Ningbo (; Ningbonese: ''gnin² poq⁷'' ,

Standard Mandarin Standard Chinese ()—in linguistics Standard Northern Mandarin or Standard Beijing Mandarin, in common speech simply Mandarin, better qualified as Standard Mandarin, Modern Standard Mandarin or Standard Mandarin Chinese—is a modern standa ...

pronunciation: ), formerly romanized as Ningpo, is a major

sub-provincial city A sub-provincial division () in China is a prefecture-level city governed by a province promoted by half a level. Thus, it is half a level under the provincial level (hence the name sub-provincial) but half a level above the prefecture-level. ...

in northeast

Zhejiang Zhejiang ( or , ; , also romanized as Chekiang) is an eastern, coastal province of the People's Republic of China. Its capital and largest city is Hangzhou, and other notable cities include Ningbo and Wenzhou. Zhejiang is bordered by Ji ...

province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions out ...

People's Republic of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...

. It comprises 6 urban districts, 2 satellite county-level cities, and 2 rural counties, including several islands in

Hangzhou Bay Hangzhou Bay, or the Bay of Hangzhou (), is a funnel-shaped inlet of the East China Sea, bordered by the province of Zhejiang and the municipality of Shanghai, which lies north of the Bay. The Bay extends from the East China Sea to its head ...

and the

East China Sea The East China Sea is an arm of the Western Pacific Ocean, located directly offshore from East China. It covers an area of roughly . The sea’s northern extension between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula is the Yellow Sea, separated ...

. Ningbo is the southern economic center of the Yangtze Delta megalopolis, and is also the core city and center of the

Ningbo Metropolitan Area Ningbo metropolitan area consists of the following cities: * Ningbo (core city), * Zhoushan * Taizhou * Shaoxing: Shengzhou County, Xinchang County It is positioned as the leading region of the Yangtze River Economic Belt and the strategic fu ...

. To the north,

separates Ningbo from

Shanghai Shanghai (; , , Standard Chinese, Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four Direct-administered municipalities of China, direct-administered municipalities of the China, People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the ...

; to the east lies

Zhoushan Zhoushan , formerly romanized as Chusan, is an urbanized archipelago with the administrative status of a prefecture-level city in the eastern Chinese province of Zhejiang. It consists of an archipelago of islands at the southern mouth of ...

in the

; on the west and south, Ningbo borders

Shaoxing Shaoxing (; ) is a prefecture-level city on the southern shore of Hangzhou Bay in northeastern Zhejiang province, China. It was formerly known as Kuaiji and Shanyin and abbreviated in Chinese as (''Yuè'') from the area's former inhabitant ...

and Taizhou respectively. As of the 2020 Chinese National Census, the entire administrated area of Ningbo City had a population of 9.4 million (9,404,283), of which 4,479,635 lived in the built-up (or metro) area of its five urban districts. Within the next decade, the cities of Cixi, Yunhao and Fenghua will likely also be conurbated, expanding the Ningbo metro area to 8,140,660 inhabitants. Ningbo is one of the 15 sub-provincial cities in China, and is one of the 5 separate state-planning cities in China (the other four being

Dalian Dalian () is a major sub-provincial port city in Liaoning province, People's Republic of China, and is Liaoning's second largest city (after the provincial capital Shenyang) and the third-most populous city of Northeast China. Located on ...

Qingdao Qingdao (, also spelled Tsingtao; , Mandarin: ) is a major city in eastern Shandong Province. The city's name in Chinese characters literally means " azure island". Located on China's Yellow Sea coast, it is a major nodal city of the One Belt ...

Xiamen Xiamen ( , ; ), also known as Amoy (, from Hokkien pronunciation ), is a sub-provincial city in southeastern Fujian, People's Republic of China, beside the Taiwan Strait. It is divided into six districts: Huli, Siming, Jimei, Tong' ...

, and

Shenzhen Shenzhen (; ; ; ), also historically known as Sham Chun, is a major sub-provincial city and one of the special economic zones of China. The city is located on the east bank of the Pearl River estuary on the central coast of southern provi ...

), with the municipality possessing a separate state-planning status in many economic departments, rather than being governed by

Zhejiang Province Zhejiang ( or , ; , also romanized as Chekiang) is an eastern, coastal province of the People's Republic of China. Its capital and largest city is Hangzhou, and other notable cities include Ningbo and Wenzhou. Zhejiang is bordered by Jiang ...

. Therefore, Ningbo has provincial-level autonomy in making economic and financial policies. In 2020, the

GDP Gross domestic product (GDP) is a monetary measure of the market value of all the final goods and services produced and sold (not resold) in a specific time period by countries. Due to its complex and subjective nature this measure is ofte ...

of Ningbo was CNY 1240.87 billion (US$191.68 billion), and it was ranked 12th among 300 cities in China. Moreover, Ningbo is among the wealthiest cities in China; it ranked 8th in terms of average yearly disposable income in the year of 2020. As of 2020, Ningbo has global headquarters and registered offices of over 100 listed companies, and many regional business headquarters. In 2021, Ningbo featured the 7th most listed companies of all cities in China. Furthermore, Ningbo was among the top 10 Chinese cities in the Urban Business Environment Report released by the Chinese state media China Central Television (CCTV) in 2019. As a city with rich culture and a long history dating back to the Jingtou Mountain Culture in 6300 BC and the

Hemudu culture The Hemudu culture (5500 BC to 3300 BC) was a Neolithic culture that flourished just south of the Hangzhou Bay in Jiangnan in modern Yuyao, Zhejiang, China. The culture may be divided into early and late phases, before and after 4000 BC respec ...

in 4800 BC, Ningbo was awarded "City of Culture in East Asia" by the governments of China, Japan, and Korea in 2016. Ningbo is one of the top 200 cities in the world by scientific research as tracked by the

Nature Index The Nature Index is a database that tracks institutions and countries and their scientific output since its introduction in November, 2014. Each year, Nature Index ranks the leading institutions (which can be companies, universities, government agen ...

. The port of Ningbo–Zhoushan, spread across several locations, is the world's busiest port by cargo tonnage and world's third- busiest container port since 2010.

Etymology

The first character in the city's name ''ning'' ( or ) means "serene", while its second character ''bo'' () translates to "wave". The city is abbreviated "" () for the eponymous "Yong Hill" (), a prominent coastal hill near the city, and the Yong River that flows through Ningbo city. Ningbo was once named Mingzhou (). The first character () is composed of two parts, representing two lakes inside the city wall: the Sun Lake () and the Moon Lake (), dating back to the Tang Dynasty in 636 AD. The old Sun Lake dried up in the 19th century, but was re-built in 2002 by the Ningbo government as one of the city parks.

History

Ningbo is one of China's oldest cities, with a history dating to the Jingtou Mountain Culture in 6300 BC and

in 4800 BC. Ningbo was known as a trade city on the

silk road The Silk Road () was a network of Eurasian trade routes active from the second century BCE until the mid-15th century. Spanning over 6,400 kilometers (4,000 miles), it played a central role in facilitating economic, cultural, political, and rel ...

at least two thousand years ago, and later as a major port for foreign trade.

Ancient to Sui Dynasty

As of 2020, the earliest relics of human activity discovered in Ningbo City are from the Jingtou Mountain site in Yuyao. These relics date back to 6300 BC, evidencing early human consumption of seafood and rice. A large number of cultivated rice, farming tools, remains of dry fence buildings, remains of domestic livestock, and primitive religious items have been unearthed from related sites of the

(5000-4500 BC), evidencing human settlement and culture in the eastern part of the Ningshao Plain, where modern-day Ningbo city is located. Before the Han Dynasty, the area where Ningbo City is located today was sparsely populated. In the

Xia Dynasty The Xia dynasty () is the first dynasty in traditional Chinese historiography. According to tradition, the Xia dynasty was established by the legendary Yu the Great, after Shun, the last of the Five Emperors, gave the throne to him. In tradit ...

, the location of Ningbo was called "Yin". In the

Spring and Autumn Period The Spring and Autumn period was a period in Chinese history from approximately 770 to 476 BC (or according to some authorities until 403 BC) which corresponds roughly to the first half of the Eastern Zhou period. The period's name derives fr ...

, the area where Ningbo belonged was the Yue State. At that time, the Yue King Goujian built Juzhang City in the present-day Cicheng Town, which became the earliest city in Ningbo. In the latter half of the

Warring States The Warring States period () was an era in ancient Chinese history characterized by warfare, as well as bureaucratic and military reforms and consolidation. It followed the Spring and Autumn period and concluded with the Qin wars of conquest ...

period, the area of Ningbo became the jurisdiction of

Chu State Chu, or Ch'u in Wade–Giles romanization, (, Hanyu Pinyin: Chǔ, Old Chinese: ''*s-r̥aʔ'') was a Zhou dynasty vassal state. Their first ruler was King Wu of Chu in the early 8th century BCE. Chu was located in the south of the Zhou ...

. In 221 BC, Qin unified the six states and the Ningbo area was delegated to

Kuaiji Commandery Kuaiji Commandery (Chinese: t , s , p ''Kuàijī Jùn''), formerly romanized as K'uai-chi Commandery, was a former commandery of China in the area of Hangzhou Bay. When first established, its capital was at Wu (present- ...

, with 3 counties of Yin, Yin, and Juzhang (some studies assert there were 4 counties of Yin, Yin, Juzhang, and Yuyao). In the early years of the Western Han Dynasty,

belonged to the Kingdom of Jing and Wu. After the Seven Kingdoms was settled,

was restored. In 589 AD (Sui Kai Huang nine years), the counties were merged under the Wu kingdom.

Tang and Song dynasty

Since the

Tang dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an Zhou dynasty (690–705), interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dyn ...

, Ningbo has been an important commercial port. Arab traders lived in Ningbo during the

Song dynasty The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the res ...

when it was known as Mingzhou or Siming, since the ocean-going trade passages took precedence over land trade during this time. It was a well known center of ocean-going commerce with the foreign world. These merchants did not intermingle with native Chinese, instead practicing their own customs and religion and inhabiting ghettos. They did not try to proselytize Islam to the Chinese. There was also a large Jewish community in Ningbo, as evidenced by the fact that, after a major flood destroyed

Torah The Torah (; hbo, ''Tōrā'', "Instruction", "Teaching" or "Law") is the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, namely the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. In that sense, Torah means the ...

scrolls in

Kaifeng Kaifeng () is a prefecture-level city in east-central Henan province, China. It is one of the Eight Ancient Capitals of China, having been the capital eight times in history, and is best known for having been the Chinese capital during the Nort ...

in 1642, a replacement was sent to the

Kaifeng Jews The Kaifeng Jews ( zh, t=開封猶太族, p=Kāifēng Yóutàizú; he, יהדות קאיפנג ''Yahădūt Qāʾyfeng'') are members of a small community of descendants of Chinese Jews in Kaifeng, in the Henan province of China. In the early ...

by the

Jews Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

at Ningbo.

Ming dynasty

The city of Ningbo was known in Europe for a long time under the name of Liampó. This was the usual spelling used, e.g. in the standard Portuguese history,

João de Barros João de Barros () (1496 – 20 October 1570), called the ''Portuguese Livy'', is one of the first great Portuguese historians, most famous for his '' Décadas da Ásia'' ("Decades of Asia"), a history of the Portuguese in India, Asia, and southe ...

's ''Décadas da Ásia'', although Barros explained that Liampó was a Portuguese "corruption" of the more correct Nimpó.

, ''Décadas da Ásia''; 1st Decade, Book IX, Chapter VII. Lisbon, 1552 (e.g., pp. 336–337, in the 1988 reprint) The spelling Liampó is also attested to in the ''Peregrination'' (''Peregrinação'') by

Fernão Mendes Pinto Fernão Mendes Pinto (; c.1509 – 8 July 1583) was a Portuguese explorer and writer. His voyages are recorded in ''Pilgrimage'' ( pt, Peregrinação) (1614), his autobiographical memoir. The historical accuracy of the work is debatable due t ...

, a (so-called) autobiography written in Portuguese during the 16th century. For the mid-16th-century Portuguese, the nearby promontory, which they called the cape of Liampó after the nearby "illustrious city", was the easternmost known point of the mainland Asia. The Portuguese began trading in Ningbo around 1522. By 1542, the Portuguese had a sizable community in Ningbo (or, more likely, on nearby small islands such as

Shuangyu Shuangyu () was a port on Liuheng Island () off the coast of Zhejiang, China. During the 16th century, the port served as an illegal entrepôt of international trade, attracting traders from Japan, Southeast Asia, and Portugal in a time when priv ...

). Portuguese activities from their Ningbo base included pillaging and attacking multiple Chinese port cities around Ningbo for plunder and spoil. They also enslaved people during their raids. The Portuguese were ousted from the Ningbo area in 1548.

Qing dynasty

Ningbo was one of the five Chinese ''

treaty ports Treaty ports (; ja, 条約港) were the port cities in China and Japan that were opened to foreign trade mainly by the unequal treaties forced upon them by Western powers, as well as cities in Korea opened up similarly by the Japanese Empire. ...

'' opened by the

Treaty of Nanjing The Treaty of Nanjing was the peace treaty which ended the First Opium War (1839–1842) between Great Britain and the Qing dynasty of China on 29 August 1842. It was the first of what the Chinese later termed the Unequal Treaties. In the ...

(signed in 1842) at the end of the

First Opium War The First Opium War (), also known as the Opium War or the Anglo-Sino War was a series of military engagements fought between Britain and the Qing dynasty of China between 1839 and 1842. The immediate issue was the Chinese enforcement of the ...

between

Britain Britain most often refers to: * The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands * Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...

and China. During the war, British forces briefly took possession of the walled city of Ningbo after storming the fortified town of Zhenhai at the mouth of the Yong River on October 10, 1841. The British subsequently repulsed a Chinese attempt to retake the city in the

Battle of Ningpo The Battle of Ningpo was an unsuccessful Chinese attempt to recapture the British-occupied city of Ningbo (Ningpo) during the First Opium War. British forces had bloodlessly captured the city after their victory at Chinhai, and a Chinese force ...

on March 10, 1842. In 1861, the forces of the

Taiping Kingdom __NOTOC__ Taiping, Tai-p’ing, or Tai Ping most often refers to: Chinese history * Princess Taiping (died 713), Tang dynasty princess * Taiping Rebellion (1850–1864), civil war in southern China ** Taiping Heavenly Kingdom (1851–1864), the r ...

took the city relatively unopposed as the defending garrison and all Ningbo residents fled except for the

and

Persians The Persians are an Iranian ethnic group who comprise over half of the population of Iran. They share a common cultural system and are native speakers of the Persian language as well as of the languages that are closely related to Persian. ...

; they held the town for six months. In March 1885, during the

Sino-French War The Sino-French War (, french: Guerre franco-chinoise, vi, Chiến tranh Pháp-Thanh), also known as the Tonkin War and Tonquin War, was a limited conflict fought from August 1884 to April 1885. There was no declaration of war. The Chinese arm ...

, Admiral Courbet's naval squadron blockaded several Chinese warships in Zhenhai Bay and exchanged fire with the shore defenses. Ningbo was also once famed for traditional Chinese furniture production, and western encyclopedias described Ningbo as a center of craftsmanship and industry. During the 1800s, Ningbo authorities contracted Cantonese pirates to exterminate Portuguese pirates who had raided Canton shipping around Ningbo. The massacre was "successful", with 40 Portuguese dead and only 2 Cantonese dead. It was dubbed " The Ningpo Massacre" by an English correspondent, who noted that the Portuguese pirates had behaved savagely towards the Cantonese Chinese, and that the Portuguese authorities at Macau should have reined in the pirates. Map of Ningbo in 19th century

During the late Qing era, Western missionaries set up a Presbyterian Church in Ningbo. Li Veng-eing was a Reverend of the Ningpo Church. The Ningpo College was managed by Rev. Robert F. Fitch. The four trustees were natives of Ningbo, and three of them had Taotai rank. Rev. George Evans Moule, B.A., was appointed as a missionary to China by the Church of England Missionary Society, and arrived at Ningpo with Mrs. Moule in February 1858. His time was chiefly divided between Ningpo and another mission station he began at Hang-chow. He wrote Christian publications in the

Ningbo dialect The Ningbo dialect () is a dialect of Wu Chinese, one subdivision of Chinese language. Ningbo dialect is spoken throughout Ningbo and Zhoushan prefectures, in Zhejiang province. Intelligibility Ningbo dialect native speakers generally understan ...

Republican era

During WWII in 1940, between 80% to 90% of Ningbo's population fled Ningbo, leaving only the elderly behind before the Japanese bombed Ningbo with ceramic bombs full of

flea Flea, the common name for the order Siphonaptera, includes 2,500 species of small flightless insects that live as external parasites of mammals and birds. Fleas live by ingesting the blood of their hosts. Adult fleas grow to about long, ...

s carrying the

bubonic plague Bubonic plague is one of three types of plague caused by the plague bacterium ('' Yersinia pestis''). One to seven days after exposure to the bacteria, flu-like symptoms develop. These symptoms include fever, headaches, and vomiting, as wel ...

. According to Daniel Barenblatt, imperial planes loading germ bombs for bubonic dissemination over Ningbo was recorded on film in 1940. “It has been said of the Ningbo fishermen that, 'no people in the world apparently made so great an advance in the art of fishing; and for centuries past no people have made so little further progress.'”

Geography

Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Ningbo

Ningbo ranges in latitude from 28° 51' to 30° 33' N and in longitude from 120° 55' to 122° 16' E, bounded on the east by the

and

Zhoushan Archipelago Zhoushan , formerly romanized as Chusan, is an urbanized archipelago with the administrative status of a prefecture-level city in the eastern Chinese province of Zhejiang. It consists of an archipelago of islands at the southern mouth of H ...

; on the north by

, across which it faces

Jiaxing Jiaxing (), alternately romanized as Kashing, is a prefecture-level city in northern Zhejiang province, China. Lying on the Grand Canal of China, Jiaxing borders Hangzhou to the southwest, Huzhou to the west, Shanghai to the northeast, and the p ...

and

; on the west by

; and on the south by Taizhou. Its land area is , while its oceanic territory amounts to ; there is a total of coastline, including of mainland coastline and of island coastline that together accounting for one-third of the entire provincial coastline. There are 531 islands accounting for under the city's administration. Ningbo's city proper is sandwiched between the ocean and low-lying mountains to the southwest, with coastal plain and valleys in between. Important peninsulas include the Chuanshan Peninsula (), located in Beilun District and containing mainland Zhejiang's easternmost point, and the Xiangshan Peninsula () in Xiangshan County. The Siming Mountains () run north from

Mount Tiantai Tiantai Mountain (also Tí Taî in the local language) is a mountain in Tiantai County, Taizhou, Zhejiang Province, China. Its highest peak, Huading, reaches a height of . The mountain was made a national park on 1 August 1988. One of nine r ...

and within Ningbo City, traversing Yuyao City, Haishu District, and Fenghua District, and reaching a height of . Tidal flat ecosystems occur adjacent to the city, however, a large areas have been reclaimed for agricultural purposes.

Climate

Ningbo has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

( Köppen ''Cfa'') with four distinctive seasons, characterized by hot, humid summers and chilly, cloudy and dry winters (with occasional snow). The mean annual temperature is , with monthly daily averages ranging from in January to in July. Extremes since 1951 have ranged from on 12 January 1955 to on 8 August 2013. The city receives an average annual rainfall of and is affected by the plum rains of the Asian monsoon in June, when average relative humidity also peaks. From August to October, Ningbo experiences the effects of

typhoon A typhoon is a mature tropical cyclone that develops between 180° and 100°E in the Northern Hemisphere. This region is referred to as the Northwestern Pacific Basin, and is the most active tropical cyclone basin on Earth, accounting for a ...

s, and is affected by an average 1.8 storms annually, though the city is not often struck directly by these systems. A 2012 OECD study lists Ningbo among the top 20 cities worldwide most at risk of flooding due to anthropogenic climate change.

Administrative structure and divisions

Local officers of Ningbo * The Secretary of Party in Ningbo is Peng Jiaxue, who is first-in-charge of the city. * The Mayor of Ningbo is Qiu Dongyao, who is second-in command of the city, and the Vice Secretary of Party in Ningbo. Administrative divisions of Ningbo The sub-provincial city of Ningbo is as whole an urban group with one central group, one northern group, and one southern group. It has direct jurisdiction over the following: * Six

districts A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions ...

(central group): Haishu District, Yinzhou District, Jiangbei District, Beilun District, Zhenhai District, Fenghua District * Two

county-level cities A county-level municipality (), county-level city or county city, formerly known as prefecture-controlled city (1949–1970: ; 1970–1983: ), is a county-level administrative division of the People's Republic of China. County-level ...

(northern group): Yuyao, Cixi * Two

counties A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

(southern group): Xiangshan, Ninghai * Defunct:

Jiangdong District Jiangdong District () was a former district of the sub-provincial city of Ningbo in Zhejiang, China. Administrative divisions Subdistricts: *Baizhang Subdistrict (百丈街道), Baihe Subdistrict Baihe Subdistrict () is a subdistrict of Qidong ...

Economy

Ningbo is an important port city located south of

. The city's export industry dates back to the 7th century. Today, Ningbo is a major exporter of electrical products, textiles, food, and industrial tools. The city's private sector is especially well-developed, contributing 80 percent of total GDP in 2013."Investment Opportunities in Ningbo, China"
, ''China Briefing'', Shanghai, 16 May 2014. Historically, Ningbo was somewhat geographically isolated from other major cities. In 2007 the

Hangzhou Bay Bridge Hangzhou Bay Bridge () is a long highway bridge with two separate cable-stayed portions, built across the mouth of Hangzhou Bay in the eastern coastal region of China. It connects the municipalities of Jiaxing and Ningbo in Zhejiang province. C ...

was built, cutting highway transit time between Ningbo and Shanghai from four hours to two and a half. The city now serves as the economic center for the southern Yangtze River Delta and has been ranked among the most competitive cities in China. In 2009, Ningbo's economic activity reached US$60.8 billion, down 10.4% from 2008. The exports totaled US$38.65 billion, down 16.6% from the previous year. In addition, Ningbo imported US$22.16 billion of goods, up 3.1% from the previous year. Ningbo's economy grew 9.26% in 2013 to 712.89 billion yuan (US$115.12 billion). In 2009, the city's per capita output was US$10,833, about three times the national average. Ningbo is famous for the Si Lan Nong Xiang flower, which is used for dying cloth. In 2008, Ningbo's cloth exports were responsible for 3% of its economic growth.

Foreign investment

With several important development zones established in or around Ningbo, the city has received considerable foreign investment. Over 60 domestic and foreign-invested financial institutions have established operations in the city, which has also attracted more than 10,000 foreigners. The municipal government offers preferential policies designed to encourage investment in international trade, new strategic industries, manufacturing, information services, and creative industries.

Economic and technological development zones

Ningbo Economic & Technological Development Zone

Located in the north-east of Ningbo, behind Beilun Port, NETD is away from the city center. With more than 20 years of great effort, NETD has already formed the general framework for large scale construction and development, and established the perfect investment environment. It is situated close to the Ningbo Port and Ningbo Lishe International Airport. Major Investors include ExxonMobil, Dupont and Dow Chemical.

Ningbo Daxie Development Zone

The Ningbo Daxie Development Zone was approved in 1993 and covers an area of . Over more than ten years of development and construction, industrial and logistical foundations have been established in the zone for the transshipment of energy, liquid chemicals and containers.

Ningbo National Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone

Ningbo National Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone was founded in 1999 and was upgraded to a national level zone in January 2007. It is from Ningbo International Airport and away from Ningbo Port. The zone serves as the important technical innovation base of Yangtze River Delta. Industries encouraged include chemicals production and processing, biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, raw material processing, Research and Development.

Ningbo Free Trade Zone

Ningbo Free Trade Zone is one of the 15 free trade zones authorized by the State Council of China, and is the only free trade zone in Zhejiang Province. It was established by State Council in 1992, covering the area of . It lies in the middle of the coastline of Mainland China, at the south of Yangtze River Delta. In 2008, its industrial output value was RMB 53.33 billion and grew at 19.8% as compared to 2007.

Nordic Industrial Park

The Nordic Industrial Park Co. Ltd. (NIP) is one of the first wholly foreign-owned industrial parks in China located in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province. NIP is managed and operated by a Scandinavian management team.

Ningbo Advertising Park

The Ningbo Advertising Park is a national level pilot park located in the Ningbo Southern Business District. The financial incentives have attracted over 300 relevant firms to establish operations.

Ningbo Port

Unlike other cities, Ningbo has the same authority as provincial governments for economic administration and is the largest port in the world in terms of annual cargo throughput. In contrast to Shanghai, the port is deep-water and capable of handling 300,000 ton vessels. The port is located mainly in Beilun district and Zhenhai district. In 2006, Ningbo Port started its expansion towards the neighboring island city of

to build an even larger port with higher capacity to compete with neighboring ports in the region, such as

's Yangshan Deep-Water Port. Statistics in 2010 showed that total cargo throughput was 627,000,000 tonnes and container throughput 13,144,000 TEUs. In 2021, total cargo throughput was 1,224,050,000 tonnes, including 31,080,000 TEUs. Ningbo proper saw 623,400,000 tonnes and 29,370,000 TEUs, while Zhoushan saw 600,650,000 tonnes and 1,710 000,TEUs. Thus, with bulk container breakdowns, hugely improved logistics, and massive chemical and foodstuff, processing developments, Ningbo is outcompeting Shanghai for the preeminent Chinese east coast port. Ningbo is part of the

21st Century Maritime Silk Road The 21st Century Maritime Silk Road (Chinese: 21世纪海上丝绸之路), commonly just Maritime Silk Road (MSR), is the sea route part of the Belt and Road Initiative which is a Chinese strategic initiative to increase investment and foster coll ...

that runs from the Chinese coast to the south, via

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...

towards the southern tip of

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...

, via

Mombasa Mombasa ( ; ) is a coastal city in southeastern Kenya along the Indian Ocean. It was the first capital of the British East Africa, before Nairobi was elevated to capital city status. It now serves as the capital of Mombasa County. The town ...

to the Mediterranean, and from there via

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...

to the Upper Adriatic region to the northern Italian hub of

Trieste Trieste ( , ; sl, Trst ; german: Triest ) is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is the capital city, and largest city, of the autonomous region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, one of two autonomous regions which are not subdivided into prov ...

with its rail connections to Central and the

Eastern Europe Eastern Europe is a subregion of the European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic connotations. The vast majority of the region is covered by Russia, whic ...

Tourism

Due to its long history and economic prosperity, Ningbo is a city with very rich tourist resources. The following is a list of the main tourist attractions authorized by th
Ningbo Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism
in each subdivision of Ningbo city.

Main tourist attractions in 6 urban districts

Haishu District * Moon Lake Park (Yuehu Park): A

reservoir A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation. Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...

excavated in the Tang Dynasty (636 AD) at the center of Haishu District. The park includes the lake itself, some small islands on the lake, and many ancient Chinese architectures and historical sites, such as: ** Tianyi Pavilion (Tianyi Ge or Tianyi Chamber): One of Ningbo's most popular and famous tourist attractions. Built in 1516 AD, it is the oldest library existent in Asia and is one of the 3 oldest private libraries in the world. The collection dates back to the 11th century and includes woodblock and handwritten copies of the Confucian classics, rare local histories, and lists of the candidates successful in imperial examinations. The currently Tianyi Pavilion refers to the whole museum complex that includes: ***The historical library-related buildings ***The ancient Chinese mansion of the library's first owner, Fan Qing, built in Ming Dynasty (1516 AD) ***A traditional Chinese Garden as part of Fan's mansion ***An ancient private theater of Chinese plays as part of Fan's mansion ***A small Mahjong (麻将) museum, since Ningbo is regarded one of the birthplace of Mahjong **The

Yuehu Mosque The Yuehu Mosque () is a mosque in Haishu District, Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province, China. History The mosque was constructed in 1699 during the reign of Kangxi Emperor of Qing Dynasty. In July 2011, the mosque was listed as a historical monu ...

(Moon Lake Mosque): A historical monument built in 1003 AD in Song Dynasty. ** Buddhist Jushi Lin: A 700-year old Buddhist lodge located on the beautiful Liutingzhou (an island of the Moon Lake), the lake scenery, and cultural landscape of the area. ** Shuize Stele: A stone stele used to measure water level in Pingqiao River near the Moon Lake, built in 1242 AD during the

South Song Dynasty The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the rest ...

. A protective pavilion for the stele was built during the

Qing Dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-spea ...

. ** He Mijian Ci (贺秘监祠): A cultural relic protection built in honor of the Chinese poet

He Zhizhang He Zhizhang (, ca. 659–744), courtesy name Jizhen (季真), was a Chinese poet and scholar-official born in Yongxing, Yue Prefecture (越州永兴, present-day Xiaoshan, Zhejiang) during the Tang Dynasty. He entered the civil service after ...

(賀知章, 659 AD–744 AD) in Tang Dynasty. He called himself the "Siming Crazy Guest", where "Siming" is the name of a mountain in Ningbo. The building was completed in Song Dynasty (1144 AD) and repaired in Qing Dynasty (1865 AD). ** Ancient Korean Embassy: Built during the Northern Song dynasty to welcome the Korean envoys and business groups. Destroyed by war in 1130 AD, the site was announced as a cultural relics protection unit in 1984. It is now a showroom for the history of relations between Ningbo and Korea. ** Central Lake Temple, Central Lake East Bridge, Zhenming Ridge, and Xuanmiao Temple: A Ningbo-born novelist Qu You wrote a fiction called '' Peony Dengji'' (牡丹灯记, Janpanese: Botan Dōrō also known as 怪談牡丹灯籠 ''Tales of the Peony Lantern'' ) (in the collection of '' Jiandeng Xinhua''). It describes a love story between ghost and a man during Fang Guozhen period. The story took place at the Moon Lake. Japanese scholar Koyama Issei identified many of the locations, including Central Lake Temple, Central Lake East Bridge, Zhenming Ridge, and Xuanmiao temple, that would fit geographically and architecturally of the places mentioned in the story. The story was adapted as one of one of three

Kaidan is a Japanese word consisting of two kanji: 怪 (''kai'') meaning "strange, mysterious, rare, or bewitching apparition" and 談 (''dan'') meaning "talk" or "recited narrative". Overall meaning and usage In its broadest sense, ''kaidan'' refers ...

tales in Japan. * Drum Tower Complex (Haishu Tower): The only remaining ruin of an old city gate tower constructed during the Tang Dynasty. At the top, there is a six-meter high Romanesque bell tower added in the Republic period. Around the base of the tower is a commercial area where all the buildings are reconstructed in the traditional style. * Chenghuang Temple (Ningbo County Temple): An ancient temple of the City God at commercial center in downtown Ningbo. * Tianfeng Pagoda: This national cultural relics protection site is a typical Song-style loft-style brick-wood structure tower unique to Jiangnan. This hexagonal building is a landmark and the tallest ancient structure in the city. It appears as a seven-story tower with another seven stories underground, and is renowned for its long history, architectural value, and ancient artifacts. The tower was first built in 695AD in the Tang Dynasty (618 AD–907 AD). *

Tianyi Square Tianyi Square () was the biggest square in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, China designed by architect Qingyun Ma. Location It is located in the Ningbo city centre, Zhongshan Road, Haishu District, covering an area of . History It was completed in 200 ...

: Located in the bustling old downtown of Ningbo City with the nationwide famous shopping complex, named after the Tianyi Ge (Chamber), the oldest private library in Asia. * Nantang Old Street: An old commercial street by the river with many folk-custom shops, souvenir stores, and small restaurants. Previously, Nantang Street was a place for local fairs and flea markets. In 2013, the street was renovated to become a tourist site. *Liangzhu Cultural Park: A theme park dedicated to the story of the

Butterfly Lovers The Butterfly Lovers is a Chinese legend of a tragic love story of a pair of lovers, Liang Shanbo () and Zhu Yingtai (), whose names form the title of the story. The title is often abbreviated to Liang Zhu (). The story was selected as one o ...

, one of the four folklores in China. The Butterfly Lovers is reputed as the oriental version of ''Romeo and Juliet''. *Baiyun Manor: An ancient academy where Huang Zongxi (黄宗羲) gave lectures. Huang, whose style name is Taichong, was a distinguished thinker, writer, and historian of the late Ming and early Qing periods. * Tashan Weir: An ancient dam erected during the

Tang Dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdom ...

. *Ningbo Wulongtan Scenic Scenic Resort: Also called Five-dragon Pools Scenic Resort, it is one of the Ten New Sceneries in Ningbo, and a National AAAA rated scenic area. Yinzhou District *

Ningbo Museum The Ningbo Museum (), also known as the Yinzhou Museum () or the Ningbo Historic Museum (), is a museum in the city of Ningbo in Zhejiang Province, China. It is located in Yinzhou District and opened on December 5, 2008. The museum focuses on Ni ...

(Yinzhou Museum, or Ningbo Historic Museum): A museum focused on Ningbo area history and traditional customs, considered the masterwork of

Wang Shu Wang Shu (, born 4 November 1963)Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2012. * Romon U-Park: One of the largest urban indoor theme parks in the world. *Ningbo Eastern New Town: A newly developed area of Ningbo City, with a well-designed CBD (including two 400m skyscrapers and other headquarters of many listed company and government offices), several museums, galleries, and shopping centers, including: **Ningbo Urban Planning Exhibition Center **Ningbo Hankyu Commercial Complex: Opened in 2021, it is the first overseas outlet of Hankyu, the famous Japanese department store. **Ningbo New Library *Yinzhou Park and Ningbo Southern CBD *

Dongqian Lake Dongqian Lake () is a large freshwater lake in Yinzhou District, Ningbo in Zhejiang, China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by populati ...

: The largest natural freshwater lake in Zhejiang Province. The earliest historical record of the lake dates back to West Jin Dynasty, and there are several natural sceneries and historical attractions around the lake: **Little Putuo: An island on the lake with several temples built in

Song Dynasty The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the rest ...

by a prime minister called Shihao. **Yuefei Temple: A temple built in

in memory of Yuefei. **Taogong Island: The place where Fanli and Xishi once lived according to folklore. ** Southern Song Dynasty Rock Carving Park: won the "National Cultural Relics Conservation Best Project Award" awarded by the China National Architecture Research Association and the China Cultural Relics Conservation Foundation **Fuquan Mountain: a mountain with a Chinese tea theme park **Ningbo Hanling Old Street: an ancient street with a history thousands of years. It was once called Hanling City. The 'city' here means bazaar. * Qita Temple: A Zen Buddhist temple complex first consecrated during the Tang Dynasty in the downtown area of Ningbo city. * Tianhou Temple: A former temple of Mazu as the "Empress of Heaven" once used by Fujianese merchants as their guild hall (''Qing'an Huiguan''). In the 19th century, it was accounted by

S. Wells Williams Samuel Wells Williams (22 September 1812 – 16 February 1884) was a linguist, official, missionary and Sinologist from the United States in the early 19th century. Early life Williams was born in Utica, New York, son of William Williams (1787 ...

as the most beautiful place in Ningbo and by John Thomson as one of the most beautiful temples in China, but that structure was destroyed during the Chinese Civil War. It has been reconstructed with many of its original works of art, however, to form the East Zhejiang Maritime Affairs and Folk Customs Museum. *

Temple of King Ashoka Temple of King Ashoka () is a Buddhist temple located in Yinzhou District of Ningbo, Zhejiang, China. History Western Jin dynasty The temple was first established in 282 by monk Huida () from the Western Regions, under the Western Jin dynas ...

: a Buddhist temple first established in

Western Jin Dynasty Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US * Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that i ...

(282 AD). * Tiantong Temple: One of the "Five Chan Buddhism Temples". Tiantong Temple is the cradle of the Sōtō school (曹洞宗, ''Sōtō-shū'') of

Japanese Buddhism Buddhism has been practiced in Japan since about the 6th century CE. Japanese Buddhism () created many new Buddhist schools, and some schools are original to Japan and some are derived from Chinese Buddhist schools. Japanese Buddhism has had ...

. *Ningbo Ocean World: An aquarium with an ocean theater *Ningbo Youngor Zoo *Ningbo Sakura Park (Zhongxing Sakura Park): A sakura park built to commemorate the friendship city between Ningbo City and Nagaoka City, Japan Jiangbei District * Sanjiangkou: The place where the Yong River, Yaojiang River, and Fenghua River meet, and the heart of old Ningbo city where the borders of 3 urban districts of Ningbo city meet. The aforementioned districts are Haishu District, Yingzhou District, and Jiangbei District. *Old Bund (Old Waitan): A waterfront area and protected historical district in the center of Ningbo, built earlier than the Bund of Shanghai, with lots of early 19th century architectures, stores and restaurants. * Baoguo Temple: The oldest intact wooden structure in eastern China. It is in the first batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Sites in China. Currently, it is the Baoguo Temple Ancient Architecture Museum, and has become a teaching and research base for many top architectural universities.
Ningbo Museum of Art
*Ningbo Museum of Garden (宁波园林博物馆) * Sacred Heart Cathedral, Ningbo * Cicheng Ancient Town: A very well-maintained ancient Chinese ancient walled city built in the 8th century, including ancient-time schools, courts, temples, houses, commercial areas. In December 2009, the ancient buildings in Cicheng received the honorary award of the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards for Culture Heritage Conservation by UNESCO. *Yaojiang Park Zhenhai District * Jiulong Lake * Zhaobao Mountain
The Seventeen Houses of Zheng's
The seventeen Houses of Zheng exemplify the classical style of residences in the Ming and Qing Dynasty in the south part of Yangtze River Basin.
Ningbo Bang Museum and Culture Park
Displays exhibits related to the Ningbo Gang (Ningbo Merchants Group), and the development history of the business gang. It was one of the ten largest commercial groups during the

Ming The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last orthodox dynasty of China ruled by the Han peop ...

and Qing dynasties, and became the biggest commercial regional group of China in the late Qing dynasty. * Yugang Bao's Old House Beilun District *Port Museum of China Fenghua District * Xuedou Temple

Main tourist attractions in 2 counties

Xiangshan County * Yushan Islands * Nantian Island * Xiangshan Movie and Television Theme City Ninghai County * The Zhedong Grand Canyon * Nanxi Hot Spring * Qiantong Old Town

Main tourist attractions in 2 county-level cities

Yuyao City (County) * Hemudu Culture Relics Site and Museum: The relic site and museum of a

Neolithic The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several p ...

culture that flourished just south of

. The culture may be divided into early and late phases, before and after 4000 BC respectively. The site at Hemudu, 22 km northwest of Ningbo, was discovered in 1973. Hemudu sites were also discovered at Tianluoshan in Yuyao city, and on the islands of

. Hemudu are said to have differed physically from inhabitants of the Yellow River sites to the north. Some authors propose that the Hemudu Culture was a source of the

pre-Austronesian The Austronesian peoples, sometimes referred to as Austronesian-speaking peoples, are a large group of peoples in Taiwan, Maritime Southeast Asia, Micronesia, coastal New Guinea, Island Melanesia, Polynesia, and Madagascar that speak Austrone ...

cultures. Cixi City (County) *Dapeng Mountain

Notable people

Many well known Chinese came from Ningbo or have Ningbo as their

ancestral home An ancestral home is the place of origin of one's extended family, particularly the home owned and preserved by the same family for several generations. The term can refer to an individual house or estate, or to a broader geographic area such as a ...

. ;People in mainland China * Zhang Jianhong, freelance writer, playwright, poet, and democracy activist * Pan Tianshou, an artist in

Chinese painting Chinese painting () is one of the oldest continuous artistic traditions in the world. Painting in the traditional style is known today in Chinese as ''guó huà'' (), meaning "national painting" or "native painting", as opposed to Western style ...

* Zhou Xinfang, an artist in

Peking opera Peking opera, or Beijing opera (), is the most dominant form of Chinese opera, which combines music, vocal performance, mime, dance and acrobatics. It arose in Beijing in the mid-Qing dynasty (1644–1912) and became fully developed and recognize ...

Yu Lina Yu Lina ( zh, s=俞丽拿, p=Yú Lìná; born 1940 in Ningbo, China) is an esteemed and influential Chinese violinist pedagogue in China. In 1959, in Shanghai, she made her debut as violinist at the nationwide celebration of the 10th anniversary ...

, a violinist * Sha Menghai, a master

calligrapher Calligraphy (from el, link=y, καλλιγραφία) is a visual art related to writing. It is the design and execution of lettering with a pen, ink brush, or other writing instrument. Contemporary calligraphic practice can be defined as "t ...

* Pang Lijuan, an educator and politician *

Tu Youyou Tu Youyou (; born 30 December 1930) is a Chinese pharmaceutical chemist and malariologist. She discovered artemisinin (also known as , ) and dihydroartemisinin, used to treat malaria, a breakthrough in twentieth-century tropical medicine, sa ...

, a scientist awarded the

Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine is awarded yearly by the Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute for outstanding discoveries in physiology or medicine. The Nobel Prize is not a single prize, but five separate prizes that, accord ...

Sang Lan Sang Lan (; born 11 June 1981) is a former Chinese gymnast and television personality. She is currently a student and advocates for improved conditions for disabled people within China. Athletic career and injury Sang achieved excellence in gym ...

, an advocate for improved conditions for the disabled in China * Shi Xiaolin, a politician ;People in

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta i ...

Run Run Shaw Sir Run Run Shaw (19 November 1907 – 7 January 2014), also known as Shao Yifu and Siu Yat-fu, was a Hong Kong entertainment mogul and philanthropist. He was one of the most influential figures in the Asian entertainment industry. He founde ...

Tung Chee Hwa Tung Chee-hwa (; born 7 July 1937) is a Hong Kong businessman and politician who served as the first Chief Executive of Hong Kong between 1997 and 2005, upon the transfer of sovereignty on 1 July. He is currently a vice-chairman of the Chi ...

Tung Chao Yung Tung Chao-yung or C. Y. Tung (; 28 September 1912 – 15 April 1982), also known as Tung Hao-yun, ), was a Chinese shipping magnate, the founder of the Orient Overseas Line (now Orient Overseas Container Line or OOCL). He was the father of Tung ...

Chen Din Hwa Chen Din-hwa OBE (; 1923 – 17 June 2012), was a Hong Kong business magnate, industrial tycoon, billionaire and philanthropist. He was known as the "King of Cotton Yarn" in Hong Kong.Stephen Chow *

Sammo Hung Sammo Hung Kam-bo ( zh, t=洪金寶, j=Hung4 Gam1-bou2; born 7 January 1952) is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film producer and director, known for his work in martial arts films, Hong Kong action cinema, and as a fight choreographer for ...

Yue-Kong Pao Sir Yue-Kong Pao CBE JP (; 10 November 1918 — 23 September 1991), is the founder of Hong Kong's Worldwide Shipping Group which in the 20 years from purchasing its first used ship in 1955 became by far the largest shipping company in the w ...

;People in

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...

* Chiang Kai-shek, former President of the Republic of China, political and military leader of 20th century China *

Chiang Ching-kuo Chiang Ching-kuo (27 April 1910 – 13 January 1988) was a politician of the Republic of China after its retreat to Taiwan. The eldest and only biological son of former president Chiang Kai-shek, he held numerous posts in the government ...

, Chiang Kai-shek's son *

Morris Chang Morris Chang (; born 10 July 1931), is a Taiwanese-American businessman who built his career in the United States and subsequently in Taiwan. He is the founder, as well as former chairman and CEO, of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (T ...

;People overseas *

Shien Biau Woo Shien Biau Woo (born August 13, 1937) is a Chinese American professor and politician from Newark, Delaware. He was a member of the Democratic Party and served as the 21st lieutenant governor of Delaware. Early life and family Woo's ancestral h ...

Yo Yo Ma Yo-Yo Ma ('' Chinese'': 馬友友 ''Ma Yo Yo''; born October 7, 1955) is an American cellist. Born in Paris to Chinese parents and educated in New York City, he was a child prodigy, performing from the age of four and a half. He graduated from ...

* Kin Yamei

Transportation

Bridge

With three main rivers running through Ningbo, bridges are crucial for the efficiency of the transport network in Ningbo. The Ling Bridge, which connects Haishu district and Jiangdong District, is the earliest modern bridge built in Ningbo, designed by German engineers. Since the late 1980s, 16 bridges have been built on the three rivers. Currently, another 27 bridges are under construction. The

, a combination

cable-stayed bridge A cable-stayed bridge has one or more ''towers'' (or ''pylons''), from which cables support the bridge deck. A distinctive feature are the cables or stays, which run directly from the tower to the deck, normally forming a fan-like pattern ...

and causeway across Hangzhou Bay, opened to the public on May 1, 2008. This bridge connects the municipalities of

and Ningbo, and is considered the longest trans-oceanic bridge in the world. It is the world's second-longest bridge, after the

Lake Pontchartrain Causeway The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway (french: Chaussée du lac Pontchartrain), also known simply as The Causeway, is a fixed link composed of two parallel bridges crossing Lake Pontchartrain in southeastern Louisiana, United States. The longer of th ...

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...

, United States. The Jintang Bridge, a four-lane sea crossing bridge linking Jintang Island of Zhoushan and Zhenhai district, is a long opened on December 26, 2009. The

Xiangshan Harbor Bridge The Xiangshan Harbor Bridge is a large cable-stayed bridge in Ningbo. The bridge carries 6 lanes of traffic between Xiangshan County and Yinzhou District of Ningbo, Zhejiang. The bridge, which was opened in 2012, is one of the largest cable-st ...

opened to traffic on December 29, 2012, connecting Ningbo with Xiangshan. The long project includes as the main body of the bridge and a 8 kilometer-long tunnel.

Sea

The port of Ningbo is the world's busiest port. It was ranked number 1 in total Cargo Volume (1.22 billion tonnes in 2021) and number 3 in total container traffic (31.1 million TEUs in 2021) since 2019.

Air

Ningbo Lishe International Airport Ningbo Lishe International Airport is the principal airport serving Ningbo, a major city in the Yangtze River Delta region and the second largest city in Zhejiang Province, China. In 2013, the airport handled 5.4 million passengers, ranking ...

connects Ningbo by air to the rest of China, with regularly scheduled domestic and international flights. In 2009, new air routes between Ningbo and Taiwan were opened. Jetstar Asia launched a new route between Ningbo and Singapore in September 2011. Tiger Air planned to begin flying this route from 26 December 2013.

Railway

Three railway lines intersect in Ningbo: the

Xiaoshan–Ningbo Railway The Xiaoshan–Ningbo railway or Xiaoyong railway (), is a double-track railroad in eastern China between Hangzhou and Ningbo in Zhejiang Province. Its name in Chinese, the Xiaoyong Line, is named after the railway's two terminal stations, Xiaos ...

(Xiaoyong Line), which runs west to

Hangzhou Hangzhou ( or , ; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), also romanized as Hangchow, is the capital and most populous city of Zhejiang, China. It is located in the northwestern part of the province, sitting at the head of Hangzhou Bay, whi ...

; the Ningbo–Taizhou–Wenzhou (Yongtaiwen) Railway, which runs south to

Wenzhou Wenzhou (pronounced ; Wenzhounese: Yuziou �y33–11 tɕiɤu33–32 ), historically known as Wenchow is a prefecture-level city in southeastern Zhejiang province in the People's Republic of China. Wenzhou is located at the extreme south east o ...

; and the

Hangzhou–Ningbo High-Speed Railway The Hangzhou–Ningbo high-speed railway, or Hangyong high-speed railway () or Hang-Yong Passenger Dedicated Railway) is a China Railway High-speed line between the major cities of Hangzhou and Ningbo in Zhejiang province. It spans approxima ...

, which runs parallel to the Xiaoyong Line providing high-speed railway service. With the booming economy in the region, the Xiaoyong Railway, a conventional railway built in the 1950s, could not meet the demand for railway travel between Zhejiang's two largest cities, so construction of a new high-speed railway line between Hangzhou and Ningbo started in 2009. The new railway line was finished in 2013 and reduced travel time between Ningbo and Hangzhou to 50 minutes. The

Ningbo–Taizhou–Wenzhou Railway The Ningbo–Taizhou–Wenzhou railway or Yong-Tai-Wen railway () is a dual-track, electrified, high-speed rail line in Zhejiang Province, China. It is named after the three prefecture-level cities along route: Ningbo, whose abbreviated Chinese ...

is a high-speed railway that opened in September 2009. It connects Ningbo with cities along the coast to the south to

Fujian Fujian (; alternately romanized as Fukien or Hokkien) is a province on the southeastern coast of China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its capi ...

Province. High-speed trains on this line operate at speeds of up to . Ningbo re-opened the

Ningbo railway station Ningbo railway station () is a railway station on the Xiaoshan–Ningbo railway, Ningbo–Taizhou–Wenzhou railway and Hangzhou–Ningbo high-speed railway located in Haishu District, Ningbo, Zhejiang Zhejiang ( or , ; , also romanized ...

after three years of construction on December 28, 2013. With a construction area of more than 120,000 m2, it is one of the largest railway stations in China.

Expressway

Seven expressways connect Ningbo with its surrounding cities: * The Hangyong expressway, built in the 1990s, connects Hangzhou and Ningbo, and is now part of Hangzhou Bay ring expressway (G9211). * The Yongtaiwen expressway (G15), opened in 2000, connects Ningbo with Taizhou and Wenzhou. * The Yongjin expressway (G1512) connects Ningbo and Jinhua. * The Huyong expressway (G15) connects Ningbo and Shanghai via the Hangzhou Bay bridge. * The Yongzhou expressway (G9211) via

Jintang Bridge Jintang Bridge () is a highway bridge with a cable-stayed bridge portion, built in Zhejiang, China on the Zhoushan Archipelago, the largest offshore island group in China. It is the longest bridge in Zhoushan Trans-oceanic Bridges with a length o ...

. * The G1501 Ningbo Ring Expressway * The G15W2 Ningbo–Dongguan Expressway Ningbo Rail Transit Plan (2027) zh-hans

Rapid rail transit and subway

Ningbo has multiple metro lines in service, under construction, and under authorized planning: Since the Metro lines above mainly serve the 6 urban districts of Ningbo, the Ningbo government announced several future plans to built further rapid transit to connect the 6 urban districts with the county-level cities and counties. Train leaving Xujiacao Changle Station, 2014-07-06

Train leaving Xujiacao Changle Station, 2014-07-06

Military

Ningbo serves as the headquarters of the

East Sea Fleet The Eastern Theater Command Navy (), or East Sea Fleet (ESF; ), is one of the three fleets of the People's Liberation Army Navy, operating in the East China Sea under the Eastern Theater Command. It was the first naval force formed by the Peopl ...

of the Chinese

People's Liberation Army Navy The People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN; ), also known as the People's Navy, Chinese Navy, or PLA Navy, is the maritime service branch of the People's Liberation Army. The PLAN traces its lineage to naval units fighting during the Chinese ...

Culture

As a city with giant ports, Ningbo influenced many countries near China, such as Japan.

Language

Ningbo speech is a dialect of

Wu Chinese The Wu languages (; Romanization of Wu Chinese, Wu romanization and Romanization of Wu Chinese#IPA, IPA: ''wu6 gniu6'' [] (Shanghainese), ''ng2 gniu6'' [] (Suzhounese), Mandarin pinyin and IPA: ''Wúyǔ'' []) is a major group of Sinitic languag ...

that has preserved many aspects of ancient Chinese phonology. Its original wording mode can be found in classical reference books. After the

unequal treaty Unequal treaty is the name given by the Chinese to a series of treaties signed during the 19th and early 20th centuries, between China (mostly referring to the Qing dynasty) and various Western powers (specifically the British Empire, France, the ...

port opening, western culture gradually permeated Ningbo. Thus, the prefix " yang", meaning ocean or Western, before the nouns of imported goods is a special language phenomenon of Ningbo dialect.

Food

Ningbo is known for Ningbo Tangyuan, small stuffed buns which are boiled. The stuffing is usually ground sesame mixed with sugar or pork fat. The stuffing is then wrapped with sticky rice powder. Ningbo is even more well known throughout China for its seafood. Seafood markets are abundant, carrying countless varieties of fish, shellfish, snails, jellyfish and other invertebrates, and sea vegetables in all stages of preparation from "still swimming," to cleaned and ready to cook, to fully cooked.

Festivals

While the

Mid-Autumn Festival The Mid-Autumn Festival (Chinese: / ), also known as the Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival, is a traditional festival celebrated in Chinese culture. Similar holidays are celebrated in Japan (), Korea (), Vietnam (), and other countries in Eas ...

is usually celebrated on August 15th of the Lunar Calendar, Ningbo celebrates the festival a day later on the 16th. The most creditable history for this is that long ago, the whole city waited for Shih Hao, a

Southern Sung The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the rest ...

prime minister, to celebrate the festival.

Education

At the end of 2020, there were 1,896 schools of all levels and types in the city, with a total of 1,418,000 students. Among them, there are 15 colleges and universities in Ningbo with 177,000 full-time students; 86 regular high schools with 93,000 students; 35 vocational schools with 69,000 students; 230 junior high schools with 21.7 (should this be 217,000 students? It is not 21.7 people) students; and 427 primary schools with 517,000 students. There were also 838 full-time private primary and secondary schools (including kindergartens) in the city, with 258,000 students, accounting for 21.7% of the city's full-time primary and secondary school students. In the

compulsory education Compulsory education refers to a period of education that is required of all people and is imposed by the government. This education may take place at a registered school or at other places. Compulsory school attendance or compulsory schooling ...

section, there were 288,000 children of migrant workers who went to schools in Ningbo. Ningbo is one of the top 200 cities in the world by scientific research as tracked by the

. In the whole year of 2020, the city attracted 1,372 more workers with doctoral degrees, for a total of 9,265; 67,000 highly skilled talents, for a total of 551,000; 35 post-doctoral research stations, for a total of 224; and 166,000 graduates, a year-on-year increase of 20.5%. There are 10 offices, totaling 100. Throughout the year, 327,000 skilled personnel were trained in the city.

Higher-Educational institutions

Ningbo has 15 universities and colleges as of May 2021, as well as many research institutions that offer graduate degree programs. The following is a list of current universities and colleges in Ningbo. As of 2020, many famous universities and research institutions have an operating campus or institutes in Ningbo, most of them offering graduate degree programs. Compared to the other 14 sub-provincial cities in China, Ningbo has the fewest higher-educational institutions.

Secondary and primary education

Compulsory education is from the ages 6 to 15. Students are catered to in a variety of state and private schools. Studying for the

Gaokao The National College Entrance Examination (NCEE), commonly known as the gaokao (), is a standardized college entrance exam held annually in mainland China. It is required for entrance into almost all higher education institutions at the und ...

(高考), a cumulative test taken at the end of high school, is optional. At the end of 2020, there were 86 regular high schools with 93,000 students in Ningbo; 35 vocational schools with 69,000 students; 230 junior high schools with 21.7 students; and 427 primary schools with 517,000 students. There were also 838 full-time private primary and secondary schools (including kindergartens) in the city, with 258,000 students, accounting for 21.7% of the city's full-time primary and secondary school students. In the

section, there were 288,000 children of migrant workers who went to schools in Ningbo.

International education

Several schools are permitted to operate foreign educational programs as an alternative to the Chinese National curriculum and to accept international students.

Access International Academy Ningbo Access International Academy Ningbo (AIAN, ) is an international school in the Beilun District of Ningbo, China offering educational programs from Nursery to Grade 12 to students of 28 nationalities. AIAN is the only international school in Ningb ...

(AIAN) and

Ningbo Zhicheng School International Ningbo Zhicheng School International (NZSI) was established in 2010 by Chen Hui and is a part of the Ningbo Zhicheng School (宁波至诚学校), a Chinese private domestic boarding school established in 1996. From 2012 to 2014, NZSI was author ...

(NZSI) both offer the American AERO (American Education Reaches Out) curriculum with the

College Board The College Board is an American nonprofit organization that was formed in December 1899 as the College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB) to expand access to higher education. While the College Board is not an association of colleges, it runs a ...

Advanced Placement Advanced Placement (AP) is a program in the United States and Canada created by the College Board which offers college-level curricula and examinations to high school students. American colleges and universities may grant placement and course ...

examinations
Ningbo International School
(NBIS) delivers the Cambridge International Primary and Secondary Curricula leading to iGCSE Examinations and A-Levels. Huamao Multicultural Education Academy is an

IB World School The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) is a two-year educational programme primarily aimed at 16-to-19-year-olds in 140 countries around the world. The programme provides an internationally accepted qualification for entry into ...

and offers an international curriculum through the IB Primary Years Program for students ages 3–12 and the IB Diploma Program for students ages 16–19.

Twin towns – sister cities

Ningbo is twinned with:

References

External links

* * {{Authority control Prefecture-level divisions of Zhejiang

Ningbo Ningbo (; Ningbonese: ''gnin² poq⁷'' , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), formerly romanized as Ningpo, is a major sub-provincial city in northeast Zhejiang province, People's Republic of China. It comprises 6 urban districts, 2 sate ...

National Forest Cities in China Jiangnan