Hangzhou English news portal goes online

The launching ceremony of Hangzhou English-language news portal is held in the city, Zhejiang province, on Sept 5. [Photo provided to ehangzhou.gov.cn]

An English-language news portal for Hangzhou (www.ehangzhou.gov.cn) was officially launched on Sept 5, Hangzhou International Day, with the backing of the publicity department of CPC Hangzhou Municipal Committee and China Daily.

As the host city of the G20 summit, Hangzhou, known as an "earthly paradise", is one of the most prosperous cities in China and home to a myriad of cultural and tourism attractions. It is also a leader in China in e-commerce, and is home of China's e-commerce giant Alibaba Group.

The newly-launched portal, featuring the color blue, has eight main sections: including Media Center, Global Exchanges, Business, Culture, Travel, Education, Services and About Hangzhou.

Aiming to raise the global profile of the eastern Chinese city and provide a window for foreigners to gain a wider understanding of the city, the website caters to the international community by providing detailed information on the city and the latest local news updates.

In addressing the ceremony, Liu Changzheng, vice director of Hangzhou's publicity department, said that the website will make a contribution for Hangzhou in presenting its unique charm to the world and building itself into a world-class city.

In addition, the mobile version of the website, offering convenience for mobile phone users, has also gone online at the same time.

China Daily, China's leading English-language news organization with growing popularity abroad, has become a comprehensive multimedia outlet and China's most influential English-language web portal. It has launched over 200 English-language websites for major governments and companies in China, including the State Council, the Ministry of Culture and the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs.