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Ningbo
Avg.Score:
 
4.0
Dining:
 
4.0
Entertainment:
 
4.0
Hotels:
 
4.3
Scenery:
 
4.0
Shopping:
 
3.7
Transportation:
 
4.0

Since its days as a treaty port forcibly opened to trade with the West following the First Opium War, Ningbo (Níngbō, 宁波) has been overshadowed by its neighbors across Hangzhou Bay—Shanghai to the north, and Hangzhou to the east. Even today, it's often seen more as a point of departure for trips to the holy Buddhist island of Putuo Shan (Mount Putuo) than a destination in its own right.

However, like so many so-called second-tier destinations in China, Ningbo boasts a historical legacy that makes most of the world's big-name tourist draws look like shallow newcomers. As one of China's longest inhabited regions—its roots go back around 7,000 years—Ningbo possesses a rich cultural heritage that makes it well worth a visit. Add in the natural beauty of the surrounding countryside of mountainous Zhejiang Province and the nearby Zhoushan Islands, not to mention a healthy share of eastern China's fast-growing contemporary urban sophistication, and Ningbo shines even brighter.

Finally, the fact that it's not a hyped-up, designated "must-see" like Shanghai and Hangzhou means that working Ningbo into your China itinerary is an affordable way to beat the crowds and avoid some of the over-the-top theme-park style theatrics that can get in the way of experiencing everyday life in China elsewhere.

Ningbo history takes shape in major attractions like the modern Ningbo Museum, where exhibits run from the region's Neolithic artifacts to the 20th century, and Ningbo's Old Bund, where European colonial powers set up shop in the wake of the First Opium War. Traditional Chinese culture can be further explored in a number of historic sites including Tianfeng Pagoda, the Ningbo Drum Tower and Ayuwang Temple.

Situated where the Yao and Fenghua rivers meet to form the Yong River, Ningbo proper sits at the center of a region rich with outlying attractions just an hour or two away by bus, starting with Dongqian Lake and extending to dozens of tea farms, temples and villages scattered throughout a scenic landscape that grows increasingly mountainous the further inland you go.

Ningbo's proximity to Shanghai (only a few hours by bus over the world's longest trans-oceanic bridge, the Hangzhou Bay Bridge), Hangzhou, the historic town of Shaoxing, Putuo Shan and the Zhoushan Islands make it a great base for exploring the region.

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History

Over 7,000 years ago, the Neolithic Hemudu culture developed near present day Ningbo and domesticated animals, produced pottery and were among the first to cultivate rice.

Ningbo's recorded history, however, begins 3,000 years later during the time of the Xia Dynasty, although it wasn't until the Tang Dynasty that Ningbo moved to its current location along the meeting of three rivers, where Haishu district is today. Known at that time as Mingzhou, Ningbo became an important shipping port for trade with Korea, Japan, India, Singapore and Malaysia. Overseas trade in silk, porcelain and tea continued through Ningbo in the Song Dynasty, which moved its capital to nearby Hangzhou in its later half (also known as the Southern Song Dynasty), and growth in the city spurred the need to enlarge the Tang-era city wall. This trade was curtailed during the Ming Dynasty, when overseas and coastal trade was restricted and the building of ocean-going ships prohibited.

Western presence in the city began when the Portuguese began trading in Ningbo in 1522 and built a community there. Complaints from locals of theft and kidnapping by the Portuguese in the surrounding villages prompted a decree by the provincial governor for the destruction of the foreign settlement.

In another attempt at establishing a Western foothold, the British East India Company established a factory on Zhoushan Island at the end of the 17th century, but it didn't last far into the 18th century due to high tariffs.

In 1841 at the beginning of the First Opium War, the British captured the town of Zhenhai before capturing Ningbo unopposed three days later. The Treaty of Nanjing, which ended the war, forced Ningbo to open up to foreign trade along with four other "treaty ports," Shanghai, Guangzhou, Xiamen and Fuzhou. Trade with Ningbo commenced in December of 1843 and foreign governments, including the French, British and Americans, set up consulates, factories and settlements that became Ningbo's Old Bund (Lao Waitan).

From the Old Bund, the Yong River linked Ningbo to the sea and was capable of carrying vessels upstream as far as the area to the east of the city wall, across the river. Once in Ningbo, goods could be carried through inland waterways to Hangzhou, the southern terminus of the Grand Canal.

In the late 1850s, the British Earl of Elgin said Ningbo "decidedly ranks first among [Chinese treaty ports] among those at present open to Europeans." However, Shanghai's prominence had a negative effect on Ningbo's growth and five years after the port's opening, trade had dropped to less than a tenth of its previous volume.

Ningbo was again attacked by an outside power, this time the Japanese, during World War II. Having previously dropped bombs, the Japanese planes mysteriously dropped wheat on October 27, 1940, which was promptly picked up by locals. It wasn't until after symptoms of the bubonic plague appeared in people living in the city center that it was discovered the wheat also contained plague-infected fleas. In the resulting plague, at least 109 people died in November and December of 1940, and the city center was burned to kill any remaining fleas and rats.

In 1984, Ningbo would be designated as one of China's "open cities" and through the 80s into the 90s received a facelift, with streets widened and parts of the city cleaned up while trying to preserve buildings of historical and cultural significance. Ningbo's catch-up accelerated with the 2008 opening of the Hangzhou Bay Bridge.

Climate

The region's climate is sub-tropical monsoon with an average annual temperature of 16ºC (62ºF). Humidity is high more often than not, making for hot summers and chilly winters. 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.

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24-May-2012
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