The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang Province in eastern China.
Prehistory
4000 The period of maximal sea intrusion into Hangzhou Bay following the end of the last Ice Age. 2300 The highly stratified agricultural Liangzhu culture dominates the area of Hangzhou Municipality from its capital in present-day Yuhang District. 1200 The Maqiao culture () fills the area of the former Liangzhu and probably initiates bronze working.
Early history
223 The area of Hangzhou Municipality in contested between Wu (Suzhou), Yue (Shaoxing), and Chu (Hubei) during China's Zhou and Warring States eras. 222 The Qin army under Wang Jian and Meng Wu pacify the southeast regions formerly held by Chu, including areas around Hangzhou held by members of the former Yue royal family, organizing them as the Qin Empire's Kuaiji Commandery. A sandbar separates a lagoon from Hangzhou Bay in the East China Sea, forming what will become West Lake and Hangzhou proper. The first seawalls are erected along the coast of Hangzhou Bay to protect against the Qiantang River's tidal bore.. 301 He Xun constructs the Xixing Canal, linking the Qiantang River with Kuaiji (Shaoxing) and forming the western end of the Eastern Zhejiang Canal. 328 – Legendary date of the establishment of Lingyin Temple in the Wulin Hills by the Indian missionary Huili. 330 Legendary date of the establishment of Fajing Temple (), the Lower Tianzhu Temple (), in the Wulin Hills. 587 The Southern Chen establish Qiantang Commandery, overseeing 4 counties.
Sui dynasty
589 The Sui conquer Chen, reforming Qiantang Commandery as Hang Prefecture (). 591 – Hangzhou City Walls first built. 597 Fajing Temple (), the Middle Tianzhu Temple (), established. – The Jiangnan Canal completed, linking Hangzhou north to Suzhou and Yangzhou and forming the southeastern end of the Grand Canal. 618620 Yuhang Commandery held by the warlord Shen Faxing as part of the "Liang Kingdom". 620621 The rebel Li Zitong briefly replaces Shen as king of Liang before falling to the Tang lord Li Fuwei.
Tang dynasty
– Establishment of the Phoenix Mosque, one of China's Four Ancient Mosques. 653 The mystic rebel Chen Shuozhen declares herself emperor and overruns Zhejiang for a few months. 781784 Li Bi's term as prefect of Hangzhou, during which he bores six wells to provide the city with water. 822824 – Bai Juyi's term as prefect of Hangzhou, during which he constructed the Baigong Causeway (, ) to improve irrigation around West Lake. 881886 Dong Chang's term as prefect of Hangzhou, which he used as a springboard to power in the late Tang. 887907 Qian Liu's term as prefect of Hangzhou, which he used to uphold imperial power & secure approval to serve as king of Wuyue.
Wuyue Kingdom 907 The Tang falls to the Later Liang and Wuyue becomes largely independent, taking Hangzhou as its capital under the name Xifu ("Western Prefecture"). 910 Qian Liu expands the existing dikes along the Qiantang with his modular "bamboo cage" design. 936 Faxi Temple (), the Upper Tianzhu Temple (), established. 941 A major fire destroys most of the Wuyue palace and treasury in August, supposedly driving King Qian Yuanguan mad and mortally ill. 954 – Huiri Yongming Temple built at West Lake. 963 – Baochu Pagoda built at West Lake. 970 – Liuhe Pagoda built. 975 – Leifeng Pagoda built.
Song dynasty
Bi Sheng develops moveable type in Hangzhou, using an iron frame and ceramic type. 1056 The oldest known tide table written, detailing the periods of the Qiantang River's tidal bore. 1077 The Biaozhong Temple first established to commemorate the Qian kings. 10891091 Su Dongpo's term as prefect of Hangzhou, during which he constructed the Su Causeway (, ). 1127 – Song dynasty capital relocated from Bianjing (Kaifeng) to Hongzhouunder the name Lin'anafter the Jingkang Incident amid the Jin–Song wars. Hangzhou surpasses Constantinople (Istanbul) and Fez to become the world's most populous city. 1221 – Yue Fei Temple built.
Yuan dynasty
1275 – Population: 1.75 million. 1276 – Mongols reach Hangzhou. 1277 The Song Imperial Palace destroyed by fire. Yang Lianzhenjia (Chinese: zh:, ; Tibetan:, ), a Tangut Tibetan Buddhist monk, begins his decades of work as Supervisor of Buddhist Teaching in Jiangnan;. he restores many Buddhist temples and shrines in the area but embezzles huge amounts of land and wealth Hangzhou Salt Distribution Commission established. 1285 – Yang Lianzhenjia begins replacing the Song palace complex on Phoenix Hill with five lavishly decorated Buddhist monasteries;. he greatly offends many in the region by sending monks to plunder and desecrate the Song imperial tombs near Shaoxing, removing some of their corpses for placement with cattle under a dagoba at the new temples. 1290 – Zhou Mi's Antiquities of the Martial Forest ) completed, a 10- account of Hangzhou under the Southern Song 1291 – Yang Lianzhenjia deposed for mismanagement, although he probably returned to office after he was pardoned by Kublai Khan later in the year. Marco Polo allegedly relates his travels to Rustichello da Pisa in a Genovese jail, including a fabulous account of the wonders of Hangzhou ("Quinsai") under the Yuan. 1350s Hangzhou replaced by Jiankang (Nanjing) as the world's most populous city. 1366 Zhu Yuanzhang, subsequently the Hongwu Emperor of the Ming, attacks and seizes Hangzhou.
Ming dynasty
1442 West Lake completely dries out during a drought. 1456 West Lake again dries completely out during a drought. 1457 Tian Rucheng () publishes his West Lake Gazetteer (, ) and its supplement (, ). 1459 Yu Qian buried with honor in Hangzhou, having been posthumously rehabilitated after his execution. 15531558 Wokou pirates repeatedly attack Hangzhou Bay, getting as far as Hangzhou on occasion. 1621 – Huanduzhai publishing house in business. 1641 West Lake again dries out during a drought, the lake bed itself described as cracking.
Qing dynasty
1645 Hangzhou falls to the invading Qing in May. 1647 The Hangzhou Weaving Bureau restored as one of the Qing's three centers of silk production, alongside Suzhou and Jiangning.. 1648 A huge area of central Hangzhou appropriated and walled off for use by Manchu residents and their banner garrison. Roughly 10,000 Han families formerly residing there evicted without compensation and obliged to continue paying taxes on the seized property for the next two decades.. 1660 A major fire destroys much of the city. 1661 – Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception built. 1663 A Hangzhou publisher's account of the Ming dynasty becomes the first literary persecution of the Han under the Manchu Qing. 1666 Another major fire again destroys much of the city. 1689 The Kangxi Emperor visits West Lake for the first time on his second southern tour. A great deal of local rebuilding and public works accompanies this and subsequent imperial visits to the area. The imperial gardens around Beijing are also rebuilt or expanded to imitate the scenery and gardens of Hangzhou, Suzhou, and other parts of Jiangnan. 1699 The Kangxi Emperor revisits West Lake on his third southern tour. He provides calligraphic plaques for each of the Ten Scenes of West Lake. West Lake overflows amid heavy rains, covering all its causeways. 1703 The Kangxi Emperor's third visit to West Lake. 1705 The Kangxi Emperor's fourth visit to West Lake. 1707 The Kangxi Emperor's fifth and final visit to West Lake. 1722 The Zhejiang governor Li Wei begins dredging West Lake and further improving its surroundings. 1729 The Yongzheng Emperor orders local officials to protect and maintain memorials of the Kangxi Emperor's visits. 1731 Li Wei establishes the Hushan Temple () to propitiate and honor the spirit of West Lake. 1751 The Qianlong Emperor visits West Lake on the first of his southern tours. His poetry commemorating the tea fields around Longjing begin the modern popularity of its particular green tea. 1757 The Qianlong Emperor's second visit to West Lake. 1762 The Qianlong Emperor's third visit to West Lake. 1765 The Qianlong Emperor's fourth visit to West Lake. 1780 The Qianlong Emperor's fifth southern tour includes a viewing of the Qiantang tidal bore at Haining and, at West Lake, the establishment of a formal tomb honoring Su Xiaoxiao on the shore northwest of Gushan Island. Shen Fu subsequently complains that the construction work and increased visitors ruins the area for romantic poets. 1782 Upon the completion of the Siku Quanshu encyclopedia, a copy is bestowed on the library at the Wenyuan Pavilion (, ) east of the imperial palace on Gushan. 1784 The Qianlong Emperor's sixth and final visit to West Lake. 1797 Ruan Yuan refurbishes West Lake, ultimately producing Ruangong Islet from the material built up during the lake's dredging. 1853 Taiping rebels occupy enough of Jiangnan to block access to the Grand Canal, forcing Hangzhou's northern trade to reroute through British-occupied Shanghai. 1860 Taiping forces continually raid the area, holding the city between March 19 and March 24 and assaulting the guards at Gushan in November. 1861 Refugees fleeing the Taipings at least double the city's population, possibly swelling it from around 600,000 to as much as 2.3 million. Taiping rebelsmany fleeing north from Zuo Zongtang's reconquest of Jiangxibesiege Hangzhou from October to 28 December, when the city's militia deserted. The Taipings were able to scale the wall, open the Huochao, Fengshan, and Qingbo Gates, and overrun the outer city the next day. Encircling, negotiating with, and storming the Manchu garrison required a further two days. Around 600,000800,000 died during the conquest, chiefly from starvation and suicide. Hangzhou reportedly sold human flesh in the streets, while nearby towns reported peddlers selling cups of blood to the starving. The Wenlan Pavilion is greatly damaged and its collection scattered. 1864 – Qing forces under Zuo Zongtang retake city on March 31, the population falling from between 800,000 and a million to less than 200,000, possibly as low as 70,000, amid a frenzy of murder and looting. 1867 – Ningpo Boys' Boarding School moves from Ningbo (where its lease had expired) to Hangzhou, changing its name to Hangchow Presbyterian Boys' School. 1871 – Kwang-Chi Hospital established. 1873 The case of Yang Naiwu and Little Cabbage decided in Hangzhou's provincial court based on evidence from torture. After much publicity and the involvement of many Zhejiang scholar-officials, the verdict was overturned on appeal to Beijing in 1877. 1874 – Hu Xueyan establishes the Hu Qing Yu Tang TCM clinic and pharmacy. 1875 – Hu Xueyan's mansion completed. 1878 – Hu Qing Yu Tang's TCM pharmacy opened to the public. 18801881 The Wenlan Pavilion is repaired and known parts of its collection restored, chiefly by the local bibliophile Ding Bing (). 1883 Hangzhou telegraph established. 1885 – Kwang Chi Medical School established. 1896 City opens to foreign trade under the Treaty of Shimonoseki ending the First Sino-Japanese War, but Hangzhou's Japanese Concession becomes a red light district and gambling venue rather than an industrial or commercial center. Late Qing reforms prompt the construction of a major cotton mill and silk reeling factory in Hangzhou's northern suburbs. 1897 Qiushi Academy founded. Hangchow Presbyterian Boys' School adds tertiary education courses, changing its name to Hangchow Presbyterian College. Hangzhou's first modern newspapers established, the Jingshi Ribao () and the Hang Bao (). 1898 Britain formally authorized to begin construction on a railway from Shanghai to Hangzhou, but construction never occurs owing to vehement local disagreement with the concession. 1899 – Hangzhou High School established. 1900 Hangzhou Library established as a private organization. 1904 – Xiling Seal Art Society founded.