Located in the middle of China's coastline and in the south of Yangtze Delta, Ningbo is one of China's coastal cities to be opened to the outside world. It is divided from Shanghai by the Hangzhou Bay. With an area of 9365 square kilometers and a population of 5.3 million people, Ningbo enjoys a privileged right of economic management at provincial level, which gives a great impetus to its economic prosperity.
In ancient times, Ningbo was the starting point of "road of silk" and "road of china" through sea. Now Ningbo has grown into one of the four international deepwater harbors in China, which can berth 300,000-tonnage vessels. In 1997, its handling capacity of cargo amounted to 82.2 tons and therefore jumped to be the No. 2 harbor in mainland China.
As an old cultural city with a clear distinction of four seasons and moderate climate, Ninbo has nurtured many talented people. There are 225 cultural relics in Ningbo, among which the Hemudu Cultural Relics has a history of 7000 years. The Tianyi Building is the oldest book-collecting building in China. The Baoguo temple is the oldest wooden one on the upper reaches of Yangzi River. The Yue Kiln in Shanglin is one of the origins of Chinese civilization. The ancient irrigation works in Tashanyan together with the former residence of Jiangkaishe are both important cultural relics under national preservation. Besides, Tiantong temple is the No. 2 temple to advocate Zen Sect. The Ayuwang Temple has in it the mummy of Sakyamuni. The Xuedou Temple is a Buddhist rite of Maitreya and a resort where people pay respect to Buddhism. The Dongqian Lake is the biggest freshwater lake in Zhejiang province.
These scenic spots, together with Putuo Mountains on its east, Yandang Mountains on its south, West Lake on its west and Shanghai on its east, are sure to make Ningbo a nice place for tourists from all over the world.
|