Hangzhou Daily
 | This article may require copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone, or spelling. (June 2024) |
| Type | Daily newspaper |
|---|---|
| Owner(s) | Hangzhou Daily Press Group |
| Founded | November 1, 1955 |
| Political alignment | Chinese Communist Party |
| Language | Chinese |
| Headquarters | Hangzhou |
| Website | hzdaily |
Hangzhou Daily or Hangzhou Ribao[1] (simplified Chinese: 杭州日报; traditional Chinese: 杭州日報; pinyin: Hángzhōu rìbào), is a daily newspaper based in Hangzhou, China, and is one of the most widely circulated newspapers in the world.[2][3] 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. This publication is the third official newspaper of a provincial capital city party committee, following the Yangtze River Daily and Shenyang Daily. The masthead of Hangzhou Daily showcases a character written in Mao Zedong's handwriting, which was collected in 1958.[4] The newspaper ranks among the top in terms of comprehensive strength among national vice-provincial city party committee organ newspapers.[5]
History
[edit]On 18 April 1955, the CCP Hangzhou Municipal Committee established the Preparatory Committee for Hangzhou Daily, with Hu Jingwei, a member of the Standing Committee of the CCP Hangzhou Municipal Committee and Minister of the Propaganda Department, as its director. Hangzhou Daily was officially founded on 1 November 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. However, during the early 1960s, due to economic challenges, it transitioned to four pages with a limited circulation of 30,000 copies.[6]
Following the outbreak of the Cultural Revolution, from 1 to 10 January 1967, all editions of Hangzhou Daily consisted solely of Xinhua News Agency wire reports. Normal publications resumed on 11 January. On 5 September 1968, publication was suspended but recommenced on 16 December of the same year, maintaining the four-page format[6]
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, which was later expanded to eight colour pages. In November 1993, the "Afternoon Edition" was introduced, which served as the precursor to the "Daily Business Daily". On 1 January 2000, Hangzhou Daily expanded to 12 pages of colour printing.[6]
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 set a record for the number of pages published by Zhejiang newspapers in a single day. On 20 October 2000, to celebrate the West Lake Expo 2000, Hangzhou Daily launched a 12-page colour edition, followed by a special 128-page edition dedicated to the Expo, along with a CD-ROM publication.[6]
On 14 November 2000, Hangzhou Daily was recognised as "the second advanced unit of local newspaper management" by the General Administration of Press and Publication of the People's Republic of China.[4] Subsequently, on 8 November 2001, the Hangzhou Daily Newspaper Group was established.
In 2018, the newspaper was selected as one of the top 100 national newspapers for 2017.[7]
Layout & content
[edit]The Hangzhou Daily publishes 8 pages on Mondays, 20 pages on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 24 pages on Thursdays and Fridays, and 4 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.[8]
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 7 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, enhancing the overall information provided.[6]
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, 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", which is the first newspaper in mainland China to establish a special section on "Tourism".[6] The supplement is known as "West Lake".[citation needed]
References
[edit]- ^ Wang Pan (13 November 2014). Love and Marriage in Globalizing China. Routledge. p. 352–. ISBN 978-1-317-68883-9.
- ^ Lee Chin-Chuan (20 February 2003). Chinese Media, Global Contexts. Routledge. p. 184. ISBN 978-1-134-41241-9.
- ^ Timonthy Cheek; Tony Saich (30 April 1997). New Perspectives on State Socialism in China. M.E. Sharpe. p. 256. ISBN 978-0-7656-3639-3.
- ^ a b "Hangzhou Daily". Hangzhou Daily. Hangzhou Daily Newspaper Group. Archived from the original on 2020-11-29. Retrieved 2018-06-10.
- ^ "Zhejiang Provincial News Journal". Local Records Office of the People's Government of Zhejiang Province. Archived from the original on 2017-01-14. Retrieved 2018-06-10.
- ^ a b c d e f Hangzhou, Daily. "Introduction to Hangzhou Daily Group" [en：Hangzhou Daily]. Archived from the original on 2013-09-21. Retrieved 2024-06-05.
- ^ Zhao, xinle (2018-01-16). "2017 National "Top 100 Newspapers" Recommendation List Begins Publication". www.ce.cn. China Economic Net. Archived from the original on 2020-11-05. Retrieved 2021-02-10.
- ^ Qinrong, Chen. "Creating User Value and Integrating into Media Clusters -- Looking at the Development Direction of Subway Newspapers from the Perspective of City Daily". Creating User Value and Integrating into Media Clusters -- Looking at the Development Direction of Subway Newspapers from the Perspective of City Daily. China Academy of Press and Publication.