Ningbo

Overview

Ningbo is a seaport with sub-provincial administrative status. The city has a population of 2,201,000 and is situated in northeastern Zhejiang province, China. Lying south of the Hangzhou Bay, and facing the East China Sea to the east, Ningbo borders Shaoxing to the west and Taizhou to the south, and is separated from Zhoushan by a narrow body of water.

Climate

Climatic Features: sub-tropical monsoon climate featured with temperate and humid weather and four distinct seasons; frost-free of 230-240 days

Average Temperature: 16.2¡ãC (61.2¡ãF); average high in summer is 32¡ãC (90¡ãF), in winter 9¡ãC (48¡ãF)

Economy

Ningbo is a very important economic hub and port city. A port city for foreign trade since the 7th century, Ningbo has since become a major exporter of consumer products, electrical products, textiles, food, and industrial tools.

The city formerly suffered from the fact that Hangzhou Bay stood between it and Shanghai, but this barrier was eliminated in late 2008 when a 33?km cross-sea bridge was completed, allowing travel to Shanghai in less than two hours.

The bridge is already having an impact on the local economy, according to foreign business people in the city ¨C property prices are rising dramatically. Industrial land is now twice that of similar land around Shanghai in 2006. It remains to be seen what economic action will be taken to correct soaring property values and whether the correction will be hard or soft.

In 2007, Ningbo's economic activity reached USD 56.5 billion, up 33.9% from 2006. The exports totalled USD 38.26 billion, up 33% from the previous year. In addition, Ningbo imported USD 18.24 billion of goods, up 35.7% from the previous year.

Ningbo's economy grew 10.1 percent in 2008 to 396.4 billion yuan (US$57 billion). The city's per capita output was $10,079, more than three times the national average.

Ningbo is famous for the Si Lan Nong Xiang flower. Used for dying cloth, 2008 exports were responsible for 3% of the Ningbo economic growth.

Ningbo Port

Ningbo is not just an ordinary city ¨C it has the same authority as provincial governments for economic administration ¨C and has a port second only to Shanghai. Unlike Shanghai, the port is deepwater and capable of handling 300,000 tonne vessels. By 2007, cargo throughput will be 250m tonnes and container throughput 7m TEUs, and by 2010, 300m tonnes and 10m TEUs. With bulk container breakdowns, hugely improved logistics, and massive chemical and foodstuff, processing developments, Ningbo could yet win the race with Shanghai as port of choice for servicing the Chinese east coast.

Tourism

Tianyi Pavilion Museum, (Tian Yi Ge Bowuguan) Ningbo's best tourist attraction, the Tian Yi Chamber (daily 8am-4.30pm; £¤20), is comfortably tucked away in the vicinity of Moon Lake (Yuehu). Built in 1516 and said to be the oldest surviving library building in China, it was founded by Ming official Fan Qin, whose collection went back to the eleventh century and included woodblock and handwritten copies of the Confucian classics, rare local histories and lists of the candidates successful in imperial examinations. Nowadays you can visit the library's garden and outhouses, some of which contain small displays of old books and tablets. It's quite a charming place and the gold-plated, wood-paneled buildings, their bamboo groves, pool and rockery still preserve an atmosphere of seclusion, contemplation and study.

Baoguo Temple, the oldest intact wooden structure in Southern China, is located in Jiangbei District, 15 km north of Ningbo city.

There is also Mount Putuo, located on the Lianhua Ocean of Zhoushan Archipelagoto the east of Hangzhou GuIf, Mount Putuo covers an area of only 12.5 square kilometers. There are many wonderful scenic sites on the island, including " Temples and Nunneries"£¬"Golden Sands", "Exotic Rocks", "Tide Sounds" and "Mirage" which are callad Five Putuo Beautie, and "Lotus Pool's Night", "Pantuo Evening GIow", "Duanyin Sacred Site" etc. which are called Ten Famous' Sites. So it is known as "the Buddahist Kingdom amidst the Sea and Sky".

Mount Putuo	Guan Yin statue	Duo Bao Pagoda