Zhejiang University

Zhejiang University is a higher education institution in Hangzhou, China, whose grounds spread across several city districts and house faculties for humanities, sciences and engineering. The complex includes research centers, dormitories, sports facilities and administrative buildings linked by pathways and roads.

The institution began in 1897 as Qiushi Academy under the Qing Dynasty, training only a small number of students at first. After several restructurings and mergers, the current university took shape in 1998 by combining four separate higher education institutions.

The name Qiushi, inherited from the founding academy, roughly translates as seeking truth and remains part of the university motto today. Across the sprawling campus, students use green spaces between buildings for group work and gatherings, while researchers and teaching staff move through laboratories and lecture halls.

Visitors need to register at entry gates, and some areas are accessible only to enrolled students and staff members. The different sites sit in different parts of town, so plan enough travel time depending on which location you intend to reach.

One of the campus areas contains a historic observatory once used for astronomy instruction, now occasionally open for public events. The architecture of some older buildings blends traditional Chinese elements with Republican-era influences, noticeable when walking around the grounds.