At the Tongling Mountain National Forest Park, a wood-plank roadway leads to forested hillsides, deep gorges, rushing streams and dense bamboo groves.

Decades ago, Wenzhou was known as the "button capital of the world" because it turned out the bulk of fasteners used in clothing around the globe.

But when China began opening its doors to the outside world in the late 1970s, the city was quick to seize new opportunities. From the humble button, the Zhejiang Province coastal city grew into one of China's most high-profile centers of capitalism and entrepreneurship, new industries and vast personal wealth.

Though the city's reputation has suffered in recent years from corruption scandals, its commercial spirit has not been broken.

Wenzhou businesses are active in more than 50 countries, and local residents can be found across the globe doing what they do best — dealmaking.

But set aside the commerce, the stories of overnight millionaires, and the tales of fortunes made and lost. Wenzhou itself is a lovely place to visit, famed for its picturesque mountains and lush flora.

A four-hour bullet train from Shanghai takes you to the doorstep of this remarkable city, with famed natural attractions such as the Yandang Mountain, the Nanxi River, Tongling Mountain and the Baizhangji Waterfalls.

The mountainous terrain of the area heavily influenced the local language. According to linguists, Wenzhou people speak 23 dialects — sometimes so different that people living in the same city can't quite understand one another.

"When I was in high school, me, the students sitting next to me, in front of me and behind me all spoke different dialects," says local resident Cai Dongzhen. "We needed Mandarin to communicate."

The city is a melting pot of people, cultures and cuisines. Migrants from adjacent Fujian Province have come to seek their fortunes here. Soldiers have been sent to protect China's sea border. Sailors from ships carrying cargo in and out of the city walk the streets.

But our destination is to the west of urban Wenzhou, to the town of Wencheng. It is the home of tens of thousands of overseas Wenzhou businessmen, and, yes, it has its own unique dialect, too.

Its emerald green waters, blue skies and natural parklands offer a relaxing getaway from city noise and bustle. The most famous scenic spot here is the breathtaking Baizhangji Waterfalls. Bai means "hundred," zhang is a unit of length equivalent to 3.3 meters, and ji is an ancient word for "waterfall."

The area boasts three major waterfalls. The highest is called Yi Ji, at 207 meters. Another, called San Ji, is 80 meters wide. Between them is the 85-meter Er Ji waterfall, cascading into a deep aqua pond. Yi, er, san — one, two, three.

On flat wide stone steps, I walked about 10 minutes from the entrance of the Baizhangji Waterfalls Scenic Area to San Ji, the third one. As I approached, the air became cooler and the sound of rushing water louder. The sight of white water splashing into the quiet pond makes one want to jump in for a quick swim.