Ningbo (宁波)

1. Introduction

Ningbo, abbreviated as Yong and sometimes as Ning, is a significant port city on the southeastern coast of the People's Republic of China. It is the second-largest city in Zhejiang Province, an economic hub on the southern wing of the Yangtze River Delta, and a nationally renowned historical and cultural city. Located in eastern Zhejiang, on the southern flank of the Yangtze River Delta, Ningbo borders the Hangzhou Bay to the north, Shaoxing to the west, Taizhou to the south, and faces Zhoushan across the sea to the northeast. The city covers a land area of 9,365.58 square kilometers. Although Ningbo was officially established as a city in 738 AD, human settlement in the area dates back to the Neolithic Age.

Ningbo has a long-standing tradition of commerce, with the Ningbo Merchant Group being nationally famous. Its maritime transport and foreign exchanges have a rich history, traceable to the Warring States period, making it a vital gateway along the Maritime Silk Road. After the Opium War, Ningbo became a treaty port, which objectively accelerated its modernization. Following China's reform and opening-up policy, Ningbo's economy experienced rapid growth, driven by port-related industries and the private sector. Concurrently, the Port of Ningbo-Zhoushan rose to become the world's largest in terms of cargo throughput, with its container throughput also ranking among the top globally.

Currently, Ningbo is a sub-provincial city, a separately listed city in the state plan, and a "larger city" approved by the State Council, granting it legislative power to enact local regulations. In 2011, the State Council approved the Zhejiang Marine Economic Development Demonstration Zone Plan, designating Ningbo as a core area for Zhejiang's marine economic development.

2. Etymology

The abbreviation "Yong" for Ningbo dates back to the Zhou Dynasty. "Yong" is a pictographic character, resembling the shape of an ancient bell. This shape originates from the mountain peaks in the territories of Yin County and Fenghua. Because these peaks closely resemble ancient inverted bells, they were historically called Yong Mountains. The river flowing through this area was thus named the Yong River, and the region came to be known as the "Yong" land.

3. History

3.1 From Antiquity to the Sui Dynasty

As of 2020, the earliest traces of human activity discovered within the territory of present-day Ningbo are the Jingtoushan site found in Yuyao, dating back to 6300 BC. The inhabitants at that time were already harvesting seafood and consuming rice. Subsequent sites related to the Hemudu culture (5000–4500 BC) have yielded large quantities of cultivated rice grains, farming tools, remains of stilt-style architecture, bones of domesticated animals, and primitive religious artifacts, indicating that the culture in the eastern part of the Ningshao Plain, where Ningbo is located, had reached a certain level of development.

Before the Han Dynasty, the area corresponding to modern-day Ningbo was sparsely populated. During the Xia Dynasty, the area was known as Yin. In the Spring and Autumn period, the region belonged to the State of Yue. King Goujian of Yue built the city of Gouzhang within the area of present-day Cicheng Town, which became the earliest city within Ningbo's territory. After the mid-Warring States period, the area came under the control of the State of Chu. In 221 BC, after the Qin unification of the six states, the Ningbo area was part of Kuaiji Commandery, with three counties established: Yin, Mao, and Gouzhang (some sources mention four counties: Yin, Mao, Gouzhang, and Yuyao). In the early Western Han Dynasty, the Kuaiji Commandery, which included Ningbo, was part of the Kingdoms of Jing and Wu. After the suppression of the Rebellion of the Seven States, Kuaiji Commandery was restored. In 589 AD (the 9th year of the Kaihuang era of the Sui Dynasty), the four counties of Gouzhang, Yin, Mao, and Yuyao were merged into Gouzhang County, subordinate to Wuzhou (i.e., Kuaiji Commandery).

Buddhism began to influence Ningbo during the Three Kingdoms, Jin, and Northern and Southern Dynasties period. The earliest Buddhist temple in the Yong (Ningbo) area, Puji Temple, was built during the Three Kingdoms period. The two major temples today, Ayuwang Temple and Tiantong Temple, can trace their origins back to the Western Jin Dynasty. Ningbo's coastal defense also began during this era. In 132 AD (the 1st year of the Yangjia era of the Western Han), to guard against the rebel forces of Zeng Jing, a garrison was first established at Jiakou (present-day Zhenhaikou). Even earlier, during the Spring and Autumn period, Gouzhang Port had already become an important military harbor.

3.2 From the Tang Dynasty to the Yuan Dynasty

During the Tang Dynasty, Ningbo was formally established as an administrative unit. The contemporary scope of Ningbo's municipal territory was largely defined at this time, and many buildings and place names that persist in Ningbo today also originate from the Tang period. In 821 AD (the 1st year of the Changqing era), the seat of Mingzhou Prefecture was moved to the confluence of the three rivers (Sanjiangkou), and an inner city was built, marking the beginning of Ningbo's urban foundation. The south gate of the Tang-era Zicheng is now the Ningbo Drum Tower. Around this time, important structures and projects such as the Tianfeng Pagoda, Ling Bridge, and Tashan Weir were built inside and outside Mingzhou city. Many of these projects, having been repaired and rebuilt over successive dynasties, have been preserved to this day. Concurrently, Ningbo Port became one of the nation's main foreign trade ports, with increasingly prosperous external exchanges. Interactions with Japan, represented by Japanese missions to Tang China and Buddhist exchanges, along with foreign trade, flourished.

During the Song Dynasty, following development under the Wuyue Kingdom during the Five Dynasties period, Mingzhou's economy advanced further. With the appointment of a group of scholar-officials represented by Wang Anshi, Mingzhou's culture and education began to develop, fostering a pragmatic ethos focused on statecraft. Especially after the Southern Song established its capital in Lin'an (modern Hangzhou), Mingzhou, leveraging its geographical proximity to the capital and long-standing trade traditions, reached a peak in cultural-educational development and external exchanges. Alongside the development of the Jiangnan region, Mingzhou's (later renamed Qingyuan) foreign trade and port also developed further, marked by the establishment of the Mingzhou Maritime Trade Office in 999 AD (the 2nd year of the Xianping era, Northern Song), which served a customs function. Subsequently, as the Khitan Liao and Western Xia invaded Northern Song territories, northern ports declined. Mingzhou Port, as a Jiangnan port, grew increasingly important, engaging in trade and cultural exchanges with countries like Goryeo (Korea) and Japan. The Japanese Buddhist Rinzai and Sōtō schools were both transmitted to Japan from Mingzhou. During maritime voyages, the Mazu信仰 (belief in the sea goddess Mazu), which originated in Fujian, was transmitted and preserved in Ningbo and became an officially recognized deity during the Song Dynasty.

After Kublai Khan established his capital in Beijing, the Southern Song general Zhang Shijie resisted the Mongol invasion in Qingyuan but was defeated and fled. However, struggles against Yuan rule persisted, somewhat affecting commercial development. Nevertheless, due to the Yuan Dynasty's relatively relaxed policies towards commerce and its vast territory facilitating trade routes, foreign trade still experienced significant growth during this period. A key indicator was that the Qingyuan Maritime Trade Office once administered subordinate trade offices in Wenzhou, Shanghai, and Ganpu and reported directly to the Central Secretariat. In the late Yuan, Fang Guozhen controlled Ningbo as a warlord. In December 1367 (the 27th year of the Zhizheng era, Yuan Dynasty), he surrendered to Zhu Yuanzhang, and Qingyuan Circuit was renamed back to Mingzhou Prefecture.

3.3 The Ming and Qing Periods (Before 1840)

To avoid using a character from the dynasty's name, on March 20, 1381 (the 14th year of the Hongwu era, Ming Dynasty), Mingzhou, because it administered Dinghai County, was renamed Ningbo, meaning "the sea is calm when Dinghai is peaceful." This name has been used ever since. In the early Ming, Ningbo hosted one of the three national Maritime Trade Offices. Official trade between Ming China and Japan/Korea continued, with Ningbo serving as the sole port for the tally trade with Japan. However, as Japanese pirate (wokou) activity along the southeast coast grew increasingly rampant, the Ming government strengthened maritime prohibitions, relocated island residents inland, and repeatedly established and abolished the Maritime Trade Office, severely impacting Ningbo's foreign trade. In the late Ming, Portuguese smuggling trade at Shuangyu Port experienced a period of prosperity, which objectively also promoted Ningbo's external exchanges. Due to the need to combat pirates, renowned anti-wokou generals like Qi Jiguang and Yu Dayou fought multiple battles in Ningbo. Remains of many coastal defense facilities from that time are preserved today. During the Wanli and Tianqi eras of the Ming Dynasty, the Ningbo Bang (Ningbo merchant group) began to rise, establishing guildhalls in the capital, and later gradually became one of the ten major merchant groups in China.

In 1645 (the 2nd year of the Shunzhi era, Qing Dynasty), Ming officials in Ningbo surrendered to the Qing. Subsequently, Zhang Cangshui persisted in anti-Qing resistance in Ningbo for twenty years. To suppress the anti-Qing movement, the Qing government issued the Coastal Evacuation Order and implemented maritime prohibition policies, which caused severe losses to Ningbo's foreign trade. It was not until 1679 (the 23rd year of the Kangxi era) that the maritime ban was lifted, but it was reinstated during the Qianlong era. During periods of relaxed restrictions, because Japan also implemented a policy of national isolation (sakoku), Sino-Japanese trade via Ningbo was not as prosperous as before. However, Ningbo's trade with Western countries gradually flourished, and early missionaries began their activities in Ningbo. Nationally renowned scholars like Huang Zongxi and Quan Zuwang founded the Eastern Zhejiang School of Thought, which had a significant influence on later generations. During the same period, Ningbo merchants, as an important component of the ten major merchant groups, began to exert influence nationwide.

3.4 Modern and Contemporary Era (1840 – 1949)

In 1840, the First Opium War broke out. Dinghai, Zhenhai, and other areas of Ningbo fell successively. From 1840 to 1842, Ningbo residents resisted using various methods. The Qing government also dispatched official troops led by Yijing in an attempt to recapture Ningbo but suffered a crushing defeat. After the signing of the Treaty of Nanjing, Ningbo was opened as a treaty port. The rapid influx of foreign capital, official corruption, and the turmoil of the Taiping Rebellion caused the local economy of Ningbo to decline. At this time, large numbers of Ningbo merchants moved to Shanghai, gradually attaining leadership positions in finance and various industries. The "Ningbo people on the sea" became an important ethnic group in Shanghai. Influenced by the West and the Self-Strengthening Movement, Ningbo itself gradually modernized and achieved victory in the Battle of Zhenhai during the Sino-French War.

At the end of October 1911, Tongmenghui members Chen Xunzheng, Fan Xianfang, and others instigated an uprising of the Ningbo garrison. Wen Pu, the Circuit Intendant of Ning-Shao-Tai, fled to Shanghai upon hearing the news. The Ningbo Military-Government Branch was subsequently declared established on November 5th (the 15th day of the 9th lunar month), marking Ningbo's restoration. In February 1912, due to the policy of "abolishing prefectures while retaining counties," Ningbo Prefecture was abolished, leaving Yin County. The warlord conflicts in the early Republic of China period caused political instability in Ningbo until the arrival of the Northern Expeditionary Army in the Jiangsu-Zhejiang area in the spring of 1927 brought some relief. Because Ningbo was the commercial center of eastern Zhejiang and also the hometown of Chiang Kai-shek, in May, the Zhejiang Political Sub-Council formally petitioned the Nanjing Central Political Council for approval to establish Ningbo City. Using the entire area of the Yin County walled city and the north bank of the river as its scope, Ningbo City was established on July 1st of the same year, with Luo Huiqiao as its first mayor. This was the first time in history that a municipal administration named "Ningbo City" appeared. Over the next three years, the Ningbo municipal government worked to reclaim management rights over the docks along the riverbanks (the so-called "white water rights") and completed a series of municipal construction projects, including widening roads in the Jiangxia area, dismantling city walls and filling moats, and establishing public toilets and municipal primary and secondary schools. However, ultimately due to difficulties in financial resources and a movement by local figures to abolish the city, Ningbo City was abolished in early 1931 and merged into the Yin County administration, having existed for only three and a half years.

During the Republic of China period, Ningbo's industry and commerce experienced significant development during World War I and the "Golden Decade" from 1927 to 1937. The current urban area of Ningbo (the walled city of Yin County) also saw the construction of municipal facilities like the Ling Bridge and the Yin-Feng Highway during the "Golden Decade." In the four years following the outbreak of the War of Resistance Against Japan in 1937, although Shanghai and Hangzhou fell, Japanese forces halted at the Qiantang River, and the Shanghai International Settlement remained. Shipping on the Shanghai-Ningbo route continued, and Ningbo became a transit port for goods from inland provinces, with large quantities of materials being distributed there. Ningbo's own industrial products also sold well to inland provinces, leading to unprecedented prosperity and a distorted "golden age" for Ningbo's industry and commerce. However, during this period, Japanese forces also launched seven major bombing raids on Ningbo, causing nearly a thousand casualties. Furthermore, on October 27, 1940, Japanese aircraft dropped flour and wheat grains containing plague bacteria over Kaiming Street, conducting biological warfare that caused over a hundred deaths in downtown Ningbo.In April 1941, the Japanese army launched the Ningbo-Shaoxing Campaign. Within a month, Ningbo (Yin County) and surrounding counties such as Cixi, Yuyao, and Zhenhai fell successively, dealing a severe blow to Ningbo's industry and commerce. To guard against extortion by Japanese invaders and their collaborators, avoid being labeled as traitors, and protect their lives and property, prominent figures in Ningbo's business community fled to the interior and the Shanghai International Settlement. Larger factories in Ningbo either ceased operations or scaled down production, with only the cigarette industry experiencing abnormal growth due to Japanese control over cigarette imports. In September 1941, a contingent of the New Fourth Army took advantage of the Japanese forces' unstable foothold, crossing the sea from Pudong to the Sanbei region (the northern parts of Zhenhai, Cixi, and Yuyao counties), establishing the Sanbei Anti-Japanese Guerrilla Base, which became an important component of the Eastern Zhejiang Anti-Japanese Guerrilla Base. This was also the first base area established by the Chinese Communist Party in the Ningbo region.

After Japan announced its surrender on August 15, 1945, the New Fourth Army in the Sanbei region, following the CCP's strategic policy of "developing northward and defending southward," withdrew north to the Northern Jiangsu Liberated Area in September and October. After the victory in the War of Resistance, although Ningbo's industry and commerce gradually resumed production, development was hindered by hyperinflation, the encroachment of bureaucratic capital, and the massive influx of American goods. On the eve of 1949, Ningbo's industrial foundation remained weak, with only four industrial enterprises of considerable scale: Yongyao Power Company, Taifeng Flour Mill, Hefeng Cotton Mill, and Tongliyuan Oil Mill. As Tongliyuan Oil Mill operated only after the harvest of cottonseed and rapeseed, remaining idle for about half the year, locals coined the phrase "Ningbo has only three and a half chimneys." In late May 1949, after crossing the Qiantang River, the People's Liberation Army, together with local CCP armed forces from the Kuaiji and Siming mountain areas, advanced toward the outskirts of Ningbo. At midnight on May 24, a unit of the Seventh Corps of the PLA entered the urban area of Ningbo, announcing the CCP's takeover of the city.

The National Products Movement not only demonstrated the patriotic fervor of the people of Ningbo but also promoted the development of local Ningbo merchants. Meanwhile, the Ningbo merchant group in Shanghai also experienced significant upheavals. The pre-war period was a golden era for Ningbo merchants, but as Japan infiltrated Shanghai, their economic status began to decline. After the end of the War of Resistance in 1945, severe inflation and civil war on the Chinese mainland led some Ningbo merchants to gradually relocate to Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the United States, where they continued to develop.

3.5 Contemporary Era (1949–Present)

After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Ningbo underwent significant changes in its administrative divisions. Simultaneously, many existing systems were abolished, and Ningbo became an important coastal defense outpost and military stronghold. Like other regions in mainland China, Ningbo was swept up by various political movements. In 1956, when Typhoon No. 5612 made landfall, an overemphasis on ensuring a bumper harvest led to inadequate rescue efforts, resulting in nearly 3,500 deaths in Xiangshan County. During the Cultural Revolution, a shocking armed conflict occurred in Yuyao, causing significant casualties. After the reform and opening-up, Ningbo's economy began to develop rapidly, relying on its port and private enterprises, gradually rising to the forefront among cities in mainland China. In 1984, Deng Xiaoping proposed the slogan "Mobilize the 'Ningbo Gang' worldwide to build Ningbo." Under the leadership of figures like Y.K. Pao, successful overseas Ningbo merchants began supporting their hometown's development. Driven by the combined efforts of the Ningbo Gang, local entrepreneurs, and the government, Ningbo's township enterprises and small state-owned enterprises were transformed into private or foreign-funded enterprises, forming a unique transition model. Ningbo Port also evolved from an inland river port into a seaport, with its combined throughput with Zhoushan Port ranking first in the world. Port-side processing industries became a crucial pillar of Ningbo's economy. Entering the 21st century, Ningbo has become an important economic center in the Yangtze River Delta region and a core area for Zhejiang's marine economy development.

4. Geography

Ningbo is located between 120°55' to 122°16' east longitude and 28°51' to 30°33' north latitude. It borders the East China Sea to the east, near the Zhoushan Archipelago. To the north, it faces Jiaxing and Shanghai across Hangzhou Bay; to the west, it connects with Shaoxing; and to the south, it adjoins Taizhou. The total land area is 9,816 square kilometers, with a sea area of 9,758 square kilometers. The total coastline length is 1,562 kilometers, comprising 788 kilometers of mainland coastline and 774 kilometers of island coastline, accounting for one-third of the total coastline length in Zhejiang Province.

4.1 Geology and Topography

Ningbo is situated in the northeastern part of the low hills and mountains of eastern Zhejiang. The southwestern part of the city is hilly, while the eastern part borders the sea. Mountains and hills each account for about 20% of the city's area, plains for 40%, and valleys for 10%. The plains within the city are of two types: alluvial plains and denudation plains. The alluvial plains are located in the central and northern parts of the city and along the shores of harbors, while the denudation plains are mostly found in southwestern Yuyao and central Ninghai. The largest plain is the Ningbo Plain in the central part of the city. The Sanbei Plain in the northern part of the city is the second largest plain, and its area has been continuously expanding due to large-scale dike construction since the Northern Song Dynasty. The largest peninsulas within the city are the Chuanshan Peninsula and the Xiangshan Peninsula, which face each other across Xiangshan Bay. The main mountain ranges within the city are the Siming Mountains and the Tiantai Mountains. The Siming Mountains are a branch of the Tiantai Mountain Range, running from north to south through Yuyao, Yinzhou, and Fenghua within Ningbo. Besides the Siming Mountains, the other four major branches of the Tiantai Mountains enter Ningbo from the northwest and southwest of Ninghai, extending to Beilun and Zhenhai. The highest peak within the city is Qinghuwangang, located in southern Yuyao, with an elevation of 979 meters. Mountains with elevations between 500 and 1,000 meters are mostly located in the southwestern part of the city, while hills below 500 meters are distributed along Ninghai, Xiangshan, Xiangshan Bay, and the Yao River.

The topography of Ningbo was formed during the Mesozoic Era. Intense volcanic activity brought by the Yanshan Movement during the Jurassic Period essentially shaped Ningbo's geological features. During the Cretaceous Period, fault subsidence in the northeast direction created low-lying areas for sedimentation. In the early stages of the Himalayan Movement, the land experienced significant uplift, basins expanded, and the eastern coastline was largely formed. Subsequent multiple marine transgressions and regressions led to the formation of marine sedimentary plains and the development of new land, ultimately creating the present-day landscape.

4.2 Hydrology

Ningbo has a dense river network, with the Yongjiang River system being the main one, accounting for 59% of the drainage area. The main rivers flowing into the sea are the Yongjiang River, Yao River, and Fenghua River. The Yao River and Fenghua River converge at Sanjiangkou to form the Yongjiang River. The estuary of the Yongjiang River is trumpet-shaped, with noticeable tidal phenomena. After the construction of the Yao River Dam, tidal flow decreased sharply, leading to significant siltation that requires manual dredging. The Yao River originates from Xiajialing in the Siming Mountains, passes through the Siming Lake Reservoir, merges with the Eastern Zhejiang Canal, and flows into the East China Sea at Zhaobaoshan. It has historically been an important waterway for Ningbo. The main stream of the Fenghua River is the Shanjiang River, which originates from Dawangang in the Siming Mountains, flows east out of the Tingxia Reservoir to Jiangkou, successively merges with the Dongjiang and Yinjiang Rivers, and finally flows north to Sanjiangkou in Ningbo to join the Yao River. The entire Ningbo region has a dense river network, providing great convenience for irrigation, water supply, navigation, and flood drainage.

Ningbo has a long coastline. The mainland coastline starts from Xisanzha in Yuyao and ends at Qimen Harbor in Ninghai, with a total length of 788 kilometers. The coastline north of the Yongjiang River estuary is relatively straight, mostly consisting of muddy and sandy shores. The coastline south of the Yongjiang River estuary is more曲折, with rocky and muddy shores alternating. Hangzhou Bay, located at the northern end of the city, is the estuary of the Qiantang River, protruding in a fan shape. Xiangshan Bay, located in the middle of the mainland coastline between the Chuanshan Peninsula and Xiangshan Peninsula, is a long and narrow semi-enclosed bay with excellent ecological conditions suitable for marine life. Sanmen Bay, located at the southern end of the city, is suitable for tidal flat aquaculture and serves as a coastal defense gateway for eastern Zhejiang. The coastal tides are of an irregular semi-diurnal type, with tidal ranges increasing from north to south in the Yongjiang River, Xiangshan Bay, and Sanmen Bay.

There are 531 islands of various sizes within Ningbo, with a total area of 524.07 square kilometers. The vast majority are small islands with an area of less than 0.5 square kilometers. Nantian Island is the largest island in the city, located in Xiangshan County, with an area of 90 square kilometers. Besides Nantian Island, islands with an area exceeding 20 square kilometers include Gaotang Island, Daxie Island, and Meishan Island. Important island groups include the Sijiao Islands, Jiushan Islands, Yushan Islands, and Sanyueshan Islands. Among them, Wuhu Reef in the Yushan Islands is one of China's territorial sea base points, and parts of the Jiushan Islands are designated as a national nature reserve.

4.3 Climate

Ningbo is located in a subtropical monsoon climate zone, characterized by a mild and humid climate. Due to its proximity to mountains and the sea, the climate exhibits significant diversity, and灾害性天气 are relatively frequent. The multi-year average temperature is 16.5°C. January is the coldest month, with an average temperature of 4.9°C, while July is the hottest, with an average temperature of 28.1°C. The main rainy seasons are the spring rains and plum rains from March to July, and the typhoon rains and autumn rains from August to September. Due to its location at the convergence zone of cold and warm air masses,灾害性天气 are relatively frequent. The main meteorological disasters include drought, typhoons, rainstorms, floods, hail, frost, and cold waves. Historically, the most frequent natural disasters have been droughts and floods, followed by typhoons.

Ningbo has four distinct seasons, with winter and summer each lasting about four months, and spring and autumn each lasting about two months. Monsoon交替 is evident. In spring, temperatures warm up, but due to frequent clashes between cold and warm air, late spring cold snaps can occur. In summer, controlled by the Western Pacific Subtropical High, prolonged伏旱 weather appears. Between August and September, typhoons bring灾害 while also providing ample precipitation. Autumn is relatively cool, though "Indian summer" weather can sometimes occur. After the Mid-Autumn Festival, temperatures become more stable, giving rise to the saying "October's little spring." In winter, controlled by the Siberian cold high-pressure system, the weather is dry and cold, with prevailing northerly winds.

Meteorological Data for Yinzhou District, Ningbo City (1981–2010) | Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year | |------------------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|--------|--------|--------|--------|-------|-------|-------|----------| | Record high °C (°F) | 24.4 | 28.9 | 34 | 34.3 | 36.3 | 38 | 39 | 39.5 | 38.8 | 34.5 | 29.5 | 25 | 39.5 | | | (75.9)| (84) | (93.2)| (93.7)| (97.3)| (100.4)| (102.2)| (103.1)| (101.8)| (94.1)| (85.1)| (77) | (103.1) | | Average high °C (°F) | 9.3 | 11 | 14.8 | 20.7 | 25.6 | 28.7 | 33.5 | 32.6 | 28.3 | 23.6 | 18.2 | 12.2 | 21.5 | | | (48.7)| (51.8)| (58.6)| (69.3)| (78.1)| (83.7) | (92.3) | (90.7) | (82.9) | (74.5)| (64.8)| (54) | (70.8) | | Daily mean °C (°F) | 5.3 | 6.9 | 10.4 | 15.8 | 20.9 | 24.5 | 28.8 | 28.3 | 24.4 | 19.3 | 13.6 | 7.6 | 17.2 | | | (41.5)| (44.4)| (50.7)| (60.4)| (69.6)| (76.1) | (83.8) | (82.9) | (75.9) | (66.7)| (56.5)| (45.7)| (62.9) | | Average low °C (°F) | 2.4 | 3.8 | 7 | 12.1 | 17.3 | 21.5 | 25.5 | 25.3 | 21.5 | 16 | 10.2 | 4.1 | 13.8 | | | (36.3)| (38.8)| (44.6)| (53.8)| (63.1)| (70.7) | (77.9) | (77.5) | (70.7) | (60.8)| (50.4)| (39.4)| (56.8) |9 | | | -36.3 | -38.8 | -44.6 | -53.8 | -63.1 | -70.7 | -77.9 | -77.5 | -70.7 | -60.8 | -50.4 | -39.4 | -57 | | Record low °C (°F) | −7.9 | −6.2 | −3.7 | 0.7 | 7.4 | 12.7 | 18.2 | 18.4 | 11 | 1.4 | −3.0 | −8.5 | −8.5 | | | -17.8 | -20.8 | -25.3 | -33.3 | -45.3 | -54.9 | -64.8 | -65.1 | -51.8 | -34.5 | -26.6 | -16.7 | -16.7 | | Average precipitation mm (inches) | 73.2 | 77.6 | 133.9 | 105.6 | 114.6 | 198.1 | 178.3 | 166.7 | 170.8 | 83.1 | 75 | 54.7 | 1,431.60 | | | -2.88 | -3.06 | -5.27 | -4.16 | -4.51 | -7.8 | -7.02 | -6.56 | -6.72 | -3.27 | -2.95 | -2.15 | -56.35 | | Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 12.6 | 12.3 | 16.9 | 15.3 | 14.7 | 16.4 | 13.1 | 14.5 | 14.1 | 10.3 | 8.9 | 8.5 | 157.6 | | Average relative humidity (%) | 77 | 77 | 77 | 75 | 76 | 81 | 77 | 79 | 80 | 77 | 76 | 74 | 77 | | Mean monthly sunshine hours | 123.7 | 108.4 | 121.7 | 142.4 | 156.7 | 147.8 | 243.8 | 238 | 171.5 | 166.5 | 143.4 | 146.1 | 1,910 | | Percent possible sunshine | 38 | 35 | 33 | 37 | 37 | 35 | 57 | 58 | 46 | 47 | 45 | 46 | 43 | | Average ultraviolet index | 4 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 8 |

Source 1: China Meteorological Administration, China Weather Network (precipitation days for 1971–2000)

Source 2: "Ningbo Meteorological Records" (sunshine data)

4.4 Soil and Vegetation

The primary soil categories in the Ningbo area are Paddy Soil, Red Soil, Skeletal Soil, and Coastal Saline Soil. Among these, Paddy Soil accounts for 28.94% of Ningbo's total soil area, formed through artificial cultivation and widely distributed across plains, hilly slopes, and denudation platform surfaces. Red Soil accounts for 28.42% of the total soil area, mainly distributed in low mountainous and hilly regions. Skeletal Soil accounts for 17.07% of the total soil area, mostly located in the middle-upper parts of mountains and on steeper slopes. Coastal Saline Soil accounts for 14.56% of the total soil area, primarily located in intertidal zones and mudflats outside seawalls.

Vegetation distribution within Ningbo's administrative area shows little variation from north to south, but significant differences from east to west. The main forest vegetation is Masson Pine, distributed throughout both the northern and southern parts of the city, while cultivated cash crops are mostly highly adaptable. Varying with altitude, from west to east, there is a sequential distribution of coniferous forests, broad-leaved forests, cultivated plants, and coastal vegetation. Coniferous forests are distributed on mountain tops, mostly formed through secondary succession, with some well-protected areas also containing mixed coniferous and broad-leaved forests. Broad-leaved forests are distributed in mountains and hills below 750 meters, a considerable portion of which are formed by artificial afforestation. Original broad-leaved forest communities are preserved in places such as Tiantong Forest Park, Ruiyan Temple Forest Farm, and Nanxi Hot Spring in Ninghai County. Cultivated plants are mostly located below 50 meters in altitude, including food crops, cash crops, and artificially cultivated trees. Mudflats and coastal wastelands are distributed with salt-tolerant plants such as seablite and reeds.

5. Administrative Divisions

Ningbo City currently administers 6 municipal districts, 2 county-level cities, and 2 counties.

• Municipal Districts: Yinzhou, Haishu, Jiangbei, Zhenhai, Beilun, Fenghua
• County-level Cities: Cixi, Yuyao
• Counties: Ninghai, Xiangshan.

Additionally, the Ningbo Petrochemical Economic and Technological Development Zone located in Zhenhai District, the Ningbo National High-tech Industrial Development Zone and Ningbo Dongqian Lake Tourism Resort located in Yinzhou District, the Ningbo Xikou Xuedou Mountain Scenic Area located in Fenghua District, and the Ningbo Hangzhou Bay New Area located in Cixi City are not part of the administrative divisions. However, they each possess county-level social and administrative management functions within their respective jurisdictions. The Ningbo Qianwan New Area was established in 2019. Starting from 2021, except for the Ningbo National High-tech Industrial Development Zone and the Ningbo Hangzhou Bay New Area, other development zones (parks) were integrated with their respective administrative districts under a unified district governance system. The Ningbo Hangzhou Bay New Area was officially renamed the Ningbo Qianwan New Area. In 2010, Ningbo initiated pilot programs for satellite cities. By the end of 2011, eight towns—Simen Town in Yuyao, Guanhaiwei Town and Zhouxiang Town in Cixi, Xikou Town in Fenghua, Xidian Town in Ninghai, Shipu Town in Xiangshan, Jishigang Town in Haishu, and Cicheng Town in Jiangbei—had been granted partial county-level economic and social management authority.

Historically, parts of present-day Zhoushan City were under Ningbo's jurisdiction, where the Ningbo dialect was spoken. In March 1953, Dinghai, Putuo, Daishan, and some islands originally belonging to Jiangsu Province's Shengsi formed the Zhoushan Special District, which later became the prefecture-level Zhoushan City.

Administrative Division Map of Ningbo City

| Division Code | Division Name | Area (sq km) | Government Seat | Postal Code | Subdistricts | Towns | Townships | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | 330200 | Ningbo City | 9365.58 | Yinzhou District | 315000 | 69 | 75 | 10 | | 330203 | Haishu District | 595.03 | Gulou Subdistrict | 315000 | 9 | 7 | 1 | | 330205 | Jiangbei District | 208.14 | Zhongma Subdistrict | 315020 | 7 | 1 | | | 330206 | Beilun District | 597.76 | Xinqi Subdistrict | 315800 | 11 | | | | 330211 | Zhenhai District | 244.28 | Luotuo Subdistrict | 315200 | 5 | 2 | | | 330212 | Yinzhou District | 799.09 | Shounan Subdistrict | 315100 | 14 | 10 | | | 330213 | Fenghua District | 1254.38 | Jinping Subdistrict | 315500 | 5 | 6 | | | 330225 | Xiangshan County | 1233.88 | Dandong Subdistrict | 315700 | 3 | 10 | 5 | | 330226 | Ninghai County | 1712.5 | Yuelong Subdistrict | 315600 | 4 | 11 | 3 | | 330281 | Yuyao City | 1480.23 | Lanjiang Subdistrict | 315400 | 6 | 14 | 1 | | 330282 | Cixi City | 1240.29 | Baishalu Subdistrict | 315300 | 5 | 14 | |

6. Economy

The economy of Ningbo began to rise during the Southern Song Dynasty. At that time, a large number of people migrating south brought advanced culture and technology to Ningbo, leading to significant progress in its agricultural production. The wars in the north further elevated the status of Ningbo Port. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, as an important port, Ningbo's prosperity was closely tied to the state's major policies on foreign trade. After the Opium Wars, Ningbo's economy experienced a considerable decline due to the rise of Shanghai, the turmoil of the Taiping Rebellion, and the market dominance by Western merchants. Following the reform and opening-up, Ningbo regained prosperity through the development of its deep-water port and the growth of individual and private economies.

Currently, Ningbo is an important commercial center on the southern wing of the Yangtze River Delta Economic Zone and a significant port city in China. Ningbo has a well-developed individual and private economy, with textiles, chemicals, automobiles, home appliances, machinery, and stationery being important sectors of its industry. The Ningbo-Zhoushan Port is the largest port in China in terms of cargo throughput. Correspondingly, port-side industries and foreign trade contribute immensely to Ningbo's economy.

6.1 Industry

The main industrial sectors in Ningbo are petrochemicals, textiles, machinery, metallurgy, electronics, and building materials. Among these, chemicals, textiles & apparel, and machinery are the three pillars of Ningbo's industry. The chemical industry in Ningbo primarily focuses on petrochemicals, chemical raw materials, rubber, plastics, and dyes. Important chemical bases include the Ningbo Petrochemical Economic & Technological Development Zone in Zhenhai District, the Ningbo Economic & Technological Development Zone in Beilun District, and the Daxie Development Zone. Ningbo's textile and apparel industry is relatively developed with a high degree of regional concentration. The production scale of carpets, knitwear, and apparel accessories ranks among the top in mainland China. In 2006, Ningbo's garment output accounted for 12% of mainland China's total. Ningbo's main apparel products are suits, shirts, and knitwear, with famous brands like Youngor, Shanshan, and Romon emerging in these sectors. The Ningbo International Fashion Festival, established in 1997, is one of the largest exhibitions of its kind in mainland China. Ningbo's machinery industry is also quite developed, with main competitive products including injection molding machines, automotive parts, hydraulic components, and miniature bearings.

While industrial development has brought enormous output value to Ningbo, it has also led to significant environmental issues. After 2005, almost the entire city of Ningbo became a heavy acid rain area, with an acid rain frequency of 97.2%. On the other hand, hazy weather has gradually increased, and the hazards caused by fine particulate matter (PM2.5) have become increasingly severe. For industrial zones, especially areas densely populated with port-side petrochemical enterprises, the emission of ozone and volatile organic compounds is particularly prominent. The causes of these environmental problems are twofold: on one hand, numerous small and medium-sized enterprises have outdated equipment and weak environmental awareness; on the other hand, it is related to the government's one-sided pursuit of economic growth while neglecting environmental hazards, and the lack of coordination among government departments responsible for economic development, energy management, and environmental protection.

6.2 Agriculture and Fisheries

Due to its humid climate and abundant rainfall, Ningbo has a developed planting industry. In 2004, the city had 338,100 hectares of cultivated land, 420,000 hectares of forest land, 49,000 hectares of rivers and lakes, 433,000 hectares of shallow seas, and 96,000 hectares of tidal flats. In 2004, Ningbo's total grain output was 837,300 tons. The northern part of the city mainly produces cotton, intercropped with vegetables, melons, and fruits. The central part is the main grain and oil production area, also growing vegetables, mat grass, and other crops. The coastal areas in the southeast have comprehensive development of various crops and are the main citrus production area. The mountainous western region has fragmented cultivated land and is the main production area for single-season rice, sweet potatoes, and potatoes. The city's main cash crops are fruits, tea, flowers, etc., while the main products of animal husbandry are aquatic products, poultry eggs, and pigs. Based on this, a series of local specialties have formed, such as Fenghui honey peaches, Fenghui taro, Yuyao bayberries, and Yinzhou mat grass.

Facing the East China Sea and rich in river and lake resources, Ningbo's fisheries are also highly developed. Ningbo's fisheries mainly consist of marine fishing, mariculture, and freshwater aquaculture. Major seafood products include intertidal zone products like razor clams, blood clams, mud snails, and clams; harbor products like capelin, pomfret, swimming crabs, jellyfish, and prawns; and shallow sea products like large yellow croaker, hairtail, and cuttlefish. Major fishing grounds include the Damuyang Fishing Ground, Maotouyang Fishing Ground, and Jiushan Yushan Fishing Ground. With the depletion of fishery resources in the East China Sea, Ningbo's marine fishing industry is gradually declining.

6.3 Commerce

Ningbo has a long history of commerce. The Ningbo Merchant Group was once one of China's top ten merchant groups and the only local commercial group that successfully underwent modernization transformation. Currently, wholesale and retail trade account for the largest proportion of Ningbo's tertiary industry, reaching 22.9% in 2009. The Sanjiangkou business district is Ningbo's most important commercial area, with its Zhongshan East Road commercial belt known as the "No.1 Commercial Street in Eastern Zhejiang." Tianyi Square, located in this commercial belt and completed in October 2002, is hailed as Ningbo's "commercial aircraft carrier." The Heyi Avenue Shopping Center is an important gateway for luxury goods sales in Ningbo. Besides Sanjiangkou, other areas have also seen the emergence of numerous commercial centers since the early 21st century. The Wanda business district in the new urban area of Yinzhou has also taken shape, including Wanda Plaza and Liansheng Commercial Plaza, currently Ningbo's largest urban complex. Furthermore, leisure and consumption venues combining historical and cultural elements, such as the Old Bund, Moon Lake Sheng Garden, and Gulouyan, are increasingly rising. Due to the scale and quality of its commerce, Ningbo has been selected for the Forbes China Best Cities for Business top ten list for many consecutive years since 2004. At the same time, factors such as similar brands and features among large shopping malls and relatively small radiation radii also constrain the further development of Ningbo's commerce.

6.4 Finance

Ningbo's local financial industry started with native banks. The native bank industry in Ningbo began in the early 17th century, with Qianhang Street in Jiangxia being the concentration area for Ningbo's native banks at the time. During the Taiping Rebellion, as the transportation of precious metals was cut off, Ningbo's local native banks began implementing a clearing system where fund receipts and payments did not require cash but were settled through transfers between banks for unified clearing. This change transformed Ningbo's traditional native banking industry into modern banking. Figures like Qin Runqing and Yu Qiaqing from the Ningbo Merchant Group also emerged as prominent figures in the financial sector.

Currently, all five state-owned commercial banks, the Postal Savings Bank, and 12 national joint-stock commercial banks have branches in Ningbo; foreign banks like HSBC, Standard Chartered, Bank of East Asia, and Hang Seng Bank, as well as Taiwanese banks Mega International Commercial Bank and Fubon Bank (China), also have branches in Ningbo. Additionally, Ningbo has four local banks: Bank of Ningbo, Ningbo Commerce Bank, Ningbo Donghai Bank, and Yinzhou Bank. Among them, Bank of Ningbo is a locally listed bank and one of the 19 Domestic Systemically Important Banks designated by the People's Bank of China and the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission. It has branches in other regions of mainland China and has maintained the lowest non-performing loan ratio among listed banks in mainland China for 15 consecutive years. The entry of Ningbo's private capital into the banking industry is very common. Yinzhou Bank is the first shareholding cooperative bank in mainland China controlled by private capital, and there are 14 microfinance companies across Ningbo, most of which are privately owned. Furthermore, many rural credit cooperatives have transformed into rural commercial banks through property rights reforms, including Cixi Rural Commercial Bank, Zhenhai Rural Commercial Bank, and Ningbo Yongcheng Rural Commercial Bank.

Leveraging its port and industrial base, Ningbo's spot commodity trading is also relatively prosperous. In 2011, its spot trading scale ranked first among China's coastal cities. It has formed regional price centers like the China Plastics City and the Zhenhai Liquid Chemical Products Market, as well as operators like Ningbo Shenhua, Zhejiang Yuanda, and Qiancheng Petrochemical. Supporting services in logistics, collection and distribution networks, finance, information, and electronic trading are also continuously improving. In 2011, with the Zhejiang Marine Economic Development Demonstration Zone becoming a national strategy, the Ningbo Commodity Exchange was established, planning to become an important commodity trading market in East China and even nationwide within five years.

6.5 Foreign Trade

Ningbo is one of the five treaty ports stipulated by the Treaty of Nanking and one of China's 14 coastal open cities in 1984. Its long tradition of foreign trade and proximity to deep-water ports have made Ningbo a strong foreign trade city. Its general trade export value accounts for 5.5% of mainland China's total general trade exports, ranking among the top ten among provinces, autonomous regions, and cities with independent planning status in mainland China. Foreign trade has a huge impact on Ningbo's economy, with an economic openness exceeding 110% and an export dependence exceeding 70%. One-quarter of the city's employed population works in foreign trade-related jobs, with over 10,000 foreign trade enterprises and over 100 enterprises having annual import and export volumes exceeding $100 million. Main export products are mechanical and electrical products, textiles & apparel, and light industrial & handicraft products. While possessing trade volume, Ningbo's foreign trade generally remains at the low end of the international division of labor, lacking innovation awareness. A famous example is that most vuvuzelas used in the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa were manufactured in Ningbo, but producers could only obtain a meager 5% profit, a phenomenon that also attracted media attention.

6.7 Real EstateSimilar to major cities in mainland China, Ningbo also experiences high land and housing prices. The real estate market in Ningbo began to rise rapidly in 2002, showing signs of a bubble, which drew attention from various sectors. The macro-control policies in 2004 did not have a substantial impact on Ningbo. In 2005, the housing price in the six districts of Ningbo reached 6,306.08 yuan per square meter, and it was commented by the media as "overdrawing tomorrow's demand." By July 2010, the average price of new homes in Ningbo reached 13,438 yuan per square meter, ranking seventh among cities in mainland China. Meanwhile, in 2010, real estate investment in Ningbo accounted for 25.3% of the total fixed asset investment. High housing prices have led to a persistently high proportion of household debt in Ningbo, with real estate loans being a major component. At the same time, a large number of low-income families still reside in the urban areas of Ningbo, and high housing prices make it difficult for these residents to improve their living conditions, further widening the wealth gap.

6.8 Development Zones and Industrial Clusters

Located in the Beilun District, the Ningbo Economic and Technological Development Zone (NETD) was established in October 1984. It is the third national-level economic and technological development zone in mainland China and one of the largest in terms of area. By the end of 2010, Ningbo had a total of 21 various types of development zones, including economic development zones, high-tech zones, bonded zones, bonded port areas, bonded logistics parks, and export processing zones. It is one of the few cities in mainland China to have all types of customs special supervision zones. Among these, the Ningbo Economic and Technological Development Zone and the Ningbo Daxie Development Zone are national-level economic and technological development zones, the Ningbo National High-Tech Industrial Development Zone is a national-level high-tech industrial development zone, and the Meishan Bonded Port Area is the fifth bonded port area in mainland China. These development zones account for a significant share of Ningbo's industry and foreign trade.

7. Transportation

Ningbo is located on the coast of the East China Sea, bordering Hangzhou Bay to the north and the East China Sea to the east. Historically, land transportation was not well-developed, but water transport was highly developed. Ningbo Port (Mingzhou Port) has long been an important port in China. In ancient times, goods from Mingzhou Port traveled upstream along the Yao River, reached Hangzhou via the Eastern Zhejiang Canal, and then were transported nationwide via the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. To this day, the integrated Ningbo-Zhoushan Port, formed by the merger of Ningbo Port and Zhoushan Port, has become the world's largest port in terms of cargo throughput and a typical representative of a combined port. Since the 1990s, alongside port development, Ningbo's road transportation has rapidly developed, and its railway and aviation industries have become increasingly sophisticated.

7.1 Ports

The history of ports in Ningbo can be traced back to the Gouzhang Port during the Spring and Autumn period. The Mingzhou Port during the Tang and Song dynasties was one of the most important ports in the country and a key starting point of the Maritime Silk Road. After the Opium War, the Treaty of Nanjing designated Ningbo as a treaty port. However, due to the rise of Shanghai Port, Ningbo Port did not develop significantly. It was not until after the 1970s, with the construction of Zhenhai Port and Beilun Port, that Ningbo Port experienced substantial growth. On January 1, 2006, the Ningbo-Zhoushan Port officially commenced operations, becoming the first cross-city port in mainland China, and its cargo throughput ranked first in the world by 2010.

The development of Ningbo's ports benefits from its natural conditions and geographical location. Sheltered by the Zhoushan Archipelago, Ningbo Port requires no breakwaters for its wharves. The approach channel depth exceeds 18.2 meters, and the developable deep-water shoreline is over 120 kilometers long. Located in the middle of the Chinese mainland coastline, Ningbo can reach ports like Hong Kong, Busan, and Kobe within 1,000 nautical miles outward, and access China's inland regions via the Yangtze River and the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal inward. Currently, the Ningbo Port area (i.e., Ningbo Port) within the Ningbo-Zhoushan Port has seven port zones, with the largest berth having a draft of 22.5 meters, capable of accommodating 250,000-ton ships. Its main operations include containers, coal, crude oil, refined oil, ore, and general cargo.

7.2 Railways

The earliest railway in Ningbo was the Ningbo Jiangbei to Cao'e River section of the Shanghai-Hangzhou-Ningbo Railway, built in the late Qing and early Republican era. In 1938, to defend against Japanese invasion, the entire Hangzhou-Ningbo Railway was dismantled. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the Cao-Yong Railway was rebuilt on the original Yong-Cao Railway roadbed, extended across the Cao'e River to Xiaoshan, forming the Xiao-Yong Railway, and a new Ningbo Station was built in the Nanmen area of Ningbo. In 2009, the Yong-Tai-Wen Railway opened to traffic, ending Ningbo's history of having no high-speed railway. The Hangzhou-Ningbo Passenger Dedicated Line, opened in 2013, connected Ningbo to the national high-speed railway network. The Ningbo Railway Hub Northern Loop Line formed a ring-shaped railway pattern in Ningbo with "passenger and freight lines separated, passengers in the south and freight in the north." The Yong-Jin Railway, opened in 2023, further opened up railway transport channels from Ningbo to the southwest.

The largest passenger railway station in the Ningbo area is Ningbo Station. The station was first built in 1959 and was rebuilt and reopened in 2013. Ningbo Station is a passenger hub on the Hangzhou-Shenzhen Line with 8 platforms and 16 tracks, offering seamless transfers to other modes of transport such as Metro Lines 2 and 4, buses, and taxis. Additionally, regional passenger stations include Yuyao Station on the Xiao-Yong Railway, Fenghua Station and Ninghai Station on the Yong-Tai-Wen Railway, Xikou Station on the Yong-Jin Railway, Yuyao North Station and Zhuangqiao Station on the Hangzhou-Ningbo Passenger Dedicated Line. Among them, Zhuangqiao Station, together with Ningbo Station and the renovated Ningbo East Station, will form Ningbo's main urban area's "one city, three stations" railway passenger transport system. For freight, Ningbo North Station is the largest freight station in the Ningbo area. The planned Ningbo Railway Container Center Station is one of the 18 railway container center stations proposed in China's "Medium and Long-term Railway Network Plan."

7.3 Highways

The first highway in Ningbo was the urban area to Fenghua highway, opened in 1929. During the Republican era, 14 highways were built connecting Ningbo to places like Chuanshan, Hengshan, and Guanhaiwei, totaling 447 kilometers in length. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, by the end of 2011, the total length of highways in Ningbo had reached 10,455 kilometers, including 415 kilometers of expressways and 937 kilometers of first-class highways.

Three ordinary national highways pass through Ningbo: National Highway 228 (Dandong–Dongxing Line), National Highway 329 (Zhoushan–Lushan Line), and National Highway 527 (Xiangshan–Yiwu Line). National Highway 329 has a total length of 134.53 kilometers within Ningbo. It enters from Wucheyan in Yuyao, passes through Cixi, Zhenhai, Yinzhou, and reaches Baifeng Wharf in Beilun. Due to convenient transportation, enterprises along National Highway 329 in areas like Cixi, Yuyao, and Beilun are laid out along the highway, forming an economic belt spanning nearly a hundred li. While bringing logistics convenience, this layout also poses significant traffic hazards. National Highways 228 and 527 were newly added in the 2013 edition of the "National Highway Network Plan" and are still in the planning stage. There are 8 ordinary provincial highways within Ningbo, connecting to subordinate counties, cities, and surrounding areas.

The Hangzhou-Ningbo Expressway, completed in 1996 and connecting Hangzhou and Ningbo, was the first expressway in Ningbo and also in Zhejiang Province. It is now part of the Hangzhou Bay Ring Expressway. The Shenyang-Haikou Expressway runs north-south through Ningbo, connecting to Jiaxing and Shanghai northward via the Hangzhou Bay Bridge, and connecting to Taizhou and Wenzhou southward. The Yong-Jin Expressway connects westward to Jinhua. The Yong-Zhou Expressway connects across the sea to Zhoushan. The Ningbo Ring Expressway encircles Ningbo's central urban area and connects multiple radial expressways. The Yong-Guan Expressway (Yong-Tai-Wen Parallel Line) crosses Xiangshan Port via the Xiangshan Port Bridge to connect Xiangshan County, and will eventually cross Sanmen Bay to reach Taizhou and Wenzhou, and finally Dongguan. The Chuanshan Port Distribution Expressway connects to the Chuanshan Port Area of Ningbo Port, facilitating port collection and distribution. Multiple expressways, including the Hangzhou-Shaoxing-Ningbo Expressway (Hangzhou-Ningbo Expressway Parallel Line), are under construction or planning.

7.4 Aviation

The earliest airport within Ningbo was the Duantang Water Airport built in May 1932, now abandoned. Currently, there are two operational airports within the city: Ningbo Lishe International Airport and Ningbo Zhuangqiao Airport.

Ningbo Lishe International Airport is located in Haishu District, 12 kilometers southwest of Ningbo's urban area. A military airport was built there in 1936. In July 1987, construction began on a new civil airport in Ningbo, which was completed and put into operation in June 1990, becoming the first civil airport in Zhejiang Province. In November 2005, the airport officially became an international airport. By the end of 2011, Ningbo Lishe International Airport had flights to 27 cities in mainland China, as well as to Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, South Korea, and Singapore. The airport has two terminals, is connected to the urban area via Metro Line 2, and plans to add a second runway and Terminal 3 in its fourth phase. Ningbo Zhuangqiao Airport is located in Jiangbei District. It was initially built by the Japanese army during the War of Resistance against Japan, expanded in 1953, and is used by the Naval Air Force. Civil air routes opened in 1984, and civil aviation services ceased in 1990.

7.5 Urban Roads

Urban road construction in Ningbo began in 1925. In 1927, Gongyuan Road became Ningbo's first asphalt road. In 1933, the ring road built on the original city wall foundation was completed. After the reform and opening-up, road conditions significantly improved. The roads in Ningbo's old city are separated by the three rivers, forming relatively independent road networks. Among them, the road network in Haishu District is mesh-like, in Yinzhou District it is grid-like, and in Jiangbei District it forms an inverted triangle. Zhongshan Road and Lianfeng Road - Liuting Street - Yaoxing Street - Baizhang Road are the east-west main thoroughfares in Ningbo's central urban area, passing through downtown Ningbo. Jiefang Road and Renmin Road - Jiangxia Street - Lingqiao Road are the north-south main thoroughfares traversing Ningbo's central urban area. Ningbo is building an urban expressway network based on existing roads, planning to form an inner ring with Airport Road, Tongtu Road, Century Avenue, and South Ring Road, and an outer ring with North Outer Ring Road, East Outer Ring Road, Yinzhou Avenue, and the Yong-Jin Expressway Connector. The first urban expressway, the Ningbo Airport Expressway, opened on October 31, 2011. The North Outer Ring Expressway and South Ring Expressway have also opened, with several other expressways under construction.

Due to urban construction issues, roads in downtown Ningbo are characterized by excessively dense segmentation, with the shortest road section being only over 300 meters, jokingly called "firecracker roads" by residents, which causes inconvenience for users. On the other hand, some urban expressway plans have been criticized for being too hasty and not considering the feelings of residents along the routes. When the Yongda Road Connector viaduct plan was announced in 2009, it faced strong opposition from homeowners in nearby communities due to its proximity, and the plan was later modified to a tunnel.

7.6 Buses

Bus operations in Ningbo began in February 1956. At that time, the first bus route in Ningbo's urban area opened, running between Zhuangqiao and Nanmen. Until 1978, Ningbo had only 11 bus routes. After the 1990s, Ningbo's public transportation developed significantly, with every administrative village in the six urban districts having bus access. The main operator of Ningbo's buses is the Ningbo Public Transportation Group, which includes First Company, Second Company, Third Company, Fourth Company, and Zhenhai Public Transportation Co., Ltd. Bus services in suburban counties and parts of the main urban area are operated by district and county bus companies. Important bus companies in the main urban area include Gongyun Bus, Urban-Rural Bus, Beilun Bus, and Dongfang Bus.Although Ningbo's public transportation has seen significant development over time, it still faces considerable skepticism. On one hand, as the city's framework expands and urban road construction continues to improve, the severe lag of public transportation behind road infrastructure has become an urgent issue to address. On the other hand, the outdated public transportation system has led to inconvenience in cross-district travel and a lack of bus routes connecting the central urban area with surrounding counties and cities. These factors have hindered the effective implementation of Ningbo's public transportation priority policy. Starting in 2012, Ningbo began increasing cross-city bus routes, alleviating the shortage of cross-district public transportation. In July 2013, Ningbo took the lead in Zhejiang Province by implementing a one-hour free transfer policy for buses, which helped improve public transportation usage to some extent.

7.7 Rail Transit

Ningbo Rail Transit is the second urban rail transit system to commence operations in Zhejiang Province. The planning for Ningbo Rail Transit began in 2002. In August 2008, the short-term construction plan for rail transit was approved by the National Development and Reform Commission. On June 26, 2009, the first phase of Ningbo Rail Transit Line 1, spanning 20.8 kilometers, commenced full-scale construction and opened for operation on May 30, 2014, becoming the second subway line to operate in Zhejiang Province. By December 2021, Ningbo had completed Line 1, Line 2, the first phase of Line 3 and the Yinfeng section, Line 4, and the first phase of Line 5, forming a rail transit network with a total length of 183 kilometers.

According to the 2030 long-term plan outlined in the Ningbo Rail Transit Network Plan finalized in 2015, the six districts of Ningbo are planned to adopt a layout structure of "one ring, two express lines, and seven radial lines," with the network scale expected to reach 409 kilometers. Routes connecting counties and cities within the metropolitan area have also been incorporated into the plan. Based on the "Ningbo Rail Transit Short-Term Construction Plan (2021–2026)" approved by the State Council in 2020, by 2026, Ningbo will establish a rail transit network comprising Lines 1 to 8, with a total length of 278.7 kilometers. In addition to the rail transit network serving the main urban area, Ningbo also plans to construct four suburban railway lines connecting to Cixi, Yuyao, Fenghua, and Xiangshan. Among these, the line from downtown Ningbo to Fenghua began construction at the end of 2015 and started integrated operations with Line 3 in 2020.

7.8 Non-Motorized Transportation

Public bicycles are a key component of Ningbo's non-motorized transportation network. The earliest public bicycle service in Ningbo was the Ninghai Public Bicycle system, which was launched on June 5, 2011, making it the first county-level city in China to promote public bicycles. Public bicycles were included in Ningbo's urban planning in March 2012 and officially launched on September 22, 2013, aiming to address the "last mile" problem in public transportation. By August 2014, 609 public bicycle stations had been established across the six districts of Ningbo, integrating with bus and rail transit systems. The Ningbo Public Bicycle system can be accessed using the Yongcheng Tong card, offering free usage within the first hour and providing 24-hour rental and return services at all stations.

In addition to public bicycles, recreational walkways are also part of Ningbo's non-motorized transportation system. The Sanjiang Liuan Walkway, located along the Yaojiang, Fenghua River, and Yongjiang River, primarily serves leisure and fitness purposes. The Dongqian Lake area is also planning a walkway system designed for recreational and tourism functions.

8. Education

The educational tradition in Ningbo can be traced back to the establishment of the state school in 738 AD. In 1048, Wang Anshi, the magistrate of Yin County, founded a county school, leading to a flourishing of academic culture thereafter. After the opening of the five treaty ports, foreign missionaries established over 50 modern schools in Ningbo, among which the Ningbo Girls' School was the earliest girls' school in China. Following the Self-Strengthening Movement, a group of visionary Ningbo industrialists and businessmen, represented by Ye Chengzhong, began to establish modern education in Ningbo. After the Hundred Days' Reform, a number of modern public and private secondary schools, such as the Chucai Academy (now Ningbo Middle School) and Xiaoshi Middle School, were founded and have since become the backbone of Ningbo's secondary education today. After the reform and opening-up, driven by economic development and the overseas Ningbo community, institutions of higher education like Ningbo University began to be established, filling the gap in Ningbo's higher education. Among them, the University of Nottingham Ningbo China is the first Sino-foreign cooperative university approved by the Ministry of Education in China.

As of 2010, there were 15 institutions of higher education in Ningbo, including one ministry-affiliated institution (China Maritime Police Academy). There were 301 regular secondary schools, among which 23 were designated as first-tier key schools in Zhejiang Province. Additionally, there were 513 primary schools. The enrollment rate for the high school segment reached 98.97%, and the gross enrollment rate for higher education reached 50%. Despite this, high-quality educational resources in Ningbo remain in short supply, and the competitive pressure for students transitioning from primary to secondary school is immense. At the same time, it was once very common for public key high schools to establish private secondary schools, with 13 provincial key high schools having set up private schools, which once received official approval. In 2006, Fenghua Middle School was criticized by the National Development and Reform Commission for issues related to establishing a "school within a school," drawing attention to the problem of "prestigious schools running private schools" in Ningbo and raising questions about the fairness of such public-private schools. In 2009, all private schools in Ningbo at the compulsory education stage completed their restructuring, with some public-private schools converting to public schools and others becoming independent private schools. However, this measure did not effectively alleviate the pressure caused by the shortage of high-quality educational resources.

8.1 Philanthropy

The tradition of public welfare in Ningbo dates back to the Northern Song Dynasty. At that time, the government established the "Guanghuiyuan," an institution to support vulnerable groups in Ningbo, which later developed strict regulations to ensure its operation. During the Southern Song Dynasty, the government-run Heji Pharmacy distributed thousands of free prescriptions annually. Compared to official charity, private philanthropy was even more prominent. Gentry and wealthy merchants established charitable estates to support their local communities, while also donating funds to build schools, bridges, and water conservancy projects. After the mid-Qing Dynasty, due to the increasing conflict between population growth and limited land, the rise of gentry merchants, and the influence of Western philanthropic ideas, organizations such as infant protection societies, charitable estates, and free schools became focal points of private philanthropy at the time. Around the 20th century, philanthropy in Ningbo became more closely linked to enlightening the people and reforming customs, giving rise to modern forms of charity such as lottery fundraising. By the 1930s, Ningbo had a number of influential charitable organizations and successfully carried out large-scale activities such as fundraising for the construction of the Ling Bridge. Currently, philanthropy in Ningbo remains active. Since 1998, charitable donations from Ningbo have accounted for one-third of the total in Zhejiang Province, and a number of compassionate individuals, such as "Shun Qi Ziran" and Yan Yina, have emerged. Some philanthropists in Ningbo have organized through the internet to carry out a series of charitable activities, among which the campaign to help the homeless "Brother Sharp" is particularly notable. While a certain philanthropic culture has taken shape, private charity in Ningbo also faces issues such as a lack of transparency and credibility.

9. Population

The indigenous residents of the Ningbo area belong to the Wu-Yue ethnic group. After the Jingkang Incident, due to warfare in the north, a large number of scholar-official families migrated southward. This led to both an increase in Ningbo's population and a significant improvement in its overall quality. During the Ming Dynasty, due to the threat of Japanese pirates, Ningbo's population sharply declined. By the Jiajing period, the population had decreased by nearly half compared to the end of the Yuan Dynasty. In the mid-Qing Dynasty, due to the introduction of drought-resistant crops like corn and sweet potatoes, the development of mountainous land, the lifting of the maritime ban, and the policy of "no additional taxes on newly registered adult males," Ningbo's population grew rapidly. After 1840, frequent warfare led to slow population growth in Ningbo, especially during the War of Resistance against Japan, when the population decreased by nearly 20%. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, from the 1950s to the 1960s, Ningbo's population grew rapidly. Except during the Three Years of Difficulties, the natural population growth rate consistently exceeded 15%. Subsequently, with the implementation of the family planning policy, the natural growth rate declined significantly. However, after 1979, with economic development, the number of migrants in Ningbo increased rapidly. Between 2000 and 2010, migrants accounted for 79.8% of the net increase in the resident population, ranking first among sub-provincial cities in mainland China.

According to 2011 statistics, Ningbo had a migrant population of 4.3 million, accounting for 43% of the total population, the highest number in Zhejiang Province. Ninety percent of Ningbo's migrants come from outside the province, primarily from Anhui, Sichuan, and Jiangxi provinces. While migrants have brought labor force and economic development to Ningbo, they have also contributed to a decline in social order and a shortage of social resources. Simultaneously, migrants have faced various inequalities in opportunities during their development in Ningbo.

According to 2021 statistics from the Ningbo Municipal Bureau of Statistics, the city's resident population was 9.544 million, with the urban population accounting for 78.4%. The registered population was 6.18 million, comprising 3.0445 million males (49.1%) and 3.1389 million females (50.9%). The 2010 Sixth National Population Census showed that Ningbo had a resident population of 7.6056 million, with 3.4916 million in the urban districts. Currently, there are 55 ethnic groups (excluding the Tajik ethnic group) within Ningbo. The majority population is Han Chinese, with larger minority populations including the Miao, Tujia, Bouyei, Zhuang, and Hui ethnic groups. Among these, 89% of the minority population are migrants.

9.1 Dialect

Ningbo dialect is the primary dialect in the Ningbo area, spoken in the central urban districts of Ningbo, Zhenhai District, Beilun District, as well as in areas east of Guanhaiwei Town in Cixi City and east of Zhangting Town in Yuyao City, north of Chalu Town in Ninghai County, and in Xiangshan County. The western parts of Cixi City and Yuyao City speak Shaoxing dialect, while the southern part of Ninghai County speaks Taizhou dialect. Additionally, there are two dialect islands in Ningbo: Yanhua (also known as Weilihua) in Guanhaiwei Town, Cixi City, and Suolihua in Juexi Subdistrict, Xiangshan County. The former originates from Min Chinese, while the latter originates from Mandarin.

Ningbo dialect belongs to the Yongjiang subgroup of the Taihu Lake cluster of Wu Chinese. It has significantly influenced Shanghainese; the Shanghainese word "ala" (we/us) comes from Ningbo dialect. Conversely, Shanghainese has also greatly influenced Ningbo dialect. Most foreign loanwords in Ningbo dialect come from Shanghainese, including some borrowings from English and Japanese. There are also certain internal variations in Ningbo dialect across different areas within the city. Due to the promotion of Mandarin, a significant portion of the younger generation in Ningbo can no longer speak the Ningbo dialect, which has raised some concerns. Local television and radio stations in Ningbo have also launched a number of programs broadcast in the Ningbo dialect.

10. Religion

Ningbo is located near Mount Putuo, and Buddhism has a significant influence in the area, playing an important role in the daily lives of its residents. Tiantong Temple is one of the four major temples of Chan Buddhism. During the Southern Song Dynasty, the Guangli Temple on Mount Ayuwang, the Jingde Temple on Mount Tiantong in Yin County, and the Zisheng Chan Temple on Mount Xuedou in Fenghua were among the "Five Mountains and Ten Temples." Additionally, as a port city, Ningbo was opened to foreigners early on and was one of the first places in China where foreign missionaries arrived. As a result, Ningbo also has many followers of Protestantism and Catholicism.

Ningbo is known as the "Buddhist Kingdom of the Southeast." The earliest Buddhist temple in the region dates back to the Three Kingdoms period, when Kan Ze, the Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince of Wu, built the Puji Temple on the northern shore of Cihu Lake. Today, only its ruins remain. The main schools of Buddhism in Ningbo include Chan, Tiantai, and Pure Land, and the region has produced many eminent monks throughout history. Temples were once abundant, with a total of 96 temples and nunneries in the old city of Ningbo and 2,456 across the entire municipality. Important surviving temples include Ayuwang Temple, Tiantong Temple, Qita Temple, Xuedou Temple, and Yuelin Temple. Buddhism has a broad base of followers in Ningbo. Throughout history, many scholars and literati in eastern Zhejiang have had close ties with Buddhism, and numerous folk legends have emerged, the most famous being the legend of Budai Monk. During the late Qing and early Republican periods, the history of Ningbo merchants traveling abroad for business left the women at home as an important group of Buddhist devotees. Due to its convenient maritime transportation, Ningbo also became a hub for Buddhist exchanges in East Asia. During the Tang Dynasty, Jianzhen stopped in Ningbo several times on his journey to Japan. In the Song Dynasty, Saichō, the founder of Japanese Tiantai Buddhism, visited Ningbo multiple times. The ancestral temple of the Sōtō school of Zen Buddhism, which has over 8 million followers in Japan, is Tiantong Temple in Ningbo.

Catholicism was introduced to Ningbo during the Chongzhen era of the Ming Dynasty. Before the Opium Wars, Catholicism had a limited presence in Ningbo and was frequently suppressed by the authorities. After the Opium Wars, in 1850, French missionary François Xavier Timothée Danicourt built a cathedral on Yaohang Street, which was later rebuilt into the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Ningbo. In 1872, the Jiangbei Cathedral was completed, now a nationally protected cultural heritage site. Before 1949, the Catholic Church established several primary and secondary schools in Ningbo, all of which were later closed. In 1958, the Ningbo Catholic Patriotic Association was established, and at the end of 1979, religious activities that had been suspended during the Cultural Revolution were resumed.

Protestantism was introduced to Ningbo on November 11, 1843, by Daniel Jerome MacGowan, a doctor from the American Baptist Mission. Subsequently, other Protestant denominations, such as the American Presbyterian Mission and the Anglican Church, entered Ningbo. While spreading their faith, these Protestant denominations also established hospitals, orphanages, and other charitable facilities, as well as published newspapers to promote new knowledge. In 1950, Western missionaries left Ningbo. In 1956, the Ningbo Christian Three-Self Patriotic Movement Committee was established, and in 1958, churches were united. At the end of 1978, religious activities that had been suspended during the Cultural Revolution were resumed.

11. Culture

Ningbo is a region with a rich tradition of Chinese culture. Since Wang Anshi served as the county magistrate of Yin County during the Song Dynasty and promoted culture and education, Ningbo has produced a series of influential schools of thought and a number of important scholars throughout history. They made significant achievements in philosophy, historiography, and other fields, exerting a certain influence on neighboring countries such as Japan. At the same time, Ningbo's culture has also been influenced by maritime culture and a long-standing tradition of commerce, which is evident in aspects like folk customs and cuisine. Furthermore, the opening of the five treaty ports and the interactions between Ningbo merchants and the West also introduced some Western cultural influences to Ningbo.

11.1 Schools of Thought

Ningbo's academic culture can be traced back to the Qingli period of the Northern Song Dynasty. At that time, five great scholars—Yang Shi, Du Chun, Lou Yu, Wang Zhi, and Wang Shui—became the earliest representatives of Ningbo's academic culture, historically known as the "Five Qingli Masters of Siming." Wang Anshi established the Yin County School and invited these five masters to lecture, marking the beginning of a flourishing period for academic activities in Ningbo. During the Southern Song Dynasty, Ningbo natives Yang Jian, Yuan Xie, Shu Lin, and Shen Huan developed Lu Jiuyuan's School of Mind (Xinxue) and lectured at Moon Lake in Ningbo, attracting a large number of disciples and forming the Siming School. Among them, Yang Jian had the greatest academic influence on later generations. He traced the origins of the School of Mind back to Confucius and Mencius, proposing four doctrines: "My mind is the Way," "Eternal presence in the human mind," "Innate knowledge and ability," and "Governing with a public mind."

In the Ming Dynasty, the Yuyao thinker Wang Shouren (Yangming) inherited Lu Jiuyuan's idea that "the mind is principle" and proposed "the unity of knowledge and action" and "extending innate knowledge" to achieve the state of "the unity of all things." Wang Yangming had over 3,000 recorded disciples, including 32 first-generation disciples from Yuyao, forming the Yaojiang School. His later disciples' development of his teachings laid the foundation for the formation of the Eastern Zhejiang School. Wang Yangming's doctrines were spread to Japan by Nakae Tōju and Zhu Zhiyu (Shunsui) from Yuyao, leading to the formation of Japanese "Yōmeigaku" (Yangming Studies).

In the Qing Dynasty, the Yuyao scholar Huang Zongxi was influenced by his teacher Liu Zongzhou's Wang School teachings but later broke away from it, forming his own philosophical thought of "all between heaven and earth is qi." Huang Zongxi's work Waiting for the Dawn: A Plan for the Prince discusses politics, economics, law, military affairs, education, and other areas, reflecting the idea of "people as the foundation." Additionally, Huang Zongxi conducted research in astronomy, geography, mathematics, art, religion, and other fields. After the age of 54, Huang lectured in various parts of Zhejiang, with his lectures in Ningbo having the greatest impact. He had over a hundred followers, including 18 outstanding disciples, making Ningbo the birthplace of the Eastern Zhejiang School. Notable later scholars include Wan Sida, Wan Sitong, and Quan Zuwang.

11.2 Folktales

Ningbo is one of the birthplaces of the famous Chinese folktale, the Legend of Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai (Butterfly Lovers). According to the story recorded in Zhang Du's Xuan Shi Zhi from the Tang Dynasty, Liang Shanbo served as the magistrate of Mao County and died in office. When Zhu Yingtai passed by Liang's tomb on her wedding day, she wept so bitterly that the ground collapsed, and they were buried together, known as the "Tomb of the Righteous Woman." The Liang Shanbo Temple and tomb are located in Gaoqiao Town, Haishu District today. According to the Republican-era Yin County Gazetteer, the temple was built during the Jin Dynasty and renovated multiple times during the Song, Ming, Qing, and Republican periods. A folk saying goes, "If a couple wishes to grow old together, they must visit the Liang Shanbo Temple." Customs formed include annual temple fairs on the first day of the third lunar month and the sixteenth day of the eighth lunar month, as well as an incense night gathering on the seventh day of the eighth lunar month. Legends also emerged about Liang Shanbo protecting Emperor Gaozong of Song (Zhao Gou) and the marriage of Liang and Zhu. In 1999, the Liang-Zhu Culture Park, centered around the Liang Shanbo Temple, was built, becoming a love-themed park.

Besides the Liang-Zhu legend, people of Ningbo throughout history have created various folktales covering characters, geography, customs, local products, and more. Among them, the legends of Xu Fu's eastward voyage and the Cloth Bag Monk, along with the Liang-Zhu legend, are listed in the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List.

11.3 Opera and Folk Performing Arts

Ningbo's local opera genres include Yong Opera, Yao Opera, Ninghai Pingdiao, etc., while major external genres include Yue Opera, Peking Opera, and Shao Opera. Yong Opera is a native drama of Ningbo, formed during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty. It developed from field songs and "singing the news," incorporating folk tunes like the horse lantern tune. Initially, it was merely a form of unaccompanied singing for leisure, but later, influenced by other operas, it incorporated performance and accompaniment, gradually forming its own performance style. Traditional works include Half a Pair of Scissors, Rain Is Falling, Mother Is Marrying, and Borrowing a Wife. Its artistic characteristics include free form, delicate performance, closeness to life, and rich folk vocabulary. The Ningbo Yong Opera Troupe is the city's main performance group. The predecessor of Yue Opera, "Deduban," was introduced to Ningbo in 1906. Since then, Yue Opera has become extremely popular in Ningbo. The Ningbo Yue Opera Troupe is an important performance group in the city and has undertaken numerous international performance tasks.

Ningbo's local folk performing arts mainly include Siming Nanci, Ningbo Zoushu, and "singing the news." Initially, these were mostly forms of entertainment during agricultural off-seasons but later became livelihoods for performers. The performance materials were often adapted from social news and folktales, refined by artists over time. Siming Nanci evolved from folk singing, featuring elegant lyrics and melodies, often performed at festive occasions. Ningbo Zoushu developed from call-and-response field songs, usually accompanied by a four-stringed lute, and is named for the large movements during performance. "Singing the news" evolved from singing "court bulletins" (official news) and later became a performing art form sung by blind people on boats; it is no longer performed today.

Ningbo opera and folk performing arts listed in the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List include Yong Opera, Yao Opera, Ninghai Pingdiao, Siming Nanci, and Ningbo Zoushu.

11.4 Folk Customs

Ningbo's geography, nestled between mountains and the sea, forms the foundation of its local customs. The widespread influence of Buddhism, the academic culture since the Song Dynasty, the commercial traditions since the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and the Western culture introduced in modern times have also shaped Ningbo's folk customs.

Regarding seasonal customs, Ningbo, like other regions of China, celebrates traditional festivals such as the Spring Festival, Lantern Festival, and Mid-Autumn Festival. It also places importance on local customs like the celebration of Guanyin's enlightenment. Among the various festivals, a distinctive custom is celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival on the sixteenth day of the eighth lunar month. Legend has it that this custom is related to Shi Hao, a prime minister of the Southern Song Dynasty. In terms of wedding customs, wealthy families had the custom of "ten-mile red dowry," creating a large number of exquisite daily items based on local techniques like vermilion-gilt wood carving and mud-gold colored lacquer as dowry. The procession carrying the dowry stretched for ten miles, hence the name. Commercially, due to prosperous trade, many streets named after industries have survived to this day. Ningbo also has a wealth of commercial proverbs, such as "Official rank requires seeking; business depends on networking," and "Don't fear not selling, fear not persuading." Folk customs related to fishery production include the grand Mazu festival in Shipu, Xiangshan, to thank the ocean. With changing times, many customs have become difficult to find.

Ningbo folk customs listed in the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List include the Ten-Mile Red Dowry, Fenghua Cloth Dragon, Xiangshan Fishermen's Work Songs, Fishermen's Sea Opening Festival, Sea Thanksgiving Festival, and the Shipu-Fugang Ruyi Belief Custom.

11.5 Cuisine

Ningbo cuisine, also known as "Yongbang cuisine," is a branch of Zhejiang cuisine. It has a long history and gained fame during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Ningbo cuisine uses ingredients from East Sea seafood, inland river delicacies, and mountain treasures, with seafood being particularly famous. There are over 30 cooking methods in Ningbo cuisine, with stir-frying, deep-frying, braising, quick-frying, steaming, stewing, pickling, and roasting being the most developed. Unlike the sweet characteristics of Jiangnan cuisine, Ningbo cuisine is known for its "freshness, saltiness, and pungency." "Freshness" refers to the emphasis on tender, soft, and smooth textures, highlighting the original flavors of the ingredients. "Saltiness" refers to the many pickled foods, represented by dishes like red crab paste salted raw crab and pickled potherb mustard (salted mustard greens). "Pungency" refers to the characteristic of Ningbo people consuming certain fermented foods that emit a distinct odor, represented by the "Three Stinky Delicacies of Ningbo" (stinky winter melon, stinky amaranth stems, and stinky cabbage hearts).

Representative dishes of Ningbo cuisine include rock sugar soft-shelled turtle, pot-braised river eel, tofu skin wrapped yellow croaker, small roasted pork with seaweed, golden chicken with ham, lotus leaf steamed pork with rice flour, colorful quick-fried whole yellow croaker, lard net wrapped goose liver, yellow croaker fish maw, and yellow croaker coated with seaweed batter, collectively known as the "Ten Famous Dishes of Ningbo." Dishes like Ningbo-style shredded eel and yellow croaker with preserved mustard greens are beloved home-style dishes.

Ningbo snacks are also distinctive. The traditional "Ten Famous Snacks of Ningbo" are dragon and phoenix golden cakes, sweet bean paste eight-treasure rice, lard and flour paste, small steamed pork buns, crystal lard buns (shaomai), Ningbo lard glutinous rice balls, three-delicacy banquet noodles, steamed pork wontons, and sweet bean paste balls. Among them, Ningbo lard glutinous rice balls are world-renowned for their ingredients, craftsmanship, aroma, and taste.

11.6 Handicrafts

Ningbo possesses a number of important handicraft techniques, including vermilion-gilt wood carving, mud-gold colored lacquer, gold and silver colored embroidery, bone and wood inlay, Hongbang tailoring techniques, and grass mat weaving. Among these, vermilion-gilt wood carving, mud-gold colored lacquer, and gold and silver colored embroidery are collectively known as the "Three Golds," representing the traditional handicrafts of Ningbo. As modern lifestyles have become mainstream, these handicraft techniques are increasingly distant from daily life, posing challenges for their preservation and transmission.Zhu Jin wood carving has a history of nearly a thousand years in Ningbo, characterized by red lacquer and gold leaf application, involving meticulous lacquering and gold leaf application on wood carvings. It flourished during the Ming and Qing dynasties and was widely used in folk daily life. Representative works include the Thousand-Crafts Bed, Ten-Thousand-Crafts Sedan, Drum Pavilion, and stage decorations. Mud-gold colored lacquer thrived during the Ming and Qing dynasties, with techniques involving sculpting with prepared lacquer mud on wooden surfaces, followed by gold leaf application and coloring. Similar to Zhu Jin wood carving, mud-gold colored lacquer was also extensively used in decorating everyday objects. Gold and silver colored embroidery uses gold thread, silver thread, and various silk threads to create different embroideries on silk surfaces. The main techniques of gold and silver colored embroidery are coiled gold and filled gold, often used for official robes, folk celebrations, and religious purposes. Bone and wood inlay originated in the Sui and Tang dynasties and matured during the Qianlong period of the Qing dynasty. The main technique involves embedding animal bones into wooden surfaces to create various themes. The Hongbang tailoring technique emerged in the late 19th century, created by Ningbo people for Western-style suit tailoring, requiring over 130 steps, most of which are done by hand.

Ningbo crafts listed as national intangible cultural heritage include Zhu Jin wood carving, bone and wood inlay, mud-gold colored lacquer, gold and silver colored embroidery, Yue kiln celadon firing techniques, and sea salt sun-drying techniques.

11.7 Film and Television

After Ningbo opened as a port, films were introduced from the West, initially screened by Western merchants and foreign missionaries. By 1910, there were already several cinemas in Ningbo, such as the Huanxian Theater and Wansheng Film Theater on the north bank of the Jiangbei area and within the city. Ningbo merchants were also pioneers in China's national film industry. On July 9, 1910, Wang Jingwen opened the Qunying Jule Company in Hejia Lane, Jiangbei, to screen films, marking the beginning of Ningbo people's involvement in the film industry. In 1913, Zhang Shichuan directed China's first feature film, The Difficult Couple. In 1916, China's first independent film production company, Huanxian Film Company, was established in Ningbo. Ren Jinping, founder of Shanghai Star Film Company; Run Run Shaw and Runme Shaw, founders of Hong Kong's Shaw Brothers Studio; and Yuan Muzhi, the first director of the Film Bureau under the Ministry of Culture after the founding of the People's Republic of China, were all from Ningbo.

Ningbo has also been the filming location for many film and television works. Cai Chusheng's film Song of the Fishermen was filmed in Shipu, Xiangshan, becoming the first Chinese film to win an international award. In 1975, Tang Xiaodan's film The Unforgettable Battle was filmed in downtown Ningbo and Yinjiang Bridge, causing a sensation in Ningbo. Some enthusiasts even created a Ningbo dialect rhyme based on the plot: "Unforgettable battle, a scale weight hits the head," which became widely circulated. In 2006, Hong Kong comedian Stephen Chow, whose ancestral home is Ningbo, directed and starred in the film CJ7, which was filmed in Dongqian Lake and the Old Bund in Ningbo. At the end of 2011, Chen Kaige's film Caught in the Web was filmed for over three months at locations such as the Sanjiangkou, Ningbo Museum, and Hangzhou Bay Wetland. The Xiangshan Film and Television City, completed in May 2003, is a famous film and television shooting base in China, having hosted the filming of many renowned works such as The Return of the Condor Heroes and Sacrifice. Ningbo Radio and Television Group has also participated in the production of several well-known TV series, including The North Wind Blows, Little Aunt Duohe, and Eastward to the Sea.

10.8 Media

The earliest newspaper in Ningbo was the irregular publication Chinese and Foreign News, founded by American Christian missionaries in 1854. It covered news, religion, science, literature, and was distributed nationwide in China as well as in the United Kingdom and Japan. The Ningbo Vernacular Newspaper, founded in 1903, was the earliest newspaper run by Ningbo people. In the early 20th century, newspaper publishing in Ningbo became popular, peaking after the May Fourth Movement. From 1919 to 1927, over 60 newspapers and magazines appeared in Ningbo, three times the total before 1919, though most later ceased publication. Currently, Ningbo's newspaper industry is competitive, with publications such as Ningbo Daily, Ningbo Evening News, and Southeast Business News under the Ningbo Daily Press Group; Modern Gold News operated by Xinhua News Agency Zhejiang Branch; Qianjiang Evening News by Zhejiang Daily Press Group; and Metro Express by Hangzhou Daily Press Group.

The earliest radio station in Ningbo was established in 1932 as an amateur station run by enthusiasts. In 1938, the Yin County government opened a radio station. Subsequently, multiple radio stations appeared in the urban area. Ningbo People's Radio Station was established in the autumn of 1951 and currently operates three channels, covering nearly ten million people in Ningbo and surrounding areas. Ningbo Television Station was founded in 1984 and currently has five channels, reaching an audience of nearly ten million.

The main online media in Ningbo today are China Ningbo Network and East Online, operated by Ningbo Daily Press Group and Ningbo Public Information Industry Co., Ltd., respectively.

10.9 Sports

Since the 1990s, Ningbo has played a role in the history of Chinese football, basketball, and volleyball. Ningbo has served as the home ground for clubs in China's secondary professional football league three times and has hosted Asia's highest-level club competitions. In the 1997 season, the Locomotive Football Club, competing in China Football League B, moved its home ground from Tianjin to Ningbo, sponsored by the Shanshan Group and renamed Locomotive Shanshan. This was the first professional football team to call Ningbo its home. However, Locomotive Shanshan finished last and was relegated to the third division, and the Locomotive Club withdrew from professional football after the season, selling the team to Shenzhen Ping'an. In 2003, Gansu Tianma, competing in League B, moved its home ground to Ningbo in the second half of the season and was renamed Ningbo Yaoma. After narrowly avoiding relegation by finishing 11th, Ningbo Yaoma moved its home ground to Dongguan in the 2004 season and was renamed Dongguan Dongcheng. In the 2004 season, Shaanxi Guoli, recently relegated from League A, moved its home ground from Xi'an to Ningbo and was renamed Ningbo Guoli. Although Ningbo Guoli ranked third in the first half of the China League One season and had high hopes for promotion to the Super League, due to the club's general manager Wang Po extensively fixing matches and gambling in the second half, Ningbo Guoli finished 12th in the season, and the club moved its home ground to Harbin the following year. In February 1998, the newly built Ningbo Stadium hosted six matches of the East Asian semi-finals of the Asian Club Championship, the highest-level club competition in Asian football at the time (single round-robin format), with Pohang Steelers and Dalian Wanda advancing to the semi-finals. Additionally, Ningbo has had two professional football clubs participate in China Football League Two: Ningbo Zhongbao and Ningbo Hua'ao.

In the history of Chinese professional basketball, Ningbo was famous as a "golden home ground." From 1998 to 2018, the Bayi Rockets Basketball Club set its home ground at the Ningbo Youngor Gymnasium. From the 1998-99 season to the 2000-01 season, Bayi Rockets won three consecutive Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) championships in Ningbo and reclaimed the championship twice in the 2002-03 and 2006-07 seasons. Bayi Men's Basketball Team's five CBA championships in Ningbo greatly enhanced the basketball atmosphere in the city. After Bayi Men's Basketball Team withdrew from the league in 2020, the Ningbo Fu Bang Men's Basketball Club was established and set its home ground in Ningbo. Starting from the 2005-06 season, the strong Women's Chinese Basketball Association (WCBA) team Bayi Women's Basketball Team also moved its home ground to Ningbo and was renamed Bayi Guangbo Stationery Women's Basketball Team. During its time in Ningbo, Bayi Women's Basketball Team won the WCBA championship in the 2007-08 season and finished as runners-up twice. At the end of 2017, Bayi Women's Basketball Team moved its home ground to Nanchang and was renamed Bayi Nanchang Honggutan Women's Basketball Team.

Since the 21st century, Ningbo has become one of the important training bases for the Chinese national volleyball team. In 2008, the Chinese Women's Volleyball Team established a training base in Beilun, Ningbo, covering an area of over 100 mu with a building area of approximately 33,000 square meters. National team members train here for no less than one month each year. In April 2011, the Chinese Men's Volleyball Team also held its training camp at the Beilun base for the first time. As a result, Ningbo has hosted numerous international and domestic volleyball events, including the FIVB Volleyball World Grand Prix.

In addition, Ningbo has played a significant role in promoting many other sports. Wang Zhengnan, a native of Yin County in the early Qing dynasty, was a famous inheritor of Neijiaquan (internal martial arts). Wang Zhengting, a native of Fenghua, was the first Chinese and the second Far Eastern member of the International Olympic Committee and long participated in organizing and leading the Far Eastern Championship Games and the Chinese National Amateur Athletic Federation. Ying Changqi, a famous businessman from Ningbo, was an important promoter of the game of Go. The Beilun training base also hosts training facilities for nine national teams, including table tennis, badminton, boxing, judo, wrestling, and weightlifting. In 2000, the first National Sports Games, China's first national non-Olympic sports event, was held in Ningbo. Since 2010, Ninghai County has been designated as the permanent venue for the China Sports Forum, approved by the General Administration of Sport of China and hosted by China Sports Publication Corporation.

12. Culture

12.1 Sister Cities

The replicas of civil and military official sculptures gifted by Ningbo to Florence; the original models are located in the Southern Song Dynasty Stone Carving Park.

| Country | City | Date Established | Country | City | Date Established | |-------------|-------------------------------|----------------------|-------------|-----------------|----------------------| | Japan | Nagaokakyō | 4/1/83 | Germany | Aachen | 10/1/86 | | USA | Wilmington | 5/1/88 | France | Rouen | 3/1/90 | | New Zealand | Waitakere City | 11/1/98 | Brazil | Santos | 1/1/02 | | Hungary | Veszprém | 7/1/03 | South Africa| Nelson Mandela Bay | 9/1/03 | | Bulgaria | Varna | 6/1/04 | Norway | Stavanger | 9/1/04 | | UK | Nottingham | 9/1/05 | Poland | Bydgoszcz | 10/1/05 | | Italy | Florence | 8/1/08 | South Korea | Daegu Metropolitan City | 6/1/13 |

12.2 Friendly Exchange Cities

| Country | City | Date Established | Country | City | Date Established | |---------------|-------------------|----------------------|---------------|--------------------|----------------------| | Japan | Masuda | 10/1/91 | Japan | Ueda | 2/1/95 | | Spain | Barcelona | 10/1/95 | South Korea | Suncheon | 6/1/97 | | Canada | Surrey | 6/1/97 | South Korea | Pyeongtaek | 4/1/00 | | USA | Houston | 9/1/00 | Austria | Wiener Neustadt | 9/1/02 | | Italy | Verona | 9/1/05 | USA | Milwaukee | 5/1/06 | | USA | Jacksonville | 12/1/07 | Morocco | Marrakesh | 12/1/07 | | Ukraine | Odesa | 10/1/08 | Belgium | Antwerp | 10/1/09 | | Mexico | Manzanillo | 10/1/10 | Estonia | Tartu | 4/1/11 | | Croatia | Rijeka | 6/1/11 | Benin | Cotonou | 6/1/12 | | Madagascar | Toamasina | 6/1/12 | South Korea | Busan | 7/1/12 | | Iran | Bandar Abbas | 6/1/14 | Romania | Cluj-Napoca | 6/1/14 | | Albania | Durrës | 6/1/14 | Latvia | Ventspils | 6/1/14 | | Slovakia | Martin | 6/1/14 | Lithuania | Alytus | 6/1/14 | | Serbia | Kragujevac | 6/1/14 | Slovenia | Maribor | 6/1/14 | | Slovenia | Koper | 9/1/14 | Mexico | Durango | 9/1/14 | | Bosnia and Herzegovina | Prijedor | 1/1/15 | Czech Republic| Kladno | 6/1/15 | | North Macedonia| Bitola | 6/1/15 | Montenegro | Bar | 6/1/15 | | Serbia | Novi Sad | 6/1/15 | Slovenia | Maribor | 6/1/15 | | Croatia | Split | 6/1/15 | Croatia | Pula | 6/1/15 | | Jordan | Irbid | 12/1/15 | Belarus | Barysaw | 3/1/16 | | Egypt | Suez | 5/1/16 | Armenia | Kapan | 6/1/16 | | Mongolia | Ulaanbaatar | 5/1/17 | Portugal | Sines | 5/1/17 | | Cambodia | Sihanoukville | 11/1/17 | France | Nice | 3/1/18 | | Ecuador | Manta | 9/1/18 | Brazil | Duque de Caxias | 4/1/19 | | Greece | Heraklion | 7/1/19 | Vietnam | Haiphong City | 12/1/20 | | Cyprus | Larnaca | 3/1/22 | | | |

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2001 Ningchuan Road, Yinzhou District

Haishu District

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Camphor tree

Camellia