Rui'an

Rui'an (Chinese: 瑞安; pinyin: Ruì'ān) is a county-level city on the eastern coast of China, in city of Wenzhou in south of Zhejiang province. It has a population of 1,125,000 people and covers an area of 1271 km², 3037 km² including sea. Natives of the city speak the Rui'an dialect of Wu Chinese.

Rui'an was recognized as the fourteenth development zone by the state department in 1987. Rui'an is also one of the top 100 cities for economic growth in China, and the people in Ruian are comparatively well-to-do. In all, there 32 towns and villages under the administration of Rui'an city. In 1988, Ruian was listed by the State Council as one of the first counties and cities opening to the outside world, as well as one of the trial counties and cities for comprehensive economic reforms. In 2001 it won the titles of “Star County” and “Advanced County in Sports”.

History

Rui'an, also known as Meitou, has a history which goes back to about 2000 BC, when it became known for its machine production. The historic city began its trade and commerce in ancient times and saw busy streets and flourishing businesses. In the 2nd century BC it was called the Kingdom of Dong'ou. Under the Tang Dynasty, it was promoted to prefecture status and given its current name in 675 AD.