The Wenzhou Museum on Shifu Road is the city's principal civic collection, covering the full sweep of local history from prehistoric settlements through the development of the Wenzhou model of private enterprise in the 1980s. The collection is strong on Wenzhou's distinctive celadon ceramics (the city was an important kilning centre during the Song and Yuan dynasties), and includes exhibits on the local script — Wenzhounese is so divergent from Mandarin that it was used as a code language by Chinese-American soldiers during the Korean War.
The museum building is a handsome modern structure with air-conditioning that makes it a welcome refuge on hot summer days. The displays are in Chinese with some English translation. Allow two hours for the permanent collection; the museum also stages rotating temporary exhibitions on local culture and history.