Zhejiang

views updated Jun 11 2018

Zhejiang (Chekiang) Province in se China, s of the River Yangtze and on the East China Sea; the capital is Hangzhou. It was the centre of the Sung dynasty in the 12th and 13th centuries. Many of Zhejiang's cities were razed during the Taiping Rebellion (1850–65). A mountainous region, it is one of China's most populous areas and includes the Zhoushan Archipelago. To encourage inward capital investment, it is part of the special economic zone of Shanghai. The major river is the Qiantang. Mount Tianmu is on the tourist and pilgrimage trails. More than one-third of the region is pine or bamboo forest. The chief crops are rice and tea. Major industries include silk production and fishing. Area: 101,830sq km (39,300sq mi). Pop. (2000) 46,770,000.