Written by
Anthony
Wenzhou is a prefecture-level city in southeastern Zhejiang Province, bordering the East China Sea and neighboring Ningde, Lishui, and Taizhou.
The city covers a land area of 12,102.65 square kilometers, with a sea area of 8,649 square kilometers and a coastline stretching 514 kilometers.
By the end of 2024, Wenzhou has a permanent population of 9.852 million.
With a history of over 2,000 years, Wenzhou was known as Ouyue in ancient times and gained its name in 675 AD.
The landscape is dominated by mountains and hills, with a humid subtropical monsoon climate.
Wenzhou is a major regional center, a national model city for private enterprise, and a renowned historical and cultural city.
Famous attractions include Yandang Mountain, Jiangxin Islet, Nanxi River, Tongling Mountain, Baizhangji Waterfall, Nanji Islands, and Dongtou Islands.
| Category | Detail | Category | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname | Dong’ou, Lucheng | Area | 12,110 km² (land area) |
| Administrative Code | 330300 | Population | 9.852 million (as of the end of 2024) |
| Administrative Level | Prefecture-level city | Government Office | 321 Xiushan Road, Lucheng District |
| Location | Eastern China, southeastern Zhejiang Province | Climate | Subtropical monsoon climate |
| Subdivisions | 4 districts, 5 counties, 3 county-level cities | Famous Attractions | Yandang Mountain, Nanxi River, Baizhangji Waterfall, Nanji Island, Jiangxin Islet, Impression Nantang |
| Area Code | 0577 | Airport | Wenzhou Longwan International Airport |
| Postal Code | 325000 | Train Stations | Wenzhou Station, Wenzhou South Station, Wenzhou North Station, Wenzhou East Station |
| License Plate | Zhe C | GDP | 971.88 billion CNY (2024) |
| Party Secretary | Zhang Zhenfeng | Mayor | Zhang Wenjie |
Wenzhou, located in southeastern Zhejiang Province, is a popular tourist destination known for its scenic landscapes, rich cultural heritage, and coastal charm.
In 2023, the city hosted 46.97 million visitors, generating 62.54 billion CNY in tourism revenue.
Wenzhou is home to 87 A-level tourist attractions, including the UNESCO Global Geopark Yandang Mountain and the beautiful Jiangxin Islet.
The city’s tourism sector continues to thrive, with inbound tourism increasing by 198% in 2024.
Visitors can explore the picturesque Nanxi River and experience the historical richness of Liu Bowen’s hometown.
With its diverse tourism offerings and growing infrastructure, Wenzhou remains one of the top tourism cities in China.
This 400-meter commercial street blends traditional architecture with modern commerce, featuring 87 Wenzhou old brand shops and vibrant nightlight shows.
A cultural landmark by Tanghe River, offering 32 restored ancient buildings and 18 intangible heritage workshops, along with immersive performances like "Tanghe Night Painting."
Known for its historic sites like Wen Tianxiang Temple, this island offers visitors the "Song Dynasty Rhythm" nighttime show, recreating its ancient poetic scenery.
This well-preserved mountain village boasts over 200 Ming and Qing wooden houses and attracts over 150,000 visitors annually with its traditional charm.
A national first-class museum featuring over 50,000 relics and immersive VR experiences, making it a popular educational destination for students and visitors alike.
This 4A-level scenic area features the highest single-drop waterfall in China and hosts events like the "Baizhang Falls Martial Arts Festival" to attract tourists.
A UNESCO Global Geopark with over 500 scenic spots, offering stunning views and attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors during major holidays, like May Day.
Known for its rich marine life and beautiful landscapes, this island offers unique experiences like sea fishing and shellfish harvesting, drawing 80,000 visitors annually.
A 302-island eco-tourism hotspot, Dongtou offers scenic views and cultural landmarks, attracting millions with its "Shenzhou Sea Screen" and "China Historical Cultural Building."
Famous for its 30 km golden drifting route through ancient villages, this scenic area hosts over 600,000 visitors annually, offering bamboo rafting and breathtaking views.
Located on Daluo Mountain's west slope, this serene area features "Three Pools and Two Wells" and offers immersive experiences like the "Curved Water Wine" performance.
A national forest park known for its stone sea wonder and 921-meter height, offering helicopter sightseeing and drawing large crowds during National Day holidays.
Wenzhou cuisine, based on its coastal geography, has evolved over millennia into a unique culinary system called “Oucai.”
As one of the four main schools of Zhejiang cuisine, Oucai blends flavors and traditions, offering a taste of regional culture.
Seafood plays a dominant role, with fresh fish and crabs harvested from Wenzhou’s vast sea. The cuisine emphasizes fresh, light ingredients and precise knife skills, with dishes like “Three-Silk Fish” and “Jinxi Fish Slices” standing out. Wenzhou cooking also incorporates techniques from neighboring cuisines, creating dishes like “Ginger Oil Yellow Fish.”
The cuisine is renowned for its delicate flavors, often highlighting the natural sweetness of seafood. Wenzhou’s food culture is deeply rooted in its people’s customs, celebrating seasonal foods and communal meals, particularly during festivals.
Soft, sticky rice absorbs rich broth flavors, while crispy dough sticks add a delightful crunch, creating a hearty and comforting breakfast favorite.
Tender crab meat, lightly marinated for a tangy and spicy taste, offers a silky, refreshing texture that highlights the bold, fresh flavors of coastal cuisine.
Delicate wonton skins wrap juicy, tender pork filling, bursting with savory broth upon each bite, delivering a light yet satisfying dining experience.
A rich, savory broth infuses tender intestines, silky duck blood, and chewy noodles, creating a hearty, flavorful dish perfect for late-night comfort.
Crispy batter encases sticky rice cakes, sausage, and vegetables, offering a satisfying contrast between crunchy exterior and soft, chewy fillings.
Golden, crispy shells encase a savory filling of radish and pork, delivering a slightly spicy, nostalgic street snack with a delicious, tender bite.
Smooth, refreshing jelly combined with sweet-sour dried fruits and a hint of mint offers a light, cooling dessert perfect for hot summer days.
Crisp on the outside and savory inside, these baked pastries fuse pickled greens and pork fat, offering rich flavors rooted in countryside traditions.
Tender yet chewy duck tongues, infused with a deep, savory-sweet soy flavor, make a flavorful appetizer often enjoyed with wine or festive meals.
Fine handmade noodles, simmered in fragrant chicken broth with mushrooms and pork, symbolize long-lasting blessings and offer delicate, savory warmth.
Springy, flavorful fish cakes, made from pounded fresh fish, shine with a savory richness and are enjoyed steamed, pan-fried, or in comforting soups.
Chewy sweet potato dough encases either savory or sweet fillings, blending earthy, nutty notes with a soft texture and a vibrant golden appearance.
Wenzhou, a national historical and cultural city, boasts a complete intangible cultural heritage (ICH) system with vibrant transmission.
By 2024, it had established a four-level protection system with 4 items recognized by UNESCO, 35 national-level ICH items, 159 provincial-level, and 779 municipal-level, covering ten categories, including traditional craftsmanship, folk customs, drama, and music.
The city’s “Intangible Cultural Heritage in Communities” model, launched nationwide, embeds ICH workshops in communities, creating a “15-minute ICH living circle.”
With innovative initiatives, Wenzhou combines tourism with ICH, promoting economic growth and enhancing global recognition through cultural exports.
The integration of digital technologies further protects and promotes its heritage, solidifying its role as a model for ICH preservation in China.
This traditional technique involves a series of fermentation steps to create a potent ingredient, which is essential for brewing yellow wine and preparing herbal medicine.
Using flour, fatty pork, and longan, this technique creates crispy mooncakes with sweet and savory fillings, a beloved treat that also drives industry standardization efforts.
Crafting wooden toys like puppets and spinning tops, this technique combines carving and painting with natural woods to produce intricate, culturally rich figures.
Using wax stone, this craft creates finely detailed sculptures that blend round and hollow carving techniques, with works winning international recognition.
A centuries-old printing method, this process involves carving characters and arranging them to print books, an art now safeguarded as part of China’s cultural heritage.
This technique features distinctive attire, including the "phoenix hairpin" and blue jackets, adorned with floral and geometric embroidery, blending tradition with modern fashion.
Originating from the Northern Song Dynasty, this form of opera combines local dialect and folk music to tell captivating stories, preserving centuries of cultural performance.
This ancient dyeing craft uses indigo to create intricate patterns on fabric, dating back to the Qin and Han Dynasties, with works often displayed in historical sites.
In this art form, bamboo threads are inlaid onto wood to form scenic and floral patterns, a skill dating back to the Tang Dynasty, representing a rich cultural legacy.
Using silk and cotton, artisans create detailed sculptures of characters and animals, a craft with origins in the Song Dynasty, now showcased in exhibitions worldwide.
Crafted from cooked rice dough, this folk art creates vibrant figures of people and animals for festive decorations, reflecting creativity passed down through generations.
This technique involves etching silver lines on the back of glass to create artistic images, combining traditional and modern methods, and expanding into printmaking applications.
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Hi there!
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