Historic Evolution

Ningbo has enjoyed a history of over 7,000 years. The Neolithic Hemudu Culture Ruins show that Ningbo is one of the birthplaces of rice planting on the earth. Ningbo was called “Yin” in the Xia Dynasty (before 2000 B.C.), was within the boundary of the state of Yue during the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 B.C.), including three counties of Yin, Mao and Gouzhang under the jurisdiction of Kuaiji Prefecture in the Qin Dynasty (221-206 B.C.), and called Mingzhou in the Tang Dynasty (618-907A.D.). In the year of 821, the prefecture seat of Mingzhou was moved to the "three-river-junction" and set up an inner city, which marked the foundation of the city. In the year of 1381, the city got the present name—Ningbo, which means “calm wave”.

Districts & Popularity

Under Ningbo’s jurisdiction, there are six urban districts of Haishu, Jiangdong, Jiangbei, Zhenhai, Beilun and Yinzhou, three county-level cities of Yuyao, Cixi and Fenghua, and two counties of Xiangshan and Ninghai. Ningbo covers a total area of 9,816 km2, with a population of 5.604 million. And the urban districts cover 2,462 km2, with 2.158 million people.

Climate Conditions

Ningbo offers a subtropical monsoon climate, featuring mild temperatures, moderate humidity and distinct seasons. The annual average temperature is 16.4°C, with hottest month, July (28°C in average) and the coldest one, January(4.7°C in average). No-frost season lasts 230-240 days a year. The annual average precipitation is around 1,400mm, of which the precipitation in the months from May to September accounts for 60%.

Culture

The cultural undertakings in Ningbo are booming. The construction of cultural infrastructure is improving steadily. A number of cultural facilities, such as grand theaters, concert halls, and museums, have been set up. The Ningbo Museum is now under construction. Literary and art creation has made an important breakthrough, as is reflected by works such as the famous Ningbo Opera Dian Qi, and Yue Opera King Ashoka. 300 art performances are held at least every year in Ningbo. Public cultural activities are numerous, ranging from net cafes, audio & visual products to publication. The number of cultural industries increases 20% every year, becoming a highlight in the overall economic growth of Ningbo. There are 22 national culture protection units, 34 provincial units, 240 municipal and county units, and 67 museums, memorial halls and exhibition halls. Ninghai Pingdiao, Fenghua Cloth Dragon, Zhujin Wood Carving, and Legend of Liangzhu were listed as national intangible cultural heritage projects. The Sea Silk Road of Ningbo and Shanglinhu Porcelain Kiln Remains of Yue are on the national preparative list and waiting to apply for the world cultural heritage status.

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Places of Interest & Cultural Heritage

Ningbo is famous for its natural scenery, historic and cultural heritage. As one of the first batch of the China Tourism Cities, it boasts 22 state-level cultural heritage units among the 255 protected historic and cultural sites including the Neolithic Hemudu Culture ruins dating back 7,000 years; Tianyi Library, the oldest private library in China; Baoguo Temple, the oldest wooden structure in Southern Yangtze River, Shanglinhu Porcelain Kiln Remains of Yue; Tuoshanyan Water Conservancy Project; Remains of the Zhenhai Coastal Defense and Chiang Kaishek's Former Residence in Xikou, Fenghua. Besides, there are Tiantong Temple, the second of China's top 5 temples of Zen Sect of Buddhism, King Asoka Temple noted for the preservation of one parietal bone of Sakyamuni, and Xuedou Temple. Xikou Scenery Area, Tengtou Ecological Tourism Area, Tianyi Museum and Songlan Mount Seashore for Tourism& Holidays, Younger Zoo, Jade World Resort, Siming Mountain Scenery Area, Fishing Village of China and Five-Dragon Pool Scenery Area are national 4-A scenery sites. There are also a number of industrial and agricultural tourist spots at state level, such as Ningbo Tengtou, Geely Auto Manufactory, Ningbo Dahongying Cigarette and Tiangong Fazenda. There are 176 travel agencies and over 204 star hotels. In 2006, the city hosted 542,000 overseas tourists, with an increase of 23.6% from 2005, and generated US$340 million, increased from the previous year by 35.6%. The year 2006 saw 26.85 million domestic tourists with an increase of 14.2 % from 2005. The tourism of Ningbo in 2006 earned ¥28.96 billion and increased from 2005 by 21.5%. The total tourism revenue in 2006 was ¥31.6 billion.

Baoguo Temple

It is now the oldest and best preserved wooden Buddhist temple in the Southern Yangtze River. Built in the East Han Dynasty (A.D. 25—220), it was originally named Lingshan Temple and was rebuilt through the effort of Emperor Xizong of the Tang Dynasty after it was destroyed, and was renamed Baoguo Temple, according to the plaque of Baoguo (meaning defending the country), presented by the emperor. The present palace was rebuilt in 1013 and is undoubtedly an architectural wonder because not a single nail can be found in the building and the whole thing is miraculously devoid of bird nests, insects, spiders and dust.

Tianyi Library

It is the oldest private library existing in China. Retractable records show it was built about between 1561 and 1566. Tianyi Pavilion was named after a sentence from Yi Jing, meaning that fire can be controlled here in hopes of preserving the library forever. In 1772, following the construction and managing system of Tianyi Pavilion, the government of the Qing Dynasty built seven other pavilions, two of which are named Wenyuan and Wenlan, to preserve Si Ku Quan Shu. Over 300,000 volumes of books, among which there are 80,000 volumes of rare editions, are preserved in the library.

The Neolithic Hemudu Culture Ruins

It is one of the most important cultural relics of the Neolithic Age in China, proving that the Yangtze River was not only the birthplace of the Chinese culture, but also the place first cultivated for rice growing on the earth. The ruins cover a total area of 4,000 km2, with 4 meter-depth of culture sediments. Over 7000 relics ranging from bones, stones, wood, pottery, rice and wooden building have been unearthed, which provides rich data for research into agriculture, textile, art and the origin of the Eastern Civilization.

Shanglinhu Porcelain Kiln Remains of Yue

This is the birthplace of Chinese porcelain kiln of Yue and is listed as one of the applicants for the world cultural heritage status in February, 2006. There are more than 120 ancient kilns built thousand years ago, making the whole place look like a porcelain museum with pieces of porcelains piling up and scattered everywhere.

Tuoshanyan Dam Project

With a history of over 1,000 years, it is praised as one of the Four Greatest Irrigation Projects in ancient China, along with Zhenguoqu, Lingqu, and Dujiangyan. Tuoshanyan has a total length of 134.4 meters and a width of 4.8 meters, and was built with stone bricks of 0.2-0.35 meter width. It is rated as an irrigation and flood-control miracle in the water in the world.

Remains of Zhenhai Coastal Defense

Situated by the East China Sea and at the entrance of the Yongjiang River, the relics are the most important defense gateway and military fort used for coastal defense in Zhejiang.

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Chiang Kaishek's Former Residence

Located in Xikou, Fenghua, the complex is an important heritage in contemporary Chinese architecture and witnessed the ups and downs of Chiang Kais-hek and Chiang Jingguo and some major historical events in Chinese history.

Qing'an Guild Hall

Covering an area of 5,000 square meters, it is one of the eight most well-known Tianhou Palaces existing in the country and an important base for studying the Chinese Mazu Culture. It’s called “The First Build Hall in Southern China”. The house adopts traditional Chinese construction style, with all the gates, pavilions, stages and living rooms laid out symmetrically.

The Miaogouhou and Hengsheng Stone Memorial Arch-ways

Sitting on hillside and made with Meiyuan Stone and Yi’ao Stone, two unique local stone materials, they are the oldest existing stone archways ever found in China and are of an magnificent and ingenious style.

The Dongqian Lake Carved Stones

These stones on tomb passages are the remains of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279). The site has the largest number of tomb stone carvings made with the most exquisite carving skills of the time, and provides valuable materials for the study of the painting art, archeology and sculpture of the Southern Song Dynasty.

The Old Residence of Mr. Yu

A construction model combining Chinese traditional style with the western style, the complex is the former residence of Yu Qiaqing, an important figure in the financial history in contemporary China and a representative of the famous Ningbo financial businessmen.

Yongfeng Warehouse

With a total excavated area of 9,600 square meters, this is the warehouse of the Qingyuan Yamun in the Yuan Dynasty, and was the first one of its kind found in China. About 800 chinaware artifacts made in the southern and middle districts of China during the Song and Yuan dynasties have been excavated from the site - a compelling evidence that Ningbo once played a pivotal role in transportation and foreign trade.

Qianyie Hall (Money Shop)

Established by the banking investors in 1864 and adopting both eastern and western style, Qianye Hall is the only one of its kind that survived hundred years of history, providing people of today a best example of the “money shops” in ancient times. Qianye Hall occupies an area of about 1,500 square meters and was the financial transaction center of Ningbo for a long period of time. The famous “posting” accounting was initiated by Qianye in the Qing Dynasty and had great impact on the financial business at the time.

The Jiangbei Catholic Church

Built in 1872 and covering 4846.4 square meters, this is the best reserved church in Zhejiang and is of the highest level in the province. Adopting a noticeable Gothic style and combining some traditional Chinese architectural elements, the church is a good example showing integration of the Eastern and Western architectural art. The bell tower of the church is dubbed “the First Bell Tower of Zhejiang”.

East Zhejiang School Relics

The relics of this school are scattered in the downtown areas of Ningbo, Yuyao and Fenghua, and some other places such as Bai yunzhuang, the graves of Huang Zongxi, Wan Sitong, and Quan Zuwang. East Zhejiang School, emphasizing studies of all historical materials and practical use of academic foundings was one of the most brilliant regional academic schools in the history of China. The school was founded by Huang Zongxi, and Baiyun zhuang was the place, where Huang Zongxi preached the doctrines of the school for the longest period of time and trained the “18 Most Accomplished Disciples”, making the school widespread not only in Eastern Zhejiang but also in other places in China and even abroad.

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The Twin Towers of the Tianning Temple

Built in A.D.851, it is the only living example of the twin-tower construction style in the Tang Dynasty. Vestiges of the East Tower can only be found in its base. The five-storey West Tower, with a height of 12m, is a well-preserved art piece.

Asoka Temple

Built in A.D.282, or the third year of Taikang in the Western Jin Dynasty, the temple is the only one in China that is named by King Asoka, and houses a dagoba. Asoka Temple has a magnificent scale with a simple structure, and has 600 halls, rooms, and pavilions, including the main hall, the Buddhist sarira hall, the Great Mercy Pavilion, a hall for preaching Buddhist doctrines, the abbot’s hall, and the Chenkui Pavilion, the Cheng’en Hall. The temple also houses well-preserved steles inscribed by masters.

Tiantong Temple

Reputed as one of the five greatest Zen temples in the world, the temple was first built by a monk called Yi Xing in the first year of Emperor Yongkang in the West Jin Dynasty. It is not only an important place for the Linjizong cult, but also the origin of Caodongzong cult, a main branch of the Buddhism in Japan. Perched at the foot of hills, the temple covers an area of 76,400 square meters and has a lot of well-preserved steles of precious writing left by Emperor Shunzhi, Kangxi and Yongzheng in the Qing Dynasty.

Cicheng Ancient Building Complex

The complex is one of the few well-preserved counties that are of great archaeological value in Southern China. The Confucius Temple in the complex is the best-preserved temple of its kind in eastern Zhejiang Province. The house of the noble families in the Ming Dynasty, doors decorated with the Chinese character “Fu” (福), Former Residence of Feng built in the Qing Dynasty, are the best examples representing the construction style at the time, showing excellent workmanship and a generous use of choice materials. The colored pattern drawing of the Former Residence of Fengyue is of important value in the study of the history of Southern China colored drawing art once prevalent in the Song Dynasty.

Ninghai Folk Theatrical Stage

Ten stages with caisson ceiling of ancestral temple, chosen from more than 120 ones in Ninghai, were built during the years from Emperor Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty to the Republic Period of China, reflecting the historical and cultural elements at the time. The perfect structure of caisson ceiling which integrates aesthetics conception, carving and colored drawing, reflects the perfect craftsmanship of the local handicraftsman and the unique custom of Ninghai.

Former Residence of Wang Shouren

Ningbo was the birthplace of Wang Shouren, a famous philosopher, politician, educator and representative of Perspective of Poetry Studies in the Song Dynasty. Covering an area of more than 4,600m2, the building is of a simple construction style. Wang Shouren was born in Rui Yun Pavilion, in 1872, and grew up here. He came back to the residence many times after he became an academic celebrity. His The Study of Heart and Mind plays an important role in the study of the Chinese philosophy. Wang was the author of many classics, among which the Wang Yangming Collection can still be found.

Site of Anti-Japanese Revolutionary Base In Eastern Zhejiang Province

The site includes historic sites in the communist revolution, like Site of Eastern Zhejiang CPC Committee, Site of New Fourth Army Guerrilla Column of Eastern Zhejiang, Site of People’s Congress of Eastern Zhejiang, Branch School Luxun College, etc., is the base for National Patriotism Education, and was listed on Classic Tourism Sites of the Historic Sites in the Communist Revolution.

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