Ningbo, often outshone by northwestern neighbor Hangzhou, is one Zhejiang Province coastal city subject to frequent overlooking by tourists from both China and abroad—despite its cultural heritage and abundant natural beauty. As far as attractions go, there's not much to keep the average tourist busy for more than a day or two, but if getting back to nature and escaping the crowds is on your mind, you might want to stay a little longer. Check the attractions page for more information on Ningbo's nature areas.

Like it's neighbor to the north, Shanghai, Ningbo has experienced periods of rapid growth brought about by trade with the outside world over the centuries. Unfortunately for the locals, in the early 20th century, Shanghai attracted much of region's inbound business and many traders and merchants moved to where the money was, leaving Ningbo far from reaching its full potential. Ningbo later made a recovery and now enjoys a booming economy centered around the textile and food processing industries and the city itself is well developed and cultured.
 

Ningbo and the surrounding areas is place of origin of Hemudu culture—a culture dating back to the Neolitic period, over 7,000 years ago. In the early 1970's a Hemudu cultural site was unearthed by archeologist and found contain some of the earliest examples of Neolitic tools, constructed of animal bones. It is believed that the Hemudu people were some of the first to master the cultivation of rice.

Along with Guangzhou, Xiamen, Fuzhou and Shanghai, this Zhejiang Province town was one of the treaty ports China opened after the first Opium War of the 19th Century. During World War II, the Japanese bombed the city of Ningbo with weapons containing fleas carrying the bubonic plague which it is estimated have killed up to 50,000 people.
 

The region's climate is sub-tropical monsoon with an average annual temperature of 16.2º C (62º F). Humidity is high more often than not. It's a good idea to plan your trip based on what attractions you'd like to see. The mountains and hot springs are better suited to winter visits while some other nature related activities are best saved for warmer months.