Ningbo overview

The coastal port of Ningbo is a pleasant if somewhat lacking city, with little to entertain tourists other than the riverside enclave of al-fresco restaurants. Most travellers use Ningbo as a gateway to the heavily visited Putuoshan, a florid tourist trap, or various inland areas. Modern development has rendered much of the port a toxic waste ground, but local entrepreneurs have flourished as evidenced by the huge range of luxury cars that stand alongside hordes of beggars. A key port on the 19th Century Opium Wars, Ningbo today is becoming increasingly linked to nearby Shanghai which brings economic integration and greater foreign investment, typified by the new Hangzhou Bay Bridge. The world’s second largest bridge has opened the city to commerce but precious else by way of attractions save for remnants of a once-famous furniture industry.