An oar-inspiring city

In 1876, Wenzhou was opened as one of China's treaty ports. Since then, residents have made a living doing business in foreign markets, and many later emigrated.

In 1984, Wenzhou was listed among the 14 coastal cities that would play a vital role in China's reform and opening-up, which created more opportunities for locals to tap overseas markets.

Nearly 700,000 overseas Chinese are from Wenzhou, or are the descendants of Wenzhou people. These days, they are living in more than 130 countries and regions around the world, including Italy, France, the Netherlands, Spain, Germany, Austria, and Belgium.