Zhejiang, meaning "crooked river" was the former name of the Qiantang river which passes through Hangzhou, the provincial capital. Once the capital of the Southern Song dynasty, Hangzhou is one of China 's seven ancient capitals and remains one of the country's most scenic cities. The province is also famous for its tea production (the renowned Longjing tea), and for being the second largest silk producer in China.
Administrative type | Province |
Area | 101,800 km² (1.1% of China's total area) - 50% larger than Scotland |
Capital City | Hangzhou |
Population (2004) | 47.2 million (11th) 1 - nine times the size of Scotland |
GDP (2004) - per capita | US $136 billion (4th) - slightly below Scotland's output. US $2,897 (4th) |
Consumption per capita (2004) | US $1,211 (5th) |
Foreign Direct Investment (2003) | US $5 billion (5th) |
Exports Imports | US $61.2 billion (10.3% of China's total exports) US $33.5 billion (6.0% of China's total imports) |
Number of Universities (2004) Number of higher education graduates (2004) | 67 103,000 |
Source: China Statistical Yearbook 2005 | 1 Regional rankings within China, 1st = highest, 31st = lowest |
Scottish Links
Government Links
Commercial Links
The China-Britain Business Council have an office in Hangzhou
Educational/Science Links
Ardrossan Academy visited a school in Hangzhou in the summer of 2005
The University of Glasgow received a grant from the British Council and DEFRA to establish links with Zhejiang University.
Glasgow Caledonian University have a memorandum of agreement for advanced entry to engineering programmes with Ningbo University in Zhejiang.
The University of Dundee have two agreements with Zhejiang Wanli University, which involve: an exchange of academic staff; developing syllabuses; and monitoring standards.
Cultural/Sports Links
The National Museums of Scotland have contact with China National Silk Museum in Hangzhou
The Executive is developing its database of Scottish links with each of China's regions. Do you know of any Sino-Scottish regional link that we have not included above or that is in need of updating? If so, please let us know by completing the regional links form.