Ningbo

Ningbo

With a history dating back almost 5000 years, Ningbo has always been regarded as an important city in South East China. Although 25 kilometres from the sea, Ningbo has for centuries been an important trading town. As such much of the wealth generated by the city occurred after the city became s one of the five Chinese ports known as the ‘Treaty Ports’ after the signing of the Treaty of Nanjing in 1842.

Baoguo Temple

The Baoguo Temple dates back over 1000 years and is the oldest wooden building in the south of China. This Buddhist temple was constructed by interlocking pieces of timber, with no nails at all.

King Asoka's Temple

The temple is named after King Asoka of India, the first sponsor or patron of Buddhism. It is believed that the 15cm Buddhist stupa that sits at the front of the temple once belonged to the King himself. Inside the stupa was a bone of Buddha himself, which it is alleged was stolen by a guard during the Cultural Revolution. The temple can be found on King Asoka Mountain in the east of Ningbo.

Tianyi Pavilion Museum

Built during the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644) the Tianyi Pavilion Museum is the oldest private library in China. At one time over 300,000 books were held here. Over time many books were stolen, destroyed or in a state of disrepair. The library offers an insight into the economic ad literary history of Ningbo and Zhejiang province. The Pavilion sits to the side of the Ming Lake.