HanPath

温州市

wēn zhōu · Wenzhou

Where China's private business started, under a mountain of temples

Why this place

Wenzhou is the city that invented Chinese private enterprise in the 1980s — Wenzhou people are famous across China as traders. It also has a spectacular mountain, Yandang Shan, right beside it, and a strong local Christianity and folk-religion culture.

What to see

  • Yandang Mountain — volcanic rock pillars and peaks, one of China's classic mountain landscapes
  • Jiangxin Islet in the Ou River, with its twin pagodas
  • Nanxi River and the old villages of Yongjia, with a good rural-lane walk

What to eat

  • Wenzhou is known for its light, fresh seafood cooking
  • Wonton and the small-plate street food culture; Wenzhou people run cheap restaurants all over China

Best time

April–May and September–November; Yandang is hot in midsummer

浙江省 · Zhejiang China Guide