Wenzhou & Nanxi River

A thousand-year-old trading port on the Oujiang River, where Jiangxin Island and Wuma Street hold the old city's memories, while Nanxi River's ancient villages and Baizhangji Waterfall are the best of the surrounding landscapes.

Wenzhou lies on the southeastern coast of Zhejiang, where the Oujiang River meets the sea. This destination uses downtown Wenzhou as a base and covers the old Lucheng district; the Nanxi River in Yongjia County to the north; the landscapes and covered bridges of Wencheng and Taishun to the southwest; the Dongtou Islands to the southeast; and the islands and coastline of Pingyang and Cangnan (Yueqing's Yandang Mountain to the north is a separate destination). The old city has Jiangxin Island, Wuma Street, the Shuomen Ancient Port site, Nantang and the Wenzhou Museum. The Nanxi River is a national-level scenic area known for its clear streams, riverside groves and Song- and Yuan-dynasty villages (Cangpo, Furong, Lishui Street in Yantou, and Linkeng), with bamboo rafting at Shizi Rock as its signature activity. Wencheng has the 207-m Baizhangji Waterfall, the Tongling Mountain potholes and canyon, and the hometown of Liu Bowen. Dongtou is represented by Xiandie Rock, Banping Mountain and Dong'ao fishing village. Farther afield are the Nanji Islands, Yuliao Beach and Puzhuangsuo Fortress Town. The climate is subtropical oceanic monsoon. March–May (rapeseed flowers and ancient villages at their loveliest) and September–November (clear, crisp days) are the best seasons. Summer suits splashing in the Nanxi River and island trips, but typhoons are frequent from July to September and often disrupt island flights and rafting, so check warnings before you go. Getting there: Wenzhou Longwan International Airport; Wenzhou South Station is the main high-speed rail station (about 2 hours from Hangzhou, about 3.5 hours from Shanghai), and suburban rail Line S1 links the airport, the South Station and Sanyang Wetland. For the Nanxi River, Wencheng, Taishun and Cangnan, a self-drive or chartered car is best: about 1 hour from downtown to Yantou, about 1.5–2 hours to Baizhangji, and about 1 hour to Dongtou. We suggest 4–5 days: 1 day in the city, 1–2 days at the Nanxi River staying in Yantou, a day in Wencheng and a day in Dongtou. Don't miss Wenzhou glutinous rice, fish-ball soup, dengzhan cake, Nanxi wheat cakes and Ou cuisine.

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Itineraries