[4] The idea of establishing a Hangzhou University was initially proposed in the Congress of Zhejiang Province in 1920,[5] which was widely echoed by Zhejiang born people including Cai Yuanpei and Jiang Menglin.

[4] During the 1952 reorganisation of Chinese higher education, part of School of Liberal Arts and School of Sciences at Zhejiang University, the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Hangchow University and Zhejiang Education College merged to form Zhejiang Teachers College.

Thus, its mathematics, physics, chemistry departments was proposed to go into the Zhejiang College of Engineering and its biology to be incorporated into Zhejiang Agricultural University in July 1960, which didn't come true due to objection from the universities.

From 1966 to 1976, the Cultural Revolution impacted the university, with at least ten killed due to political prosecution.

[8][9] Upon request of Hangzhou University professors Song Yunbin, Wang Jiawu and president Chen Jiangong, Zhou Enlai ordered to protect the Wenlan Pavilion, where the Complete Library of the Four Treasuries was protected from being destroyed by the Red Guards.

[10] As the national examination for college entrance was resumed in 1977, the university welcomed a new cohort of Class of 1981.

Among around 70 graduates of the department of history class of 1981, there were at least 10 real estate tycoons including Song Weiping, Zhou Qingzhi and Xu Guangyue, and a Mao Dun Literature Prize laureate Wang Xufeng.

During 2017 Lianghui, Zhao Guangyu, a major Hangzhou politician, proposed a new Hangzhou University that specialises in liberal arts should be established to complement Zhejiang University that specialises in sciences and engineering.