Ningbo Things to Do

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The heart of the modern Ningbo, with restaurants, entertainment and shopping is Tianyi Square. This is where people come to eat, drink, shop and just relax, watching the water displays or others enjoying themselves. Here you will also find the Shipu Hotel seafood restaurant and all sorts of eateries.

A surprise feature is also the Catholic Church just south off the square (by Yaoxing Street).

Go here for your shopping, food and entertainment, and enjoy the metropolitan feel of the place. You could almost forget where you are, so international is the atmosphere in this place!

Ningbo Ocean World known as Ningbo Haiyang Shijie is located about 10 minutes by taxi from Ningbo downtown. It is less than 5 minutes from Metro supermarket and next to the Children's Park. We were traveling with my parents and my 2 younger sisters. In fact everyone was pleased. We had a great time going through the different zones and meeting the sharks in the underwater tunnel. The visit might lasted about 2 hours as there were several shows inside. We saw a water ballet performed by some graceful mermaids and a very funny baby seal doing lots of tricks. In conclusion, if you want to relax and please the whole family, you should consider visiting Ningbo Ocean World.

Ningbo Tianfeng Tower is just 5 minutes walk from Tianyi Square and next to Cheng Huang Temple. For a long time the Tianfeng Tower used to be the highest construction in Ningbo. Located on Da Sha'ni Jie and Kaiming Jie, the Ningbo Tianfeng Tower was originally built during the Tang Dynasty (695-696) then rebuilt during the Song Dynasty (1144).
After climbing 14 staircases that get very narrow when reaching the top, you might need a moment to catch your breath. But the effort is worthwhile as you will finally enjoy a nice panoramic view of the city center...

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Like many other places in China, Ningbo also boasts its own lake, the Moon Lake (Yue Hu), and as ever it also a tourist attraction. A tourist attraction or no, it offers a bit of tranquility in the midst of the busy centre, even though it is dissected in the middle by a busy road (Liuting Street). There are restaurants, tea houses, pavilions, gardens and a museum to entertain you here. During Spring, the blossom is awesome!

Shipu hotel with a view over the Northern part of the lake boasts local seafood fare, but there are also other Shipu restaurants in Ningbo with great seafood.

Close by is also Tianyi area with the Tianyi pavilion, the oldest surviving library building in China. It was built in 1516. Unfortunately, the day we went, it was closed.

Legend says the Sheli Pagoda here wasn't built, but rose from the ground. This active monastery 20 kilometres from Ningbo houses a bone fragment of Sakyamuni, Buddhism's founder, as well as artifacts, paintings and calligraphy - some personally written by Chinese emperors.

Twenty kilometres north of Ningbo, this complex contains notable exhibits of Chinese architecture, and having been built in 1013 A.D. is itself one of the oldest wooden structures south of the Yangtze. Other exhibits feature inlaid wood, porcelain, bronze, pottery and cloisonne.

Poets have rhapsodized about this jewel-like body of water for 1,300 years. Just east of the hotel district, Moon Lake Park contains tree-lined walkways, pagodas and pavilions, and a large children's playground area.

Another striking piece of architecture, this elegant pagoda was built in 1330 A.D. to replace one that had stood on the site for 800 years. It is still the tallest structure in Ningbo, and thus affords the city's best view.