One of Wenzhou’s biggest claims to fame is that it invented Chinese opera during the Song dynasty, introducing Nan Opera to China. At the Wenzhou Southern Opera Museum, housed in a hundred-year-old bank, learn about the seven traditional character archetypes, understand plot development (including life, denial, ugliness), peruse intricate embroidered costumes and show programmes alongside other artefacts.

Across the road from the Wenzhou Library, the 26,000sqm Wenzhou Musuem greets you with a gigantic dragon boat, which pays homage to Wenzhou’s former merchants sailing the four seas. Here, three exhibition galleries explore the arts, history and natural environment of the city with around 20,000 relics in total. The rare collection includes elegant lacquer items, precious jade, delicate pottery, coins, books and more.

The Five Horses, that is. Wuma – ‘five horse’ – Street is a 400m-long pedestrian-only street lined with shops selling gifts, souvenirs and local snacks, crowned by a statue of the five horses themselves. Looking for something more? Head to the parallel Shamaohe Street to find shopping options suitable for women (hint: Wenzhou is one of the largest producers of shoes) or try the side streets for children’s clothing and luggage.

Dating back to the Song dynasty, Cangpo Ancient Village has strong feng shui with a layout reminiscent of the “four treasures.” A nearby mountain resembles a calligraphy brush, a brick road, a writing brush, and two pools alongside resemble ink wells. Beside them is a long stone slab – or the inkslab – while the village’s moat, pavilions, ancient Cypress trees and others represent scrolls. Be creative when greeting residents, as many don’t speak Mandarin.

Wenzhou has plenty of islands to explore and those on the Ou River are particularly popular. Catch a two-minute ferry ride to Jiangxin Island, a pedestrian-only islet home to the thousand-year-old Jiangxin Temple. You’ll find intricate pagodas, a massive Song dynasty bell and ancient banyan trees. Seek out Yuantong Hall to locate a plaque penned by Emperor Qianlong. The island also boasts a Ferris wheel and rollercoaster, which is a fun sightseeing twist.

Take in the beauty of Wenzhou on a traditional bamboo raft down the Nanxi River. These views have inspired many Chinese water paintings and during your journey, you’ll pass old villages. Residents still live there, and you’ll spot them washing clothes in the river or fishing alongside tireless cormorants. Hop off to explore the villages by foot or take a minibus to visit sites dating back to the Tang dynasty.

You can’t leave Wenzhou without visiting the “Potato Men” – street vendors selling potatoes on a stick for a few kuai, best washed down with an ice-cold local Double Deer Beer. On Nantang Street, a hub lined with restaurants along the Nantang River, you’ll find food sellers touting everything from barbecued cuttlefish to deep-fried Dengzhan radish cakes. This is also the best location from which to view the annual Dragon Boat race.

Finesse your kicks and elbow blocks at Wenzhou Wushu Museum, the only museum in the country dedicated to ancient martial arts. Naturally, the museum displays centuries-old martial arts weapons. The building itself is also noteworthy: it’s housed in an old mansion featuring a large courtyard, which is now used as a practice ground where locals train.

The Nanji Islands are an antidote to busy city life, located under two hours by boat from Wenzhou. Consisting of 52 islands, the biggest draw is the main Nanji Island. With white sand beaches, blue waters and swaying coconut trees – the setting even enticed Soong Meiling (also known as Madame Chiang Kai-shek) to own a home here. Spend a weekend touring Sanpanwei Village and ancient temples, feasting on fresh seafood, and peeking at fish on a glass-bottomed boat.

Discover soaring pinnacles, mammoth caves, waterfalls, plus religious sites at the picturesque Yandang Mountains. Located 90 minutes from downtown Wenzhou, plan your route around this Unesco world geopark or you’ll easily get sidetracked. Aside from visiting cave temples and pagodas, see Spiritual Peak at sunset, the 190m Big Dragon Waterfall and Guanyin Temple, nestled in a crevice. Look out for the Spirit Crag acrobat, who frequently tightrope walks between two peaks.

What’s old is new again in the rural hills of Songyang County near Lishui city, two hours outside Wenzhou. The villages of Youtian and Pingtian have recently undergone a massive restoration and conservation overhaul, resulting in rustic, yet modern outposts. Book in at a stylish homestay, pop into a hipster café for a cuppa, head to former agricultural structures (now restaurants) for a meal and browse the hip galleries dotting the tea plantations.