During the First Opium War, the British captured Zhenhai (now an outlying district of Ningbo) three days before taking Ningbo itself. In the terms of the Treaty of Nanjing that ended the war, Ningbo was opened to trade as one of five treaty ports also including Shanghai, Fuzhou, Guangzhou and Xiamen.

The resulting foreign settlement along the Old Bund (Lǎo Wàitān, 老外滩) preceded Shanghai’s better-known Bund by 20 years. This "other" Bund is a fascinating attraction in its own right, featuring a range of restaurants, cafés and bars occupying restored historic structures along with newer buildings designed to fit into the look of the area (with mixed success).

Historically, the Old Bund occupied the southernmost point of Ningbo’s Jiangbei district, where the Fenghua River and Yao River join to form the Yong River.

Originally facing the old Ningbo city wall (since torn down — the wall surrounded what is today Ningbo's central Haishu district), the Old Bund was the site of Western homes, consulates, factories and taverns — and even a small police force which put unruly Westerners in the custody of their respective consulate.

Today, the live music spot Bass Clef Bar (Bèisī Bā, 贝斯吧), located on the north side of the Old Bund, occupies one of the more beautifully restored old structures, and many of bars and cafés offer outdoor seating in nicer weather. The Shamrock Irish Pub (Sānyècǎo Jiǔbā, 三叶草酒吧) is particularly pleasant on a warm evening, with outdoor seating at the front of the bar and in a courtyard in the back. The center of Ningbo's bar scene has begun to center on the Old Bund, with bars like Easy's and the Office Bar.

The Old Bund ends in the north at the sleek, modern Ningbo Museum of Art and in the south at the French Gothic-style Jiangbei Cathedral.

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