Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang province. [Photo/VCG]

Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang province, announced a new administrative division plan on April 9, local media outlets reported.

The plan has been approved by the State Council.

Shangcheng and Jianggan districts will be combined to form a new Shangcheng district, excluding Xiasha and Baiyang sub-districts.

Xiacheng and Gongshu districts will be combined to form a new Gongshu district.

Yuhang district will be reduced, with Linping, Donghu, Nanyuan, Xingqiao, Yunhe, Qiaosi, and Chongxian sub-districts and Tangqi town combining into a new Linping district.

A new Qiantang district will also be introduced combining Xiasha and Baiyang sub-districts of the original Jianggan district and Hezhuang, Yipeng, Xinwan, Linjiang, and Qianjin sub-districts of Xiaoshan district.

However, the city will still have 10 districts, two counties, and one county-level city.

The plan is meant to solve problems impeding the high-quality development of the city in the new era, such as an unreasonable industrial layout, uneven regional planning, and an unbalanced population density.

The plan has retained Hangzhou's ancient monikers and widely-acknowledged names and will help carry forward local history and culture and achieve wider cultural recognition among the public.