In August 2018 I was in desperate need of a short trip. Just a few days away from Ruian, the little Chinese city I lived in. By this point I’d already seen a large chunk of Zhejiang Province. Hence I found myself looking for something a bit different, not just another humdrum town with a familiar looking temple and a park.

Scanning my eyes over a map of the region, I caught sight of a nearby city called Jinhua. Having never heard of it, I decided to do some research in the faint hope that it would come up trumps. 

I quickly became fascinated by the prospect of two unique sights. Firstly, was Jinhua Architecture Park, created by the famed Chinese artist Ai Weiwei. This collection of weird and wonderful riverside structures now stands abandoned after its creator landed himself in hot water with the Chinese government.

The other was the highly quirky Ham Museum, a place which revealed, much to my surprise, that China was producing jamon long before the Spanish. And that it all began in Jinhua!

To find out more about my visit to Jinhua, have a dig through my travel articles on:

Camellia Culture Park

Jinhua Architecture Park Part I

Jinhua Architecture Park Part II

The Ham Museum