General introduction to Ningbo

Ningbo, one of the richest cities in east China's Zhejiang Province, with a population of 5.8 million, boasts beautiful landscaping, a flourishing culture and tasty food. The city across Hangzhou Bay has become a more and more popular weekend escape from the hustle and bustle of Shanghai.

Geographical Position:

Ningbo bounded on the east by the East China Sea and Zhoushan Archipelago, on the north by Hangzhou Bay, on the west by Shaoxing, and on the south by Taizhou.

Land area:

9,816 square kilometers including 531 islands accounting for 524 square kilometers of the total.

Population:

The registered population had reached 5.8 million by the end of 2013.

Climate:

Ningbo has a subtropical monsoon climate, featuring mild temperatures, moderate humidity and four distinctive seasons. The mean annual temperature is 16.4 degrees Celsius with monthly daily averages ranging from 4.7 degrees in January and 28 in July. Ningbo receives an average annual rainfall of around 1,480 millimeters, 60 percent of which comes between May and September.

Language:

Ningbo dialect is a dialect of Wu, one of the subdivisions of Chinese. It is spoken in Ningbo and Zhoushan and surrounding areas in Zhejiang Province. Native Ningbo speakers generally understand Shanghainese, but not vice-versa. Ningbo dialect is not mutually intelligible with Mandarin.

Economy:

Ningbo is an important port city located 220 kilometers south of Shanghai. The city's export industry dates back to the 7th century. Today Ningbo is a major exporter of electrical products, textiles, food and industrial tools.

GDP: 710 billion yuan in 2013.

Transportation:

• Bridges

Since the late 1980s, 16 bridges have been built across the city's three major rivers and another 27 are under construction.

Hangzhou Bay Bridge, a combination cable-stayed bridge and causeway across Hangzhou Bay, opened to the public on May 1, 2008. This bridge connects Shanghai and Ningbo. It is considered the longest trans-oceanic bridge in the world. It is the world's second-longest bridge, after the Lake Ponchartrain Causeway in Louisiana, United States.

• Sea

The port of Ningbo is one of the world's busiest ports, ranked 2nd by cargo tonnage in 2008, and 7th in TEU.

• Air

Ningbo Lishe International Airport has regularly scheduled domestic and international flights.

• Railway

Three railway lines intersect in Ningbo: the Xiaoshan–Ningbo Railway (Xiaoyong Line), which runs west to Hangzhou, the Ningbo–Taizhou–Wenzhou (Yongtaiwen) Railway, which runs south to Wenzhou, and the Hangzhou–Ningbo High-Speed Railway, which runs parallel to the Xiaoyong Line providing high-speed railway service. It takes around 2 hours by high-speed train from Shanghai to Ningbo.

Food:

Ningbo is known for its seafood and its snacks. Ningbo tangyuan are famous. These small stuffed buns made from glutinous rice flour can be fried or steamed. The filling is black sesame mixed with sugar. Although there is a version filled with fresh pork.

Ningbo is famous throughout China for its salty and tasty cuisine, especially seafood. Seafood markets sell countless varieties of fish, crabs, shrimp, shellfish, snails, jellyfish and other invertebrates.

Notable people:

Chiang Kai-shek (1887-1975), born in Fenghua, Ningbo, was a Chinese political and military leader. In 1926, Chiang led the Northern Expedition to unify the country, becoming China's nominal leader. He served as chairman of the National Military Council of the Republic of China from 1928 to 1948.

Sir Run Run Shaw, (1907–2014), born in Ningbo, was a Hong Kong entertainment mogul and philanthropist. He was one of the most influential figures in the Asian entertainment industry. He founded The Shaw Brothers Studio, one of the largest film production companies in Hong Kong, and Television Broadcasts Limited, the dominant television company in Hong Kong. A well-known philanthropist, Shaw donated billions of Hong Kong dollars to educational institutions in Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland. More than 5,000 buildings on Chinese college campuses bear his name, as does Shaw College of the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Yo-Yo Ma (born October 7, 1955)is a French and American cellist. His ancestral home is Ningbo where his father, also a famous Chinese musician, was born and raised up. Yo-Yo Ma has played as a soloist with many major orchestras. His 75 albums have received 15 Grammy Awards.

Sha Menghai (1900—92), born Shi Wenruo, was a master of calligraphy. He is widely regarded as the top modern Chinese calligrapher. He also was a master of Chinese seal carvings and a traditional Chinese art expert.