Resources
Eat:
Traditional Chinese food in a chain restaurant that had an epic view over Tianyi Square.
Purple dumplings, cold spiced beef tendon, hairy crab xiao long bao and other local delicacies on Tianyi Square.
Min Zhen Shipu
At this restaurant near Xuedou Mountain, you can pick out your fish or even a snake from piles of ice, like at a fish market. For adventurous eaters.
Stay:
Towering above the city, the Shanrgi-La is modern and impeccably designed, with floor to ceiling windows and a lavish throwback ballroom.
With its slick spa, minimal look, lake views and a traditional tea house on site, the Hyatt is pampering but not overwhelming.
Do:
Qing'an Guild
The ancient building was designed to be a gathering place for shipping merchants and a shrine to Mazu, a goddess who protects fishermen and sailors.
Ningbo Museum
Designed by Wang Shu, the first Chinese citizen to win the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2012, this is a must see.
Ningbo Drum Tower
This local landmark usually features an exhibition at its top, as well as the ever-present views of the city and the market below. Do not miss the ‘secret’ tunnel that leads you to a bustling market on the other side.
The oldest private library in existence in China, built in the times of the Ming dynasty. Rare books and relics.
Tianyi Square
Sit above it at Grandma’s Home and watch the world pass by below.
Soothing baths and traditional treatments, some featuring a giant tea bag dipped into the tub.
Song Dynasty Sculpture Park
A stunning collection of Southern Song Dynasty sculptures, most of them intact. The tiger carvings are especially inspiring, their eyelids lowered as if half asleep.