Wenzhou
From Wikitravel
[edit] Get in
[edit] Get around
Buses cost 1.5元-2.5元 within the city and can be very useful once you figure what number goes where. The price is listed on the outside of the bus and on the bus stop sign. The bus stop sign also lists the stops on one side and shows a map on the other. Strangely, you will not find this in Beijing or Shanghai.
Taxis are 10元 for the first 4 km and 1.5 元/km thereafter that (after midnight prices rise to 12元 for the first 4km and 1.8元/km thereafter). If you are outside the centre of the city, or in the centre trying to get elsewhere, you will not be able to catch a taxi between 1630hrs and 1800hrs. This is because of the driver shift change.
[edit][add listing] See
Jiangxin Island - An island in the middle of the Oujiang river that runs through Wenzhou, it can be reached by taking a boat from the wood decked ferry port on Jiangbin Lu and costs 10元 (if they see a foreigner walk up to the kiosk they hand you a ticket and say "10"). The island has an old pagoda and a new pagoda, large areas of garden and lakes, a water park and a theme park. The theme park is known for its ferris wheel which gives great views of both sides of the river and also a death-defying roller coaster. Make sure you buckle up tight.
Tai Ping Temple (Tai4 Ping2 Si4) – Really new, but very nice temple in the West edge of Wenzhou. Taxi will cost 15-17元 or bus 5 or 51 will get you there for cheaper.
The Wet Lands (San Yang Si Di…. or something like that)- Can be entered from Ou Hai Da Dao, it’s a group of around 136 islands with a shitton of bridges connecting them, as well as a bunch only reached by big concrete canoes. In total it’s something like 13 square km. They’re currently building a bunch of gazebos, gardens and new bridges and plan to officially open the garden as an “attraction” sometime this year.
Snow Mountain (雪山) – To the West of Wenzhou, a huge area of trees and greenery. Good place to walk around a get a view of Wenzhou). The mountain overlooks the suburb of Huanglong and can be reached through Huanglong's backstreets near Wenzhou No.2 Senior Middle School.
Nine Mountain Lake (九山湖) – small, narrow lake a bit west of 5 horses with a nice, quiet park at the bottom of a pagoda.
East Gate Street (东门街) – Another pedestrian street, closer to the river than 5 horses, less to see, but it’s longer and has trees on it. It’s north east of 5 horses.
Dong Tou – Group of islands off the coast which can be reached by bus. There’s a bunch of “scenic spots”, you have to pay for some. Buses leave from New City Bus Station (新城汽车站), cost about 20元 and take ~90 minutes. Once there, it’s probably easiest to take a taxi to the different scenic spots, don’t believe the ones that approach you when you get off the bus.
North of the River (瓯北). Oubei is the town on the Northern side of Ou River, you can take a boat across the river from 2 different docks, both east of the one to Jiangxin island, costing 1.5元 each way. Not much to see in Oubei, close to the dock there’s some nice temples at the bottom and top of a hill. There’s a pagoda on top of the hill as well.
Yandang Mountain (雁荡山) and Nanxi river (楠溪江) are probably best done by renting a taxi for the whole day, should cost 400+/-100元, depending on your negotiation skills.
[edit][add listing] Do
Double Deer Factory - If you're a foreigner, you can wander around the Double Deer Factory. There's some amazing machinery, such as the one that sticks on the labels. You'll will likely be thrown out after a little while, but it's well worth it. Try not to get your pictures deleted. If you're pretending to write an article about the brewery, then you should have business cards made beforehand.
Pool Halls - There are many pool halls dotted around Wenzhou, ranging from free to 30kuai/hour. If you wander past the security guards and get to the 4th floor above Times Square there's a pool hall you can use pro bono.
Teach English- With English First, DD Dragon, Kid's Castle and many more. The latter two are not recommended. Placements in public schools and universities are also available through companies such as WITT and BCIT.
Taxi rides - Taxis are cheap enough that you can just get driven around for an hour or so and not be out too many dough.
Learn Chinese - As a very Chinese city it is difficult to find English speakers outside of universities, colleges and certain bars. For this reason, Wenzhou is perfect for the home learner to practice their Putonghua out on the street. Watch out for Wenzhounese though, it sounds like chickens fighting.
Go to the Zoo - Actually don't. Think of baboons on hot plates and boxing bears.
[edit][add listing] Buy
There's nothing incredibly "Wenzhou" that you should buy, but there are loads upon loads of things made in Wenzhou so, if you look and bargain well, you can buy them at very cheap prices. You can get all kinds of cheap shoes and clothing near the train station, bring a Chinese person and you get better prices
Times Square (Shi2 Dai4 Guang3 Cheng2) is in the south of the city 1.5km north of the train station. Everything in there is too expensive to buy, but it has clean, shiny floors excellent for sliding on.
[edit][add listing] Eat
BAMBOO - Lao Bei Jing- Great place offering some Chinese classics. Try the Gong Bao Ji Ding （宫保鸡丁）or Yu Xiang Qie Zi （鱼香茄子）or Beijing Rou Si （北京肉丝) or Tan Zi Ji. They have an English menu. It's on Wen Di Lu Bei Xiang （温迪路北向）, 30 meters up from Che Zhan Da Dao （车站大道）.
Potatoes - Many "Potato-men" stake out good spots around Wenzhou and sell you potatoes for ~2元 or so.
Rio On Che Zhan Da Dao, 100 meters south of WenDiLu, this fancy places is an excellent value if you get the coupons they generously give away. Free coffee are a godsend when combined with 50% off of many delicious meals. The Yu Xiang Rou Si is excellent as well as a Beef dish (look for the "牛肉" characters on the coupon).
印度餐厅 The Indian Restaurant on 南浦路 （nanpulu) - Fine Indian cuisine. Like really good.
[edit][add listing] Drink
Xia lv pu (下吕浦) This is the area where most foreigners live and some bars have sprung up around.
Cowboy Eric's - The Taiwanese cowboy has 3 places in Wenzhou. Number One is on Chun Hui Lu （春晖路66號）, near the junction with Shuanglong Lu （双龙路）in Xia Lu Pu (下吕浦）. Number Two is opposite the European City (欧洲城）and Number Three is in Shuomen Jie (朔門街81號）。
La Luna - Near the T-junction of Nanpu Lu (南浦路）and Shuanglong Lu (双龙路236号）, La Luna showcases the highest percentage of foreigners in Wenzhou. If you want to chat in English or Spanish, this place is for you.
Laowai D8 (老外D八） Sometimes happening though best avoided due to bad combination of leery African men and underage Chinese girls.
Blue Shell The original home of foreigners, now a shell of it's former self.
New Age Lounge Another dead bar, great open space, badly mis-managed.
Mini-pub Looks okay from the outside, if a little empty.
Jiangbin Lu （江滨路）- The River- Near the river there is a wide selection of pubs, bars and clubs.
'Bund 18 (外滩十八 - Wai Tan Shi Ba) Bund 18 currently offers free alcohol to foreigners who know the right people. Look for other foreigners once you're inside and join them. Normally kicks off around 10.
POP Once the home to foreign dancers, now just a place where you can drink, dance, play dice...
Luna Bar Recently renovated, often has live music.
Double Deer Beer - Can't miss with this locally brewed delight, 2-2.5元 on the streets. Don't forget to look under the cap for a free beer or 1 kuai refund. Known as Shuan1 Lu4 in Chinese, it also has a more expensive, premium light counterpart.
[edit][add listing] Sleep
You can try couchsurfing.com to try and ride the waves to a free night. There are no hostels in Wenzhou, but if you look hard enough, I'm sure there's some cheap places somewhere.
If you are looking for something at the more expensive end of the market there are many western style hotels such as the Ex Palm D'Or, The Olympic Hotel, The Dynasty Hotel and the New International Hotel.
[edit] Get out
Lin Hai – In the Taizhou prefecture, north of Wenzhou, Linhai has the “Southern Great Wall of China”. There’s also an East Lake (东湖), and long old streets. Really nice place. Buses leave City Bus Station (新城长途车站) every 30 minutes or so, take 1hr45 and cost 66元.
Hangzhou – Buses take about 4-4.5 hours, leave from New City Bus Station, and cost 150元. They leave really frequently first thing in the morning, and then every 30 minutes or so afterward.
Shanghai - Can get there by train, bus or plane. Train costs 90元 for a seat, 175 for a hard-sleeper and takes about 10 hours. The bus costs 200元 and takes about 6 hours. It is notable that the bus route between Wenzhou and Shanghai will take you across the longest sea bridge in the world. The plane takes no time and can be as little as 200元 if you leave very early.
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