City guide · 宁波 Ningbo
Ningbo
A port city of books where three rivers meet: Tianyi Pavilion, Moon Lake and the Old Bund
Ningbo is a sub-provincial city in Zhejiang Province and a port city on the East China Sea, where three rivers, the Yong, Yao, and Fenghua, meet at Sanjiangkou in the city center. You can spend two to three days walking through Tianyi Pavilion, Moon Lake, the Drum Tower, and the Old Bund, then stroll along Dongqian Lake or visit the Chiang family residence in Xikou. Ningbo is defined by the phrase "books preserving past and present, a port open to the world": on one side stands the oldest surviving private library in China, and on the other the Ningbo-Zhoushan Port, one of the busiest ports in the world by cargo throughput. Also worth visiting in the city: Ningbo Drum Tower, Tianfeng Pagoda, Ningbo Prefectural City God Temple, Old Bund, Dongqian Lake, Baoguo Temple, Xikou (Fenghua District), King Ashoka Temple (Yinzhou District), Tiantong Temple, Qita Temple, Ningbo Museum, Qing'an Guild Hall (Tianhou Temple), Nantang Old Street and Cicheng Ancient County Town (Jiangbei District).
History
How the city came to be
Ningbo's history can be traced back to the Jingtoushan site of about 8,300 years ago and the Hemudu culture of about 7,000 years ago. In the Spring and Autumn period, King Goujian of Yue first built the city of Juzhang. Under the Qin dynasty it belonged to Kuaiji Commandery, governing the three counties of Yin, Mao, and Juzhang. In the Tang dynasty it was called Mingzhou: Mingzhou was established in 738, and in 821 (the first year of the Changqing era) the prefect Han Cha moved the prefectural seat to Sanjiangkou and built an inner city wall, marking the founding of Ningbo. The south gate of the Tang-era inner city is today's Ningbo Drum Tower. In the Tang dynasty, the port of Ningbo became a major foreign trade port in China, trading frequently with Japan and Goryeo, and ranking alongside Yangzhou and Guangzhou as a great port of East Asia. In the Song dynasty, the Maritime Trade Office (established in 999) managed overseas trade, and scholar-officials such as Wang Anshi helped Ningbo establish its tradition of "farming and study passed down through families, merchants and scholars growing together." In 1381, the Ming dynasty renamed Mingzhou as Ningbo, taking the meaning "when the sea is calm, the waves are peaceful." Under the Ming dynasty, the sea ban and Japanese pirate raids weakened shipping, and the Ningbo merchant group also emerged at this time. In 1842, the Treaty of Nanjing listed Ningbo as one of the five treaty ports, and it formally opened to trade in 1844. In 1984, Ningbo was designated a coastal open city; in 1986 it was listed as a national historical and cultural city; in 1987 it became a separately planned city; and in 1994 it became a sub-provincial city.
- About 8,300 years agothe Jingtoushan site period.
- About 7,000 years agoHemudu culture formed several sites around Ningbo.
- Spring and Autumn periodKing Goujian of Yue first built the city of Juzhang.
- 738Mingzhou established.
- 821the prefectural seat of Mingzhou moved to Sanjiangkou and an inner city wall was built, marking the founding of Ningbo.
- 823the Dongjin pontoon bridge was built over the Fenghua River (later called Ling Bridge), the earliest pontoon bridge across the river in Ningbo.
- 833the Tashan Weir was built, solving the salinization of the inner rivers, and it still functions today.
- 999the Mingzhou Maritime Trade Office was established to manage overseas trade.
- 1381Mingzhou renamed Ningbo.
- 1561Fan Qin built Tianyi Pavilion, the oldest surviving private library in China.
- 1842the Treaty of Nanjing listed Ningbo as one of the five treaty ports; it formally opened to trade in 1844.
- 1949Ningbo liberated.
- 1984designated a coastal open city; 1986: listed as a national historical and cultural city.
- 2008the Ningbo Museum opened, designed by architect Wang Shu.
Stories
Stories of the city
Never divide the books, never take them out
History · Tianyi Pavilion
After Fan Qin, his eldest son Fan Dachong inherited the collection, and the family rule took shape: "Do not divide the books between generations; do not take books out of the pavilion." The books belonged to all the descendants in common, and the library could be unlocked only when every branch of the family was present. In 1829 the Fan family set up a stone tablet reaffirming that no book should leave the pavilion.
A pond before the library
History · Tianyi Pavilion
Fan Qin laid out the building according to the idea of "Heaven's One, Earth's Six", and dug a pond in front of it to hold water in case of fire. Local lore says the pond is connected to Ningbo's Moon Lake.
