# Hangzhou Daily

Hangzhou Daily or Hangzhou Ribao (simplified Chinese: 杭州日报; traditional Chinese: 杭州日報; pinyin: Hángzhōu rìbào), is a daily newspaper based in Hangzhou, China. It is considered one of the most widely circulated newspapers in the world.
Founded on November 1, 1955, Hangzhou Daily serves as the official newspaper of the Hangzhou Municipal Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). It is managed by the Hangzhou Municipal Committee of the CCP and sponsored by the Hangzhou Daily Newspaper Group [zh]. It is the third official newspaper of a provincial capital city party committee after the Yangtze River Daily [zh] and Shenyang Daily [zh].

## History

On April 18, 1955, the CCP Hangzhou Municipal Committee established the Preparatory Committee for Hangzhou Daily. Hu Jingwei, a member of the Standing Committee of the CCP Hangzhou Municipal Committee and Minister of the Propaganda Department, was tapped as its director. Hangzhou Daily was officially founded on November 1 of the same year. In its early publication phase, the newspaper was a folio format comprising four pages, featuring sections on news, local news, culture, and lifestyle, alongside special editions and Xinhua News Agency wire services. During the early 1960s, however, it transitioned to four pages with a limited circulation of 30,000 copies due to economic challenges.
Following the outbreak of the Cultural Revolution from January 1–10 in 1967, all editions of Hangzhou Daily consisted solely of Xinhua News Agency wire reports. Normal publications resumed on January 11. On September 5, 1968, publication was temporarily suspended but was recommenced on December 16 of the same year, maintaining the four-page format.
In 1985, the newspaper reverted to a folio format with four pages. After the 1990s, Hangzhou Daily underwent further changes and expansions. In March 1992, it launched a four-page folio section titled "West Lake Weekend [zh]" which was later expanded to eight color pages. In November 1993, the "Afternoon Edition" was introduced, which served as the precursor to the "Daily Business Daily".
On 31 December 1999, Hangzhou Daily released its 100th commemorative edition to welcome the new century, divided into five sections: "Brilliant History", "Ancient Capital Literary Rhythm", "Cangsang Town", "Hundred Schemes of Livelihood", and "Hundred Years of Elites", with over 60 pages dedicated to news. This edition set a record for the number of pages published by Zhejiang newspapers in a single day. On October 20, 2000, to celebrate the West Lake Expo [zh] 2000, Hangzhou Daily launched a 12-page color edition, followed by a special 128-page edition dedicated to the Expo, along with a CD-ROM publication.
On January 1, 2000, Hangzhou Daily expanded to 12 pages of colour printing. Later, on November 14, Hangzhou Daily was recognized as "the second advanced unit of local newspaper management" by the General Administration of Press and Publication of the People's Republic of China. Subsequently, on November 8, 2001, the Hangzhou Daily Newspaper Group was established.
In 2018, the newspaper was selected as one of the National Top 100 Newspapers for 2017. In March 2018, Hangzhou Daily won the Third National Top 100 Newspapers in China.

## Layout & content

The Hangzhou Daily publishes eight pages on Mondays, 20 pages on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 24 pages on Thursdays and Fridays, and four pages on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays. Its content includes important news, local news from Hangzhou, district and county news, Zhejiang news, national and international news, economic updates, as well as culture and sports news, along with various supplements. The masthead showcases a character written in Mao Zedong's handwriting, which was collected in 1958.
In the early 1980s, the newspaper adopted the policy of being "new, fast, short, active, and deep". In 1993, during its first edition expansion, it achieved significant improvements in the quantity, quality, and timeliness of its news coverage. The newspaper established a requirement for the first and second pages to be published daily, ensuring that each of these pages featured at least three articles about news from the previous day. In 2000, the newspaper underwent another expansion, increasing its news pages from seven to 10. This expansion included new sections for international and domestic news, as well as sports, culture, and a dedicated page for Hangzhou news, economic news, and opinion pieces.
Since the 1950s, the newspaper has prioritized economic reporting. In 1980, it became the first newspaper in mainland China to launch a special section on "Tourism" featuring travelogues, introductions to famous places and landmarks, and highlights of Hangzhou's scenery. Over the years, the newspaper has expanded its news sections, including a comprehensive supplement initially titled "Cultural Life" on the third page; it was later renamed "Early Sun" in April 1957. After the resumption of the folio format in 1985, the supplement was moved to the fourth page, featuring sections such as "Flower Harbor", "Seven-Coloured Flowers", "Reading", "Sports", "Tourism", "Weekend", and others. The current name of the supplement is "Xihang", making it the first newspaper in mainland China to establish a special section on "Tourism". The supplement is known as "West Lake".