Ningbo Mingles Global And Local, Historic And Modern

Hosting the likes of international firms from DuPont and Dow to Burberry and Exxon,Ningbo is an economic and export hub, but it isn’t strictly business in this bustling harbor metropolis that gives nearby Shanghai a run for its money. Historic sites, shopping and dining are alluring diversions.

Start the day visiting the city’s top attraction, the Tianyi Pavilion Museum, China’s oldest surviving library building. Clustered around tranquil pools in a park-like setting, its bamboo and gold structures house ancient books and tablets, including woodblock and handwritten copies of Confucian classics. Nearby, climb the seven-story hexagonal Tianfeng Pagoda, the tallest ancient structure in town, for a perspective overview of the city.

Move along to the stark contrast of the Foreign Concession, the original Portuguese settlement where the picturesque Mediterranean-style Portuguese church with a vaulted ceiling and colorful icons dates back to 1628. Steps away is Lao Waitan, Ningbo’s “mini Bund,” the waterfront now reclaimed as an art venue, with its period buildings converted to colorful Italian trattorias, Irish pubs and German hofbraus. Stop for a spicy curry at Spices Indian Heritage Lounge or try a classic pasta dish at Da Bossi.

Spend the afternoon wandering through the stops and stalls lining Kai Ming Jie, picking out black “Chanel-style” rubber/plastic sandals or colorful embroidered silk purses and sampling the popular tangyuan — boiled buns stuffed with ground sesame and sugar. More familiar dining venues are found in Tian Yi Square, Ningbo’s central mall, where locals shop in the department stores and mingle around the dancing musical fountain. For Gucci, Hermès and other high-end brands, browse the riverside Heyi Avenue Shopping Center.

The explosion of international business fostered a culinary renaissance, and the Sheraton’s daily Café Soo buffets offer a sampling of the full array. Ningbo Shipu Grand Restaurant and Sunward Fishery serve the local seafood-based Yong cuisine, and adventurous diners can seek out the local delicacy, mud snail soup. Chinese foods are served at Meiyan, a stylish 1930s brick-walled house decorated with crystal chandeliers. Located on the city center’s Moon Lake, Lake House presents eye-pleasing fusion dishes and verdant city views.

Wind up the day catching the lively night scene back in trendy Lao Waitan. Join an international mix of locals and expats who hang out where Cheers meets Ningbo at the Office Bar, with its large-screen TVs and self-serve popcorn machine. For the more sedate, Bar Constellation, an offshoot of the infamous original in Shanghai, offers deep leather club chairs, 200 whiskeys, more than 100 cocktails devised by award-winning bartenders and an unrivaled selection of cigars.