life of a water village, featuring silkworm feeding and silk production.

Lu Xun’s residence (鲁迅故里)

Location: Shaoxing, Zhejiang

Lu Xun’s hometown is located in Lu Xun Middle Road, Shaoxing City, Zhejiang Province. It is the true place to interpret Lu Xun’s works, taste Lu Xun’s style, and feel Lu Xun’s life situation. It is the best preserved, most cultural connotation and classic style of the ancient city of Shaoxing. A historical district with a unique Jiangnan style. Lu Xun’s hometown covers an area of ​​50 hectares with a total investment of 1 billion yuan.

Tiantai Mountain (天台山)

Location: Taizhou, Zhejiang

Tiantai Mountain, or Tiantai Shan, is located in Tiantai County near the city of Taizhou, Zhejiang. The main scenic spots are Guoqing Temple, the Shiliang Waterfall, the Huading National Forest Park, the Chicheng Mountain and the hometown of the Monk, Ji Gong., and more.

Xitang (西塘)

Location: Jiaxing, Zhejiang

Xitang is a historic town in Jiashan County, Zhejiang, China. It borders Luxu Town in the north, Yaozhuang Town in the east, Ganyao Town in the southeast, and Tianning Town and Town in the west. Xitang is a water town crisscrossed by nine rivers. The town stretches across eight sections, linked by old-fashioned stone bridges. In the older parts of town, the buildings are set along the banks of the canals, which serve as the main transportation thoroughfares in the area.

Mount Jianglang and Nianbadu (江郎山)

Location: Quzhou, Zhejiang

Jianglang Mountain is located in Shimen Town, Jiangshan City, Chenzhou City, Zhejiang Province. Jianglang Mountain Scenic Area consists of three parts: Sancha Stone, Eighteen Qu, Tashan, Niunifeng, Xunhu Lake (name used by Qinglong Lake) and Xianju Temple. With an area of ​​11.86 square kilometers, the Jingyuan type is dominated by natural landscapes and has a rich cultural landscape.

Root Palace Buddhist Cultural Tourism Zone (根宫佛国文化旅游区)

Location: Quzhou, Zhejiang

The Root Palace Buddhism Cultural Tourism Zone is located in Kaihua County, Zhejiang Province. It features exhibitions of root sculptures, bonsai arts, stone appreciation and ancient gardens. These exhibitions contain a root sculpture of Sakyamuni, the biggest root sculpture in the world, and a huge root sculpture of an array with 500 arhats, which is 680 meters long. The scenic area has a large number of resources in different types, mainly including local landscapes, water scenery, ruins and relics, architectural designs, human activities and climatic landscapes.

AAAA Rated Attractions of Zhejiang Province

China’s AAAA rating represents national-level attractions and scenic areas with the province having many. Here is a list of them all with cities and Chinese names for more destinations beyond the 5A listings above.

Zhejiang Cuisine

Zhejiang Cuisine (Zhe 浙菜) features dishes that are not greasy, having but instead a fresh, soft flavor with a mellow fragrance. The cuisine consists of at least four styles, each of which originates from different cities in the province.

• Hangzhou: characterized by rich variations and the use of bamboo shoots.
• Shaoxing: specializes in poultry and freshwater fish.
• Ningbo: emphasizes freshness and salty dishes and specializes in seafood.
• Wenzhou: a source of seafood and poultry and livestock.

Popular dishes are

Transport

Airports

Rail

Zhejiang is well serviced by high speed rail including the

• Shanghai-Hangzhou High Speed ​​Rail
• Nanjing-Hangzhou High Speed ​​Rail
• Hangzhou-Ningbo High Speed ​​Rail
• Hangzhou-Changzhou High Speed ​​Rail
• Hanghuang High Speed ​​Rail
• Shanghehang High Speed ​​Rail (under construction)
• Hangzhou-Wenzhou High Speed ​​Railway (under construction)

Ports

Coastal Ningbo, Shanghai, and Zhoushan Islands are served by multiple passenger ships every day, forming China’s busiest maritime passenger “Golden Triangle”. Also, there are several cruise ships departing from the Hangzhou-Suzhou and Hangzhou-Wuxi sections of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal every day. Ningbo is also a major cargo port.

The main coastal ports in Zhejiang are: Ningbo port, Zhoushan port, Taizhou port, Zhapu port, Wenzhou port; the main inland river ports are: Hangzhou port, Jiaxing port, Huzhou port, and Shaoxing port.