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| A bird's-eye view over Yuehu Lake in downtown Ningbo. It's where locals love to relax without having to leave the city. (Shanghai Daily) |
Since a high-speed bullet train between Ningbo and Shanghai began running this month, it has become easier to reach the city across Hangzhou Bay for a weekend escape from the hustle and bustle of Shanghai.
Ningbo, one of the richest cities in south China's Zhejiang Province, with a population of 7.6 million, boasts beautiful landscaping, a flourishing culture and tasty food. We planned a three-day trip to the city, which easily can be cut to two if you don't want to take an extra day off. Seventy-two hours might not be enough to fully explore the city, but it's enough to give you a quick glance - and may even make you fall in love with the place.
Day 1
8am-10am
Take the two-hour bullet train from Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station to Ningbo East Railway Station. The trains leave almost every 30 minutes, starting at 6:20am.
10:30am
Tired from the trip? Stretch your legs at Yuehu Lake Park. It's in downtown Ningbo, so take your time to check into a hotel first and take a taxi. Yuehu Lake is known as Ningbo's own "West Lake," where locals love to relax without leaving the city. Yuehu, literally "the moon lake," dates to the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907). It was a place where ancient scholars, poets and painters gathered. Today, the park includes 10 scenic spots, including islands, pavilions and bridges. The remains of the ancient Korean Embassy can be found on the east bank of Yuehu Lake, as Ningbo used to be a key port for trade between China and other countries and a starting point for the Silk Road on the Sea, the two most favored courses followed by ancient trade ships on the East China and South China seas. The embassy was built in the Song Dynasty (960-1279). You can choose to visit the relic if you love history, or simply walk around the lake, looking at grandfathers doing tai chi, or rent a boat to enjoy the sunshine.
12pm
A famous local eatery called Shipu Restaurant has a branch just beside the park. It offers authentic Ningbo cuisine, including seafood such as salted crab, yellow croaker and clams. It is a good starting place for those inclined to explore Ningbo food.
1:30pm
A short walk from Yuehu Park will take you to Ningbo's most famous landmark: Tianyige Library. As the oldest private library in China, it has stood in the city center for more than 450 years, passing from generation to generation after it was built by Fan Qin, a vice minister of war in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). The two-story wooden structure was the blueprint for royal libraries, including the one in the Forbidden City built in Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). The historic library's books have been moved to a nearby modern facility for better protection, but you can still have a look at the building itself, feeling the contrast between its ancient appearance and how surprisingly well it protected its books for centuries. If you are a fan of mahjong, there is a mahjong museum next to the library, explaining the history and development of the most popular board game in China.
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