Zhejiang province has a history thousands and thousands of years old, with the first records of human activity in the area dating back to the Paleolithic Age. 

More than a hundred Neolithic sites have been found in the province, which provide examples of the Zhejiang's ancient history and cultures, such as the Shangshan culture which dates back 10,000 years, the Kuahuqiao culture (7,000 BC-8,000 BC), the Majiabang culture dating back 6,000 years, the Hemudu culture (5,000 BC-7,000 BC) and the Liangzhu culture (4,000 BC-5,000 BC). 

The province was officially named during the Ming Dynasty (AD 1368-1644) after the Qiantang River (formally the Zhe River), the largest waterway which flows through the area.

The capital of Zhejiang province is Hangzhou, formally Lin'an.