Hangzhou · Neighbourhood ·
Xiasha-Binjiang Tech Belt
下沙-滨江 · Hangzhou's eastern and southern technology districts — Alibaba's headquarters complex at Xixi was actually further west, but Binjiang and Xiasha host most of the supplier ecosystem and the new tech-residential housing.
About this neighbourhood
Hangzhou has positioned itself as one of China's leading internet-economy cities since Alibaba was founded there in 1999. The technology infrastructure spans several districts: Alibaba's main campus at Xixi west of the city; NetEase, Hikvision, and a substantial supplier ecosystem in Binjiang on the south bank of the Qiantang River; and the educational-research belt at Xiasha east of the city.
Binjiang High-Tech Industrial Development Zone, established in 1990, is the older of the two and now hosts Hikvision's headquarters (one of the world's largest CCTV manufacturers, with substantial international ramifications), NetEase Cloud Music, Hangzhou Robotics, and a long list of supplier and consultancy firms. The district's character is corporate-residential — wide tree-lined avenues, mid-rise office parks, and a strong cycling-greenway network along the river.
Xiasha, at the eastern terminus of Metro Line 1, is the educational and pharmaceutical industrial cluster — Hangzhou Higher Education Park accommodates fourteen universities on a single campus complex, and the Xiasha Pharmaceutical Industrial Park hosts substantial domestic and joint-venture drug manufacturers.
For visitors who are not on tech-business travel, neither district contains substantive tourist attractions. They are useful primarily as accommodation bases for low-cost stays connected by metro to West Lake, or for visitors meeting tech contacts.
What to see
NetEase Cloud Music headquarters, Hikvision campus (one of the world's largest CCTV manufacturers), Hangzhou Bay Bridge approaches, Binjiang Greenway riverside cycling routes.
What to eat
Tech-park canteens and casual chains; emerging restaurant scene around Cangqian Park; small Hangzhou-style restaurants along the Qiantang riverbank.
Transit
Metro Lines 1, 4, 6, 7; the metro network in Binjiang is dense. Xiasha is at the eastern terminus of Line 1.
Where to stay
Business hotels for tech-conference visitors — Hyatt Place, Marriott Courtyard, Holiday Inn Express. Service apartments dominate the residential market.
Hazards & notes
Xiasha and Binjiang are geographically separate (Xiasha east of the city, Binjiang on the south bank of the Qiantang River). Pick which you mean before navigating. Both are tech-residential districts with limited classical sightseeing.