Ningbo

Ningbo, China

This coastal city of east China's Zhejiang province boasts a developed shipping industry and is China's fourth largest port. Two rivulets converge here to form Yongjiang River which finally empties into the East China Sea.

For history buffs, one of China's earliest Neolithic cultural sites and China's earliest private library might be worth a wander. For foodies, walking around for a taste of the authentic local foods is a good option.

Getting around

• Tianyige

  This private library owned by a Ming general is the existing earliest of the kind in China and also in Asia.

• Hermudu Ruins

  One of the earliest Neolithic cultural sites ever found China, the ruins reflect that a splendid culture began to flourish in the region over 4000 years ago.

• Nantang Old Street

  The century-old flagstone-paved street is Ningbo's oldest and most bustling one, and the birthplace of the city's commercial culture.

• Qianye Guildhall

  Back in time, moneybags partied or made monetary transactions here. Built in 1925, it's the only well-preserved historical site of China's early financial industry.

• Qing'an Guildhall

  Financed by the commercial ship owners in the Qing era, it was one of the seven biggest guildhalls in China.

  
  
  
• Dongqian Lake

  The lake 15 kilometers from Ningbo was the region's important water conservancy project dating back 1200 years. It's Zhejiang province's largest freshwater lake, which is 3 times the size of Hangzhou's famed West Lake.