Ningbo is one of China’s oldest cities, with a history dating back to 4800 B.C. In 1381, the city was given its present name of Ningbo, which means “calm wave.” The Chinese like to tell you that Ningbo was one of the birthplaces of rice planting. Ningbo is located in the Zhejiang province on the coast of the East China Sea. The city has historically been a major trading port, since there are three large rivers which meet in the city. The population of Ningbo is 5.43 million. About half of the population lives in the urban area and the rest live in the outlying communities.
Ningbo has a subtropical monsoon climate. It is very hot and humid there in the summer, but can get very cold in the fall and winter. You would be well advised to bring both warm and cool clothes. Bring lots of layers that you can wear during the winter months. It can be cold even indoors. It can also rain quite a bit (you will probably get to see a monsoon!), so bring a rain jacket.
Downtown
There is a lot to do and see in Ningbo. The city is full of beautiful parks and bridges which are fun to discover. There is a children’s amusement park where you can take the kids from the school. A nearby lake has paddleboats that you can rent. Downtown Ningbo has many Western restaurants (McDonalds, KFC, Pizza Hut, and even a Subway) where you can eat at when you just need a break from Chinese food.
You can take a bus from the school on bus 330 to downtown Ningbo. Turn left out of the school gates and there will be a bus stop a little ways down. Take 330 to the very last stop to reach downtown. Once you get off the bus and to the main road go to the light and turn left and cross the street. Head straight down the road till you get to a place called Shoe City. (Don’t buy shoes there. It is expensive.) There is an escalator that goes under ground. Take it down. It gives you three options. One is Tianyi square. The other one is Lady Fashion square. They will take you to different parts of downtown Ningbo.
Shopping
There are many barter markets that are fun to shop at around Ningbo. The best place to shop in Ningbo would be what we nicknamed The Pagoda Place. It is by Tianyi. In the underground walkway, head to the Lady Fashion Square. Walk down the street. Cross the small road and you will see it. It has a golden statue of the Jade Emperor. The top floor is the cheapest and there are lots of clothes on the first floor. Good rule of thumb: if it has a price you can’t barter, if it doesn’t you can. Never go for the first price they give you.
Money
ILP recommends bringing debit and/or credit cards and withdrawing cash at an ATM as needed.
Travel
Shanghai is across the bay and about 3 hours by bus. Beijing is a 5 hour ride on a bullet train and about 10 on a regular train. There are many places to visit, talk with your coordinator for ideas of places to visit on weekends.
Church
LDS volunteers in Ningbo are about of the Shanghai China International Discrict (SCID). You’ll have a couple different options for attending LDS church services. In the past there have been LDS members who are not affiliated with ILP living in Ningbo and so volunteers have held a mini group church meeting with them. If they are still living there during your semester, you will be in contact with them. You are also welcome to attend the Skype branch which covers most of China and is held online. There is also a branch in Shanghai that you are welcome to attend. Since it is a few hours away, volunteers usually attend every once in awhile throughout the semester. The branch President, President Larkin is a great resource if you need any help. He can give you directions to the branch in Shanghai, invite you to any single adult events, and he may even come out to Ningbo to visit you once during the semester.
awesome awesome! Very exciting!
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