Wuweihe

"Wuweihe" was established in the eighth year of Emperor Guangxu (A.D.1882) of the Qing Dynasty (A.D.1636-A.D.1912). At that time, Yang Zhengyu, a businessman from Cixi, Ningbo who came to Wenzhou for business, co-established the “Wuhe” glazed fruit store with his fellow-villager, Feng Bozhen. Mr. Feng was a friend of Mei Tiaoding, a celebrity in the late Qing Dynasty (A.D.1840-A.D.1912). So Feng asked Mei to write a recruitment notice for him. Mr. Mei pondered again and again, and added a "Wei" between "Wu" and "He", which meant the combination of sweet, sour, bitter, spicy and salty. It not only had a phonological harmony, but included the feature of the operation of the products. Its former address was in the west of Mantou Alley (present Gulou Street) in downtown with three storefronts.The store with a couplet "Glazed fruit, sea food and various medicated wines; Fruit, cans and sea & food from the north and south areas" at the both sides,and a shop sign named "Wuweihe" on the lintel of the door. (Moreover, a blue stone engraved with the three original characters "Wuweihe" by Mr. Mei was embedded into the nave of store, which displayed a boldness of vision). Also, in the 32nd year of Emperor Guangxu (A.D.1906) of the Qing Dynasty (A.D.1636-A.D.1912), Yang Zhiqin, son of Yang Zhengyu, succeeded his fathers' business and set up a new "Wuweihe" glazed fruit store in Wuma Street.

Since the establishment of "Wuweihe", it has paid great attention to the business characteristics. Moreover, it recruited famous experts to make glazed fruit, pickled goods, rock candies, cradles, besides purchasing well-known goods from North and South as Shanghai, Ningbo and Fujian. Meanwhile, it built a workshop behind the stores, to produce pastries, roasted seeds and nuts, medicated wines and so on. The produced glazed fruit is bright in color, rich in stuffing, moderately crispy in taste. The making of such difficult-to-produce products as the green plum and haw jelly uses superior technology and has resulted in a great reputation. The pickled goods including sashimi, shrimp paste, wine preserved crabs, Neptunea cumingi, pickled fish, sausages, preserved gizzards, ducks in soy sauce and the like are perfect in color, flavor and taste, which other counterparts cannot compare with. The most famous one is the delicious sashimi with five features, bright color, even strips, no paste, delicious taste and high storability. While, besides sashimi is sold in the Wenzhou local market,