The Livcom Awards 2006
Having been awarded a major International Liveable Communities Award in 2002, the city of Hangzhou is proud to host the International Awards for Liveable Communities 2006. You are warmly welcome to Hangzhou, “the most noble and magnificent city in the world” as marvelled by Marco Polo, a famous Italian Traveller in the 13th century.
Come here and you will discover that:
Hangzhou, a south-eastern coastal city, is located in the southern-most end of the Beijing- Hangzhou Grand Canal.
Hangzhou is an historic and cultural city whose formal institution as a local county in the ancient Qin Dynasty dates back to 2,225 years ago and boasts some 8,000 years of civilised existence, best represented by the Kuahu Bridge Culture and the Liangzhu Culture.
Hangzhou is one of the eight ancient Chinese capital cities with a combined history as a capital city of 237 years, having once served as the capital for the Wuyue Kingdom in the Five Dynasties and the Southern Song Dynasty.
Hangzhou, has always been a romantic city, which was the setting of beautiful love stories by Xu Xian and the White Snake Lady, Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai, a Chinese version of Romeo and Juliet, and was once the home of such great ancient poets as Ba Juyi, Su Dongpo and Lu You.
Hangzhou is a city abundant in silk and the famous Dragon Well Tea and is blessed with extensive leisure & tourism resources. These are best represented by three rivers, two lakes, one mountain, one canal and three ruins, the Qiantang River, the Fuchun Rive, the Xin’an River, the West Lake, the Qiandao Lake, the Tianmu Mountain, the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, the Liangzhu Culture Ruins and the Ruins of the Southern Song Imperial City.
Hangzhou is acknowledged as an Oriental Leisure Capital as it is to hold the 2006 World Leisure Expo, which is going to influence the Chinese people’s lifestyle.
Hangzhou, covering an area of 16,596 square kilometres in which 6.5 million hard-working
and life-loving people reside, is the most honoured city in China, with various accolades such
as the United Nations Residential Award and the International Award for Liveable Communities, where people in China have the happiest lives.
Welcome to Hangzhou, China
Sun Zhonghuan
Mayor of Hangzhou