宁波市

Why this place

Ningbo has been a major port since the Tang dynasty, and its Tianyi Pavilion is the oldest surviving private library in China. It is a wealthy, well-kept city with a strong merchant tradition — this is where many of the overseas Chinese communities of Shanghai and Hong Kong trace their roots.

What to see

• Tianyi Pavilion and the old library garden — the oldest private library in China
• The old Bund on the Yong River, with its early-20th-century banks and warehouses
• Tiantong Temple and Asoka Temple in the hills, both important in Zen Buddhism
• Putuoshan, the Buddhist island, reachable by ferry from Ningbo's port

What to eat

• Ningbo seafood — the coastal catch is excellent, especially in winter
• Ningbo rice cakes (nian gao) and the sweet fermented rice-cake soup
• Salted crab and pickled seafood, the local style

Best time

March–May and September–November