Ningbo

Understand

thumb|Ningbo Drum Tower

Ningbo lies on the south edge of the populous Yangtze Delta region and faces the East China Sea to the east. It has two main mountains within the prefecture boundaries, Siming Mountain and Tiantai Mountain. The Yuyao, Fenghua and Yongjiang rivers flow through the city area.

Nearby Mount Putuo is an island with a major Buddhist temple on it that has been declared a national park and attracts both pilgrims and tourists.

The people of Ningbo have throughout their history had a deep affinity for the ocean. Two thousand years ago, Xu Fu, a necromancer of the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BCE), led a fleet from here, thus becoming the first to commence China's exchanges with other countries. In the early 20th century "Hong-band" tailors from Ningbo traveled extensively throughout China making their living.

Portuguese sailors reached the Ningbo area in the first half of the 16th century. For a while, the city was the easternmost point of Asia known to Europeans. Portuguese attempts to establish a trading colony in the area failed, after which they turned their attention to Macau.

After the Opium Wars in the 19th century, China was forced to open five Treaty Ports for foreign trade, including Ningbo. The others were Guangzhou, Xiamen, Fuzhou and Shanghai. As in all the other Treaty Ports, this brought a boom in Ningbo.

The Hangzhou Bay Bridge, completed in 2007 to link the municipalities of Ningbo and Shanghai, has increased foreign investment and economic integr…

Get around

Ningbo is so much bigger than the small downtown area, staying downtown can fill a few days but it's just like any major city. To really see some jaw dropping parts of Ningbo, you have to adventure into the outer districts. There are breathtaking mountain ranges steeped in a deep and meaningful history that has been relatively undisturbed.

thumb|Ningbo Metro Map Metro: Like many Chinese cities, Ningbo is rapidly expanding its Metro system. Line with 29 stations opened in early 2014. Line with 27 stations opened in 2015. Line with 15 stations opened in mid 2019. Lines with 25 stations opened in 2020, and with 22 stations opened in 2021. Taxis are ¥10 for the first 3 km plus ¥2 fuel tax. Buses are ¥1 (¥2 with air conditioning). Rental cars: Are available at Ningbo Lishe International Airport. Motor bikes: Although Downtown Ningbo does not permit motorbikes a bike can be rented outside of downtown and can make an enjoyable way of reaching the outer districts.