or Hang-chou conventional Hangchow
City (pop., 1999 est.: 1,346,148), capital of Zhejiang province, China.
It lies at the head of Zhejiang Bay and is the southern terminus of the Grand Canal . Its buildings and gardens are renowned, and some of China's most famous monasteries are located nearby. As Lin'an, it was the capital of the Song dynasty 0441; AD 11261279. A prosperous centre of commerce with an estimated population then of 11.5 million, it was visited in the late 13th century by the Italian traveler Marco Polo , who called it Kinsai. Its importance as a port decreased as the bay silted up, but it remained a commercial centre and was opened to foreign trade in 1896. In addition to its cultural importance, it is also the centre for an industrial area.