?Geography

Zhejiang Province, which is reputed as "the Land of Silk" and produces one third of China's raw silk, brocade and satin, lies on the southeastern coast. Situated 118'01"-123'08" east longitude and 27'01"-31'10" north latitude, it has an area of 101,800 square kilometers and a coastline of 2,200 kilometers. Zhejiang boasts the largest number of isles in China, totaling more than 2,100.

?Climate

Zhejiang has a sub-tropical monsoonal climate, warm, humid and rainy. It has a mean annual temperature of 16-19oC, and a mean annual precipitation of 1,100-1,900 mm. "Plum rains" occur between May and June and typhoons between summer and autumn.

?Administrative Division and Population

It is divided into 11 prefecture-level cities, 24 county-level cities, 38 counties and 1 autonomous county, with a population of 46.77 million by 2000, mainly ethnic groups of Han, Hui, Manchu and Miao.

?Food

Zhejiang Cuisine, one of the Eight Great Cuisines in China, is best represented by Hangzhou dishes, including Beggar's Chicken (which is especially delicious with a pleasant aroma of lotus leaves), Dongpo Pork, West Lake Vinegar Fish, Songsao Shredded Fish Soup, etc.

?Culture

Kunqu, Shaoju, Yueju, etc.

?Special Local Products

Among famous specialties are Hangzhou silk satin and brocade, Dragon-Well Tea, Jinhua Hem, sweet oranges of Huangyan, rice wine of Shaoxing.

?Brief Introduction

Zhejiang Province, Zhe for short, got its named after its largest river, now known as the Qiantang River.

Zhejiang has well-developed fishery and?light?industry?and textile industry, and its output of tea, Jute, and silk ranks the first place nationwide. Zhejiang is abundant in croakers, hair-tail fish, inkfish and freshwater fish. It is also the main producing place of green tea and bamboos. The North Zhe Plain is renowned as the Home for Fish and Rice and Home for Silk. Ningbo and Wenzhou cities are its two main ports.

Zhejiang is endowed with lush mountains and exquisite waters, and rich in historical and cultural resources. Main scenic spots and historical sites include the West Lake in Hangzhou, Putuo Mountain, the Thousand-Islet Lake, the East Lake in Shaoxing, the Nanxi River, Tiantai Mountian and Mogan Mountain.

Putuo Mountain, noted for its rough terrain and exquisite landscape, is one of the Four Great Buddhist Holy Mountains. Mogan Mountain, renowned as the Cool World, is the one of the four summer resorts in China.

Zhejiang is one of the ancient cities that celebrities?in the past most often visited. It boasts three famous historic cities -- Hangzhou, the Paradise on Earth; Ningbo, the ancient seaport; and Shaoxing, the City of Rivers and Canals.