Hangzhou is where ancient romance meets modern-day ingenuity – and it’s where scenery rules: the legendary West Lake is the backdrop to China’s most famous love story – “Madame White Snake” – and a contributor to a #24 Instagram Posts ranking. The tidal bore along the Qiantang River also contributes to a #44 Nature & Parks ranking. But behind the scenery is China’s AI powerhouse, home to tech giants like Alibaba, DeepSeek and hundreds of start-ups, earning a #33 spot in our Business Ecosystem subcategory.
The city accelerated its digital economy with the 2024 Global AI Conference (a #27-ranked convention center helped), positioning itself as a key player in AI and advanced computing. The government has been pouring support into start-ups for a decade, and now the six tigers of Hangzhou – key AI and robotics blue chips – find themselves caught between staying within the Chinese market or trying to raise capital from foreign investors, a fraught proposition. Still, young, educated professionals are pouring in, according to government numbers. In 2023, Hangzhou led Chinese cities in net talent inflow, welcoming 400,000 new residents under the age of 35 with college degrees, and the city added more than 306,000 new jobs last year. The #22-ranked Zhejiang University pumps out coders, and the stunning environment and moderate living costs keep dreams of AI stardom alive.