Wenzhou

Wenzhou,; Wenzhounese: Yuziou , ; historically known as Wenchow}} formerly known as Yongjia,; historically known as Yungkia.}} is a prefecture-level city in Zhejiang, China. Situated on the southeastern coast of China, the city sits at the lower reaches and estuary of the Ou River, bordered by the Zhejiang–Fujian Hills to the west and the East China Sea to the east. It governs four districts, three county-level cities and five counties, with the municipal office in Lucheng. Recognised both as one of the 27 core cities of the Yangtze River Delta Economic Zone and one of the five central cities of the Western Taiwan Straits Economic Zone, the city serves as the only junction between the two economic zones.

Archaeological evidence shows that human activity in the area dates back at least 5,000 years. The Ou people, also known as the Ouyue and part of the wider Yue people, established the polity of Dong’ou by at least the fourth century BC and voluntarily surrendered to the Han dynasty of China in 138 BC. The area was successively organised under different administrative names and ranks, including Yongning County from 138, Yongjia Commandery from 323, and Wenzhou Prefecture from 675, later being promoted to Rui’an Fu in 1265 and renamed Wenzhou Circuit in 1276. In the Ming and Qing periods, it was known as Wenzhou Fu, and in 1914 it was designated Ouhai Circuit. Despite repeated changes in administrative status and territorial extent, the seat of Wenzhou prefecture and Yongjia county has remained within the walled city first established in the 4th century, until 1958 when the county seat of Yongjia moved away.

A birthplace of China’s private economy, the city was among the first in the country to experiment with market-oriented reforms after 1978, prompting extensive debate over what became known as the “Wenzhou model” of development. This model is often linked to the city’s long-standing commercial culture and its history as a trading hub. Historically a major seaport in southeastern China, Wenzhou was authorised as a foreign trade port during the Song (960–1279) and Yuan (1271–1368) periods, was designated as a treaty port following the 1876 Chefoo Convention, and in 1984 was designated as one of China’s first 14 open coastal cities. Wenzhou has been renowned for its developed handicraft industries, and is recognised as one of the places of origin of Chinese celadon. Noted during the Southern Song (1127–1279) for the Yongjia School, the city has long been associated with a pragmatic tradition and a strong pro-business culture.

The city is also known for its religious tradition and widespread overseas communities. Since the 1990s, large numbers of Wenzhou people have migrated to other parts of China and overseas, making Wenzhou a major hometown of overseas Chinese. By 2025, more than two million people of Wenzhou origin were living worldwide, including over 800,000 overseas Chinese across more than 100 countries, forming over 200 Wenzhou chambers of commerce and more than 300 overseas associations, together constituting a vast business network. With the highest proportion of religious believers among Chinese cities and Buddhism as the predominant religion, the city has also been referred to as “China’s Jerusalem”, as it has more Christians than any other Chinese city. Provided by Wikipedia