Zhejiang University (ZJU, also known as Che Kiang University; simplified Chinese: 浙江大学; traditional Chinese: 浙江大學; pinyin: Zhèjiāng Dàxué; Wade–Giles: Che-Chiang-ta-hsüeh), usually referred to as Zhèdà (浙大), is an elite C9 League university in Zhejiang province.[4] It is also a Chinese Ministry of Education Class A Double First Class University.[5] Founded in 1897, Zhejiang University is one of China's oldest, most selective and most prestigious institutions of higher education. It is also a member of the Yangtze Delta Universities Alliance[citation needed] and the Association of Pacific Rim Universities.