Wenzhou, formerly written Wenchow, is a prefecture-level city in southeastern Zhejiang province in the People's Republic of China. At the time of the 2010 Chinese census, 3,039,500 people lived in Wenzhou's city proper; the area under its jurisdiction held a population of 9,122,100. Its coastline opens on the East China Sea; its borders connect it to Lishui on the west, Taizhou on the north, and Fujian to the south.Wenzhou, which translates to "a mild and pleasant land", derives its name from its climate, as it is neither extremely hot in summer nor extremely cold in the winter.Originally known as Yongjia, Yung-chia or Yungkia, Wenzhou was a prosperous foreign treaty port, which remains well-preserved today. It is situated in a mountainous region and, as a result, has been isolated for most of its history from the rest of the country, making the local culture and language very distinct not only from the rest of China but from neighbouring areas as well. It is also known for its emigrants who leave their native land for Europe and the United States, with a reputation for being entrepreneurs who start restaurants, retail and wholesale businesses in their adopted countries. People of Wenzhou origin make up a large number of ethnic Chinese residents of Italy, the Netherlands, France, and Africa.
