China NingBo
Ningbo is also known as “Yong”, a name that originated in the Zhou Dynasty about 3,000 years ago. According to one explanation, this is because the Chinese character for Yong (甬) is what the city’s iconic, bell-shaped mountain resembles. Another explanation is that Yong means water gushing out, and with the city’s abundance in water, the most iconic local mountain is known as Yong Mountain, the river Yong River, and the city itself Yong.
Foreword
Ningbo—an ancient yet vibrant city.
Ningbo, a large port of the Far East connected to the world, is bordered by the ocean to the east, the city of Hangzhou to the west, and Shanghai to the north. It is the only estuary of the Grand Canal of China, a port of departure of the Maritime Silk Road, and a junction of the Overland and Maritime Silk Roads. Since the Tang and Song Dynasties, the port has been a primary platform for international trade, promoting the spread of tea and porcelain culture as well as the exchange between civilizations. Today, the Ningbo-Zhoushan Port has been the world’s busiest cargo port for nine consecutive years and is also the world’s fourth-busiest container port.
The city is a dynamic business hub. Ever since the Tang Dynasty, local streets have been lined with shops displaying a dazzling array of goods. The city’s commerce was so prosperous that it led to the saying “there can be no market without Ningbo merchants.” Over the last few centuries, these hardworking, creative businessmen have made a name for themselves with their pioneering spirit and are collectively referred to as the Ningbo Bang, or the Ningbo Merchant Community, in recognition of their success. Today, the city is once again full of vitality. Its advanced manufacturing, thriving international trade, and booming private sector have made it a veritable gem of the Yangtze River Delta.
The city is steeped in history and culture. It was here that the Hemudu Culture flourished 7,000 years ago. It was here that philosophers such as Wang Yangming and Huang Zongxi created the East Zhejiang School of Confucian philosophy of pragmatism and rationality. The city is also known for its book collection tradition and Buddhism culture—the Tianyige Museum holds a large collection of valuable manuscripts, and the Tiantong Temple and Xuedou Mountain are well-known Buddhist pilgrimage sites of East Asia. Throughout history, the city has always been known as the birthplace of men of great learning, producing multiple scholars who excelled at the Imperial Chinese Examination, an examination that selected the most well-educated people for civil service. In recent times, the city has produced 116 national academicians, including Tu Youyou, the first Chinese scientist to win a Nobel Prize.
Situated in the mellow climes of southern China, the city is endowed with great natural beauty. Generation after generation of Ningbo people have grown up along the banks of the Yao River, Fenghua River and Yong River. As agricultural civilization merged with maritime civilization in the past millennia, the city has blended its traditional charm and port prosperity in a unique balance. Traces of a thousand years of unbroken prosperity can also be found in the remains of the Grand Canal, the Tuoshan Weir and Shanglinhu Kiln. The city’s beauty is best represented by the breathtaking sights of the Siming Mountains, Xikou Town, and the Dongqian Lake. Today, with three emerging new districts, ongoing riverside landscaping and the ever-improving countryside scenery, the quality of life has greatly improved.
Living near the mountains and the sea, local residents have developed a temperament very much consistent with the environment: steady yet passionate at the same time. Now, the city is sailing with full strength towards the goal of becoming a renowned international port city and a model of regional advancement in East Asia, while attempting to make breakthroughs in six fronts (namely, promoting the implementation of major projects, accelerating industrial upgrading, increasing R&D investment, optimizing urban and rural development, enhancing efficiency of government services, and improving the governance of the Party) within three years’ time.
Ningbo, a city of culture and a gateway to the world, is waiting for you with open arms!
A coastal port city in southeastern China
Economic hub of the southern Yangtze River Delta
National Historical and Cultural City
Ningbo, or Yong as it is locally known, is located halfway down the coastline of the Chinese mainland and to the south of the Yangtze River Delta (120°55’’ -122°15’’E and 28°51’’-30°33’’N). It is bordered by the natural bulwark of the Zhoushan Archipelago to the east, the city of Shaoxing to the west, the city of Shanghai to the north, and the city of Taizhou and Sanmen Bay to the south.
The city’s history can be traced back to the Hemudu Culture that originated 7,000 years ago. In the Xia and Shang Dynasties about 4,000 years ago, Ningbo was known as Yin. Later, in the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC), it became part of the State of Yue. In the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC), it encompassed Yin, Mao and Gouzhang, three areas under the Kuaiji Shire. In the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), it was named Mingzhou. In 821 AD, the local authority moved towards the junction of three local rivers and built city walls, marking the establishment of today’s city. In 1381 AD, the city acquired its current name of Ningbo, or, literally, Calm Waves.
There are six districts under Ningbo’s jurisdiction: Haishu, Jiangbei, Zhenhai, Beilun, Yinzhou, and Fenghua; two county-level cities: Yuyao and Cixi; and two counties: Ninghai and Xiangshan. The city covers 9,816km2 on land (including 3,730km2 of urban area) and 8,355.8km2 at sea. As of the end of 2017, the city had a population of 8 million, including 5.97 million registered residents; 2.9 million resided in urban areas.
Located in the subtropical monsoon region, Ningbo has a mild, humid climate. Within the city, the weather varies from place to place due to differences in landscape and environment. The average temperature is around 16.4°C, with highs of 28°C in July and lows of 4.7°C in January.
Ningbo’s city flower is the camellia.
Ningbo’s city tree is the camphor tree.
Honors
Belt and Road Comprehensive Pilot Zone
National Model City of Civility for five consecutive times
Belt and Road Comprehensive Pilot Zone
16+1 Trade Cooperation Demonstration Zone
Pilot City of the “Made in China 2025” Initiative
National Innovation Demonstration Zone
First National Comprehensive Pilot Zone of Insurance Innovation
China-CEEC Inspection and Quarantine Pilot Zone of Trade Facilitation
China (Ningbo) Cross-Border E-commerce Comprehensive Pilot Zone
National Pilot City for New Urbanization
Top Tourism City of China
National Demonstration City for Tourism and Leisure
National Model City of Environmental Protection
National Garden City
Top Clean City in China
First Model Clean-Port City in China
National Demonstration City of Product Quality
Culture City of East Asia
City with the Strongest Sense of Happiness in China
Development Achievements from 2012 to 2017
The GDP grew at an annual rate of 7.6% from 607.5 billion yuan to 984.7 billion yuan. The per capita GDP in 2017 was 124,017 yuan, or US$18,368.
Fiscal revenues grew from 143.2 billion yuan to 241.58 billion yuan, representing a year-on-year increase of 8.4%, while the general public budgetary revenue rose from 65.8 billion yuan to 124.5 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 11.1%. Urban disposable income per capita rose from 33,310 yuan to 55,656 yuan; rural income rose from 17,600 yuan to 30,871 yuan, reducing the urban-rural income ratio from 1.89:1 to 1.8:1, one of the lowest among Chinese cities.
Transportation Hub of the Yangtze River Delta
Located halfway down the coastline of the Chinese mainland and at the intersection of the Silk Road Economic Belt and Yangtze River Economic Belt, Ningbo is a major transportation hub well-connected by a network of highways, railways, air routes, and shipping routes.
Airports: Four international airports are accessible within a two-hour drive from downtown Ningbo, namely Ningbo Lishe International Airport, Hangzhou International Airport, Shanghai Pudong International Airport and Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport. In particular, Ningbo Lishe International Airport is only 12km away from downtown Ningbo. The city’s Airport Expressway is connected with the Ningbo-Jinhua Expressway and Hangzhou-Ningbo Expressway, while Rail Transit Line 2 links the airport with the railway station and coach terminal station, making the airport easily accessible. At present, 48 airlines operate from Ningbo Airport, opening 124 flight routes that reach 91 cities. The airport has thus formed a seamless network that extends from this eastern city to Hailaer and Urumqi, which are in the far north and west of China, and all the way down to Southeast Asia.
High-Speed Railways: To the south, it is only 8.5 hours from Ningbo to Shenzhen and 9 hours to Guangzhou. One train sets out at night and arrives in the morning. To the north, it is 6 hours to Tianjin, 7 hours to Beijing, and 11 hours to Shenyang. To the northwest, it is 6 hours to Zhengzhou and 8.5 hours to Xi’an. To the southwest, it is 6 hours to Changsha and 14 hours to Chongqing. From Ningbo, one can reach Hangzhou in 46 minutes, Shanghai in 103 minutes, Nanjing in 131 minutes, and Xiamen in 5 hours and 22 minutes. A new 200km railway that will connect Ningbo, Jiaxing, and Shanghai is under construction. It will reduce the travel from Ningbo to Shanghai to 51 minutes.
Expressways: A complete highway network has been developed to connect Ningbo with Shanghai and Suzhou in the north, Hangzhou and Nanjing in the northwest, Jinhua and Yiwu in the southwest, Taizhou and Wenzhou in the south and the Zhoushan Archipelago in the east.
Ports and Rivers: Ningbo boasts an extensive port and river transportation network, reaching inland ports along the Yangtze River, as well as coastal ports and railway nodes all over East China. Internationally, the Ningbo-Zhoushan Port is closely linked to East Asia and the Pacific Rim. It has opened 243 shipping routes with over 600 ports in more than 100 countries and regions, including 117 main ocean-going routes. The top 20 ocean liner companies in the world have liners calling at Ningbo-Zhoushan Port. The Hangzhou-Ningbo Canal is able to accommodate vessels of 500 DWT and is connected with the Grand Canal of China and the Yangtze River.
Metro: The Ningbo Municipal General Urban Plan (2016-2020) states that Ningbo’s Metro system will cover 410km. After the adoption of the Ningbo Rail Transit Short-Term Plan (2008-2015) in August 2008, the first section of Metro Line 1 was put into operation on 30th May, 2014, marking the advent of Metro transport in the city. The first section of Line 2 opened to traffic on 26th September, 2015; the second section opened to traffic on 19th March, 2016, extending the line to all central areas. Now the construction of Line 3, Line 4, the extended section of Line 2, Line 5 and Fenghua-Ningbo Line are underway. By 2020, a network of railway transport covering 200km will be completed.
Major Port City
In Ningbo, the growth of the port and the city are mutually reinforcing.
7,000 years ago, our Hemudu Culture ancestors built wooden ships and thus began the region’s seafaring tradition.
In the Tang Dynasty, the first travelers, Japanese people eager to learn about Chinese culture, landed at Ningbo Port, which was then known as Mingzhou Port.
In the Song and Yuan Dynasties, customs were established to manage international trade.
In the Ming Dynasty, it was the only port for the trade between China and Japan.
In the Qing Dynasty, Ningbo was one of the four major points of entry by sea into China.
Now, Ningbo-Zhoushan Port’s annual cargo tonnage is over 1 billion tons, breaking global records, and has been the busiest cargo port in the world for nine consecutive years.
Port Economic Rim
The Port Economic Rim is a regional economic community centered around the Ningbo-Zhoushan Port. The cities within the Rim are well-connected by a sophisticated transportation network and are all part of the regional port economy. An important feature of the Economic Rim is cross-city collaboration; cities merge and coordinate their efforts in environmental protection and in promoting cultural and socioeconomic development. Thus, the entire region can achieve progress as a whole.
Ningbo is an important gateway to the Asia-Pacific region. When President Xi Jinping was serving as Zhejiang Province’s Party Secretary, he had high expectations for Ningbo’s openness and pointed out that it was necessary to promote the integration of Ningbo-Zhoushan Port and explore new areas for growth, so as to form a Port Economic Rim that will benefit the Yangtze River Delta and even the whole region of eastern China.
As an active participant in the Belt and Road Initiative and the Yangtze River Economic Belt Strategy, Ningbo is committed to becoming an internationally renowned port city, increasing the influence of the Port Economic Rim, and developing Ningbo-Zhoushan Port through innovation. Integration between city development and the port economy will be taken to a new level. Facilities will be established in Zhoushan to better link river and sea transport, while the existing transportation network connecting Yiwu, Zhoushan and Ningbo will be optimized for multi-modal transport. Ningbo strives to become a world-class port, a modern shipping center, a base for warehousing, processing and trading commodities, and a hub for port sector companies.
Ningbo-Zhoushan Port
The Ningbo-Zhoushan Port is served by the main shipping routes of the Pacific Rim and has unique, favorable natural conditions. The port is connected by over 240 routes to over 600 ports in more than 100 countries and regions, operating more than 350 days annually on average. The port can easily accommodate 300,000-DWT vessels, and up to 400,000-DWT vessels at high tide. No other port on the Chinese mainland receives a larger number of hundred-thousand-ton ships than the Ningbo-Zhoushan Port.
The port consists of 19 areas: Beilun, Yangshan, Liuheng, Qushan, Chuanshan, Jintang, Daxie, Cengang, Meishan, Shengsi, Daishan, Zhenhai, Baiquan, Ma’ao, Dinghai, Shipu, Xiangshan Port, Yongjiang, Shenjiamen, etc. The port has 150 berths of over 10,000 DWT, and more than 90 of over 50,000 DWT, outperforming its counterparts nationwide.
The port has developed into a global hub for container liners and a transit and storage center for strategic commodities in China, including crude oil, coal, liquid chemicals, etc.
In 2017, the port handled 1.01 billion tons of cargo, breaking global records and maintaining its top position in the world for the ninth consecutive year; the container volume handled by the port reached 24.607 million TEU, ranking fourth in the world.
Belt and Road Comprehensive Pilot Zone
At the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, which was held in May 2017, President Xi Jinping of China stated in his keynote speech that "(the) ancient ports of Ningbo, Quanzhou, Guangzhou, Beihai, Colombo, Jeddah and Alexandria stand as living monuments to these past interactions (of the ancient Silk Road)". In September 2017, the Zhejiang Provincial Government officially approved the establishment of the Belt and Road Comprehensive Pilot Zone in Ningbo, with the aim being promoting shared benefit through innovation and opening up. The Meishan New Zone shall be at the core of the Pilot Zone’s efforts. Strategic focus will be placed on strengthening connection between ports, facilitating investment and trade, supporting industrial R&D, improving the availability of financial and insurance-related services, and promoting cultural exchanges. A Belt and Road Port Logistics Service Center, Trade Facilitation Pioneer Area, Industrial & Technological Cooperation Center, Financial and Insurance Service Demonstration Zone, and People-to-People Exchange Center will be established within the Pilot Zone.
In 2017, Ningbo’s total import and export volume with countries along the Belt and Road reached 462.9 billion yuan, a year-on-year growth of 16.7%. In November 2017, at the Belt and Road Comprehensive Pilot Zone Project Promotion Event in Hangzhou, over 100 projects from Ningbo were featured, soliciting over 500 billion yuan of investment in total. In the future, Ningbo aims to make the Zone a national-level platform that can lead China’s overall opening-up efforts. The new centers that will be created in the Comprehensive Pilot Zone will form new Silk Roads of connectivity in the air, over land, at sea, and in cyberspace. Our ambition as a pivot and pioneer in the Belt and Road Initiative remains strong.
Ningbo Metropolitan Area
The Plan for Developing the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration, released by the National Development and Reform Commission and Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development in June 2016, stated that five metropolitan areas will be developed in the Yangtze River Delta, one of which being the Ningbo Metropolitan Area, encompassing Ningbo, Zhoushan and Taizhou. Ningbo is also listed as one of the key cities in the Delta, along with three provincial capitals: Nanjing, Hefei, and Hangzhou. This plan consolidates Ningbo’s leading position in the national transportation network and among the coastal cities in eastern Zhejiang Province. The plan encourages mobilization of the three cities’ resources in supporting the Ningbo Metropolitan Area, so that it becomes a hub of transportation, a center for shipping and logistics, an engine of growth in the Yangtze River Delta, and a pivot of the Belt and Road Initiative.
The plan for developing the metropolitan area is being jointly undertaken by Ningbo, Taizhou and Zhoushan. The three cities will connect their infrastructure, restore ecology, facilitate industrial cooperation, integrate market resources and share public services. The cities will strengthen their links with Shanghai and other metropolitan areas. The Ningbo metropolitan area will be planned out in the best possible way. More equitable public services and better infrastructure will be provided to ensure balanced development in urban and rural areas.
Hangzhou Bay Area
A new chapter of comprehensive development of the Hangzhou Bay Area is being shaped, as outlined by the Zhejiang Provincial CPC Congress. The Hangzhou Bay Area is expected to become a second powerhouse of China’s future growth, after the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area. Ningbo will actively develop it to serve the Belt and Road Initiative, dovetailing our own goals with the action plan drafted by the Zhejiang provincial authorities. A detailed plan for creating a Bay-Rim Economic Development Zone will be devised by Ningbo, integrating resources from the Ningbo-Hangzhou Bay New Zone, Cixi Industrial Park, and Yuyao Industrial Park. We will continue the Ningbo-Shanghai Demonstration Zone project in order to forge closer ties with Shanghai and allow the latter to relocate more of its industrial operations and infrastructures to Ningbo. Currently we are also applying to become an Airport Economy Demonstration Area. Support will be given to certain key industrial parks and clusters to boost this area's development, including the South Ningbo Binhai New Zone, Xiangshan Damuwan Eco City, South Ningbo Commerce and Logistics Park, Moon Lake Finance Town, Siming Financial Town, Smart Vehicle Town, and the China IC Chip Fabrication Hub.
Yiwu-Ningbo-Zhoushan Transportation Network
Among Ningbo’s top four development priorities, the Yiwu-Ningbo-Zhoushan transportation network (the other three being Hangzhou Bay Area, urban greening, and internationalization) is the way to the city’s future. It connects the Yiwu International Logistics Park and Ningbo-Zhoushan Port, and represents Ningbo’s contribution to the Belt and Road Initiative. In the near future, Ningbo will improve intra-city and inter-city transport by expanding and upgrading its existing air, highway, railway, and subway transport networks. We will push for more progress in the Shanghai-Jiaxing-Ningbo Railway Project and apply to be a national transportation scheme during the 13th Five-Year Plan period. Support for ongoing projects will continue, such as the Jinhua-Ningbo Railway, the G92N highway (connecting Hangzhou and Ningbo), and the Meishan container terminal. The Sanmen Bay Bridge and S8 highway (connecting Cixi and Yuyao) are nearing completion. New transportation projects are being planned, including the Ningbo-Zhoushan Railway, Hangzhou-Ningbo Highway with mobile payment toll gates, the Hangzhou-Ningbo Inter-City Railway, and the Ningbo-Taizhou-Wenzhou Inter-City Railway. We will step up efforts to build the Yiwu-Ningbo-Zhoushan Transportation Network, the Zhoushan transportation service center and the Lishe Airport expansion project in order to improve connectivity.
Heart of the Metropolitan Area
The key in creating a metropolitan area lies in prioritizing the heartland and developing the area as a whole; improved competency in integrating resources will make it is easier for positive effects to seep out to surrounding regions. The CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee has stated that clear goals must be set, a city’s positioning should be determined, and new practices should be adopted before the development of new metropolitan areas in order to improve modernization level and international competitiveness. During this new round of urban planning, Ningbo fully takes into account factors such as economic development, environmental protection, urban-rural balance, and efficient land use. Ningbo will take advantage of its geographical location as a coastal city with major waterways. Each region of the city will be developed based on its existing resources and advantages. A fresh round of development will soon begin in several areas in the city, such as the city center, Ningbo East New Town, South New Town, Zhenhai New Town, parts of Jiangbei district, the Dongqian Lake region, and certain areas in the western part of the city. As one of the pioneers in urban planning across China, Ningbo will continue to experiment with better ways to achieve sustainability during urban renewal, such as becoming a nationally-recognized sponge city.
Priority Development Zone
As the gateway of Zhejiang Province to the world, Ningbo has set up an Economic and Technological Development Zone in 1984—the first national development zone in the province. Since then, various development zones at different levels have emerged. Now the city is home to four national economic and technological zones, one national innovation demonstration zone, four zones under the customs’ special supervision, nine provincial economic development zones, three provincial industrial parks and two national tourism sites. It ranks first in the province in the number of provincial development zones and zones under the customs’ special supervision.
In 2017, 22 business research institutes and 46 R&D centers established by high-tech companies in Ningbo were recognized by the provincial government, bringing the total number of provincially-recognized corporate labs in Ningbo to 390. The city now has 20 nationally-recognized corporate technology centers, up from 19 in 2016. 13 new makerspaces in Ningbo were at or above provincial level in 2017—including four national ones—bringing the total number to 23. In addition, one technology startup incubator and one military-civilian industrial integration demonstration base was recognized by the central and the provincial government respectively.
National Innovation Demonstration Zone
In February 2018, the State Council approved Ningbo’s application to set up a National Innovation Demonstration Zone in the Ningbo National Hi-Tech Zone. National Innovation Demonstration Zones are districts approved by the Chinese State Council, with a mission to conduct pilot programs to promote innovation and development of the high-tech sector, and to produce best practices and models that can then be rolled out across the country. These zones are central to China’s strategic innovation-drive growth. They are also the places where new institutional arrangements and policies that support innovation are trialed.
The State Council has stated that the Zone in Ningbo should focus on fostering innovation and entrepreneurship in the private sector, deepening structural reform to better support technological research, improving the business and R&D environment, strengthening opening-up and international cooperation, creating regional inter-city cooperation models, leading industrial upgrading, supporting private sector growth, and driving coordinated economic development in the entire Yangtze River Delta.。
At the end of 2017, China’s Ministry of Science and Technology released a ranking of all National Hi-Tech Zones. Among all 147 Zones, Ningbo’s Zone ranked 16th. After years of development, the one in Ningbo now has over seven nationally-recognized makerspaces, four nationally-recognized incubators, a number of accelerators and specialized industrial parks. It is also home to the New Materials Joint Institute, the first in China to offer research-related services in the field of new materials to the public. 13 national research institutes and 11 provincially-recognized corporate research establishments have been founded. 44 members of the Thousand Talents Plan and 14 academicians from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering are currently leading research projects or startups in the Zone. The high-tech industry contributes to over 80% of the Zone’s output growth of industries with annual revenues of 20 million yuan or more from their main business operations. R&D expenditures of Ningbo reached 6.7% of the city’s GDP. The number of patents granted has been growing at an average rate of 30% annually in the last three years.
National Cross-Border E-Commerce Comprehensive Pilot Zone
Ningbo became a national pilot zone for cross-border e-commerce with the State Council’s approval in January 2016. The zone makes full use of Ningbo’s advantageous transportation system and innovation in applying digital technology to port management, combining online services and offline industrial parks. By developing the zone in the next three to five years, the city aims to facilitate investment, improve regulation, enhance government services, promote innovation and encourage entrepreneurship.
With Ningbo-Zhoushan Port’s advantages in transportation and international trade, Ningbo will expand the industrial base, logistic services and market share for e-commerce, so as to explore a better model for developing cross-border e-commerce for the whole country.
Maritime Silk Road Trade Index
On 23rd October, 2015, as one of the important outcomes of President Xi Jinping’s visit to the UK, the Ningbo Containerized Freight Index (NCFI) issued by Ningbo Shipping Exchange was formally released on the official website of the Baltic Exchange in London. It was the first time for the Baltic Exchange to release another organization’s index, which symbolized the first step of China’s shipping index going abroad and being recognized by the international market. In March 2016, the Maritime Silk Road Shipping Big Data Center was jointly established by the Ningbo Shipping Exchange and China Academy of West Region Development, and turning the Maritime Silk Road Index into an internationally recognized index was incorporated as a goal into the 13th Five-Year Plan. On 10th May, 2017, the Maritime Silk Road Trade Index (STI) was released in Beijing by the National Development and Reform Commission and Ningbo Municipal Government and was incorporated as an outcome of the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. The listing of the NCFI at the Baltic Exchange helped China’s indices to be recognized abroad. The STI has increased China’s influence in global governance.
The index’s listing at Baltic Exchange triggered a chain reaction. The Ningbo Shipping Exchange’s statistics shows that since October 2015, over 1,000 companies from Western and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia have subscribed to the NCFI, and visits made to China by people from Belt and Road countries increased 13 times. Going forward, Ningbo will step up its efforts to implement the Belt and Road Initiative, continue to open up the city, and share the initiative’s benefits with all cities and countries in the world through win-win cooperation
II. Commercial Metropolis
As an old saying goes, there can be no market without Ningbo merchants. Ningbo has long been a renowned commercial city. In the Tang and Song Dynasties, Ningbo was a distribution center of commodities. In the early Qing Dynasty, the city became even more prosperous with a large number of stores and all kinds of goods and wares on sale. In the 1860s, the boom continued—the city was filled with banks, trading companies and sea food stores, so much so it gave rise to the saying, “east or west, Ningbo is best.”
Today, thanks to the Reform and Opening-up policies, Ningbo, the time-honored commercial city, is still developing rapidly and has become a veritable gem of the Yangtze River Delta.
Ningbo Merchant Community
“It is well-known that Ningbo people are courageous and good at running businesses. Their businesses can be found in every port across the country and even in Europe. They are the best merchants due to their capability and influence.”—Sun Yat-sen
“Mobilize Ningbo Merchants all over the world for the development of Ningbo.”—Deng Xiaoping
The Ningbo merchant community (or Ningbo Bang in Chinese) can trace its history back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD). Ningbo merchants gained influence in the mid-19th century, doing business in Shanghai, and by the 1910s had become a force to be reckoned with. They were among the 10 most prominent business communities of the late 19th and early 20th century in China. They helped to modernize China’s industry and commerce, establishing the first modern bank, the first stock exchange for domestic merchants, the first private shipping company, the first modern woolen mill, and the first Red Cross Society in China. The first silent Chinese short film was also produced by Ningbo people. The Ningbo merchant community contributed to the rise of Shanghai during the late Qing Dynasty and the prosperity of Hong Kong after World War II.
A large portion—nearly 400 thousand people in 103 countries—of the expat Chinese community can trace its roots back to Ningbo. Many of them are successful businessmen and international celebrities. Since the adoption of the Reform and Opening-up policies in China, many overseas Ningbo people have returned to make a contribution to their home country’s development, setting up businesses and factories in their city of origin. Today, many Ningbo merchants believe that it is important to expand business globally while at the same time supporting development at home.
Made in Ningbo
A highly developed private sector is the most distinctive feature of Ningbo, as well as the main force behind the city’s dynamic socioeconomic development. As of the end of 2017, there are in total 332,152 domestic Chinese enterprises in Ningbo, with a total registered capital of 4.27 trillion yuan. Among them are 313,056 private enterprises, with a total registered capital of 3.67 trillion yuan. The total number of individually-owned businesses is 518,495 with total capital standing at 40.55 billion yuan. There are also in total 9,325 foreign-invested companies, with a investment totaling US$98.52 billion, and a registered capital of US$60.28 billion.
Ningbo has been named as one of the first pilot cities for innovation in China, a National Demonstration City of Product Quality, the first Pilot City for the “Made in China 2025” Initiative, one of the first National Demonstration Cities for Commercializing Scientific Findings, a Demonstration City of Small and Micro Business Incubation, and one of the Top 10 Smart Cities in China. A three -year plan to nurture SMEs has been drafted and carried out, creating more space and a better environment for them to innovate and grow. In November 2017, the Phoenix Plan (an official initiative to help more companies go public and complete M&As) was launched in Ningbo. As a result, there will be 10 more listed companies in Ningbo by the end of 2018; the number of listed companies in Ningbo will reach 150 by 2020.
Manufacturing is the pillar of Ningbo’s economy. Since the adoption of the Reform and Opening-up policies, Ningbo, making full use of its port and favorable opening-up policies, rose to become an economic hub in the south of the Yangtze River Delta and a national advanced manufacturing base, taking the lead in setting up a modern manufacturing system with a complete range of industries. Currently eight particularly competitive sectors have an output exceeding 100 billion yuan: automotives, petrochemicals, equipment manufacturing, new materials, household appliances, energy efficiency and environmental protection, textile and garments, electronics and IT manufacturing. Some 100 Ningbo products are considered the best in their own respective subsectors. In August 2016, Ningbo was named the first pilot city for the “Made in China 2025” Initiative, which brings great opportunities for the manufacturing sector of the city. Ningbo is now home to over 120,000 manufacturers. As of the end of 2017, there are 7,342 large-scale industrial enterprises, among which 18 have an annual output of over 10 billion yuan and 197 have an annual output of over 1 billion yuan; 83 have gone public domestically or abroad. In 2017, for large-scale industrial enterprises (those with annual revenues of 20 million yuan or more from their main business operations), the total industrial output value exceeded 1.56 trillion yuan, industrial added value exceeded 326.7 billion yuan, and industrial profit plus tax exceeded 209.8 billion yuan. Currently Ningbo is working towards becoming a National Demonstration Zone for “Made in China 2025” Initiative.
Ningbo boasts many famous brands, and is a four-time winner of the title “City of Famous Brands in China.” Its most well-known products include industrial molds, injection molding machines, stationery, kitchenware, water meters, fasteners, engineering plastics, lighters, baby carriages, and child safety seats. Famous Ningbo brands and enterprises include Youngor, Aux, Fotile, Haitian, Beifa among others.
Intelligent Manufacturing
As the first pilot city of the “Made in China 2025” Initiative, an initiative with intelligent manufacturing (IM) at its core, Ningbo is propelling the transformation and upgrading of its real economy, boosting growth with smart manufacturing.
In recent years, the Ningbo Municipal CPC Committee and Municipal Government have been giving high priority to intelligent manufacturing, and the size of the sector continues to grow. As of 2017, the number of large enterprises (those with annual revenues of 20 million yuan or more from their main business operations) in intelligent equipment manufacturing has reached 543, with a total industrial output of 68.47 billion yuan and export volume of 17.57 billion yuan. The output value of the top five subsectors—molds, bearings, cock valves, lifts and escalators and industrial automatic control systems—accounted for 62.3% of the total output value of intelligent equipment manufacturing. Currently Ningbo is capable of conducting research, development, and production of reducers, controllers, servo motors, and application software and system integration. Many intelligent robot companies have been founded in Ningbo. Experts in manufacturing under the Thousand Talents Plan—for example Gan Zhongxue, founder of the Ningbo Intelligent Manufacturing Industry Research Institute, and Lv Guangqiang, Manager of GQ Robot—are currently leading their teams in research and development, breaking the technological monopoly held by a small number of developed countries. Today, the intelligent equipment manufacturing sector in Ningbo is thriving.
In Ningbo there are many leading enterprises and champions in intelligent manufacturing. 24 enterprises have reached over 500 million yuan in output, ten have reached over 1 billion yuan, and one has reached over 5 billion yuan. 15 companies including Haitian Plastic Machinery were named Model Leading Enterprises by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology; 24 enterprises including Ningbo Cibei Medical Device are named Model Hidden Champions of Zhejiang Province.
In the next three years, Ningbo will focus on five key areas, namely intelligent product and equipment innovation, developing an intelligent manufacturing model, setting an example in intelligent manufacturing, building an application service system, and building infrastructure. The city will work hard to develop five new models of intelligent manufacturing, namely distributed, process-oriented, personalized, intelligent-service-incorporated, as well as networked and coordinated, thus stepping up our efforts in becoming an advanced city in manufacturing.
City with Open Economy
Ningbo is a major city with an open economy. In 2017, the total foreign trade volume, export volume, and import volume reached 760.01 billion yuan, 498.41 billion yuan, and 261.60 billion yuan respectively. Our import volume national ranking moved up one place to the 11th, while the other two retained their ranking as the 10th and 8th among 36 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions in China. The number of enterprises engaged in import and export was over 19,000. Commodity trade and shipping in the city witnessed rapid growth. In 2017, the offshore service outsourcing volume reached 13.56 billion yuan. As of December 2017, there were 1,407 outsourcing providers with 53,900 employees in Ningbo.
Ningbo is a major destination for foreign investment in southern Yangtze River Delta. As of December 2017, recorded foreign-invested enterprises numbered 16,555, with an overall investment of US$162.14 billion and a contractual foreign investment of US$90.94 billion from 148 countries and regions. The city’s foreign capital in actual use has reached US$50.01 billion, among the first cities in China to exceed US$50 billion. As of December 2017, 57 overseas Fortune 500 companies had invested in 127 projects in Ningbo, with an overall investment of US$17.28 billion, a contractual foreign investment of US$7.36 billion, and foreign capital in actual use of US$5.81 billion.
Ningbo is a pioneer in encouraging private capital to invest overseas. As of December 2017, approved overseas enterprises and organizations numbered 2,697. Confirmed and recorded Chinese investment totaled US$17.44 billion and Chinese investment in actual use totaled US$10.92 billion and is operating in 118 countries and regions. In 2018, Ningbo will invest 11.2 billion yuan in 114 major industrial projects, and 46.5 billion yuan in 124 major infrastructure projects.
National Comprehensive Pilot Zone of Insurance Innovation
In June 2016, the State Council officially approved the establishment of the National Comprehensive Pilot Zone of Insurance Innovation in Ningbo. Through insurance innovation in three to five years, the aim is to contribute to the innovation-driven development of the insurance industry and set up a modern insurance service sector that is highly innovative and competitive, with a sound market and a range of services compatible with the level of development of Ningbo. Transferable experience will be developed to be shared with and implemented in other parts of the country.
In November 2016, the Ningbo National Insurance Innovation Industrial Park was officially unveiled. By 2020, it is expected that there will be more than 15 insurer’s headquarters in Ningbo (among them, over five will be incorporated parent insurance companies); by 2025, it is expected that the total amount of assets covered by Ningbo insurance companies will exceed 15 trillion yuan. The city will promote the universal application of insurance and establish a complete, sophisticated industrial chain. Insurance will be used to serve all areas of social governance, boost economic growth, and improve people’s sense of well-being. Efforts will be increased to integrate insurance with other sectors, such as care of the elderly, long-term care, automotives, healthcare, Internet, manufacturing and more. Focus will be placed on supporting insurance companies developing new types of businesses such as health insurance, retirement insurance, and online insurance sales to set up headquarters in Ningbo, to make the sector more comprehensive.
16+1 Trade Cooperation Demonstration Zone
In November 2017, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang attended the 6th China-CEEC Summit, where the Budapest Guidelines for China-CEEC Cooperation was adopted. The Guidelines stated that Ningbo would host the 3rd Ministerial Conference of China-CEEC on Promoting Trade and Economic Cooperation and the China-CEEC Investment and Trade Expo in 2018, and that all parties would give support to the proposal of establishing demonstration zones for 16+1 Economy and Trade Collaboration in Ningbo and other Chinese cities.
The above-mentioned Ministerial Conference in 2014, the 2014 CEEC Products Fair, and China-CEEC Investment and Trade Expos in 2015, 2016, and 2017 demonstrate the city’s momentum in strengthening trade, investment, and cultural exchanges with CEE countries. The import and export volume between Ningbo and CEEC in 2017 stood at US$2.92 billion, ranking high among Chinese cities. As of the end of 2017, Ningbo entrepreneurs have established 41 companies in CEEC and obtained the government’s approval to invest US$190 million; CEEC launched 78 projects in Ningbo and pledged in contracts to invest US$250 million. This volume of bilateral investment is high compared with other Chinese cities. Apart from trade and investment, Ningbo-CEEC cooperation is also increasing in science, education, culture, and tourism. Under the “Hundred Tour Groups to CEE” initiative, over 200 package tour groups to CEEC have been arranged for Ningbo citizens. With 20 sister cities in the CEE region, Ningbo is the first city in China to have a sister city in each and every one of the 16 CEE countries. Ningbo and CEE countries have concluded more than 30 educational cooperation agreements, which have led to the offering of CEE Students Scholarships and the establishment of the Polish Language and Culture Center, the Czech Language and Culture Center, the Romanian Campus of Ningbo Foreign Affairs School, the China-Romania (Deva) International Art School, the Ningbo-CEEC Cooperation Institute, and the Polish Language Research Center. In November 2017, the Sofia Chinese Cultural Center, which was jointly established by the Chinese Ministry of Culture and the Ningbo Municipal Government, officially opened in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, as China’s first cultural center in CEEC.
As Ningbo strengthens its ties with the CEE countries, it will play to its strengths and pioneer more projects, establishing itself as yet another platform for cooperating with the region and thus becoming a 16+1 Trade Cooperation Demonstration Zone.
16+1: China and 16 Central and Eastern European countries, namely Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Serbia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro.
Exhibition & Tourism
Exhibition and tourism are the highlights of Ningbo’s modern service industry. By now, Ningbo has held more than 10 national exhibitions and conferences, such as the Zhejiang Investment & Trade Symposium, China Consumer Goods Fair, Ningbo International Fashion Festival, and other influential festivals and events, such as the China Fishing Festival and China Tourism Festival. In 2017, the city held 312 conventions and exhibitions. Ningbo was awarded the titles “Top 10 Branded Convention and Exhibition City of the Year” and “Excellent Convention and Exhibition City of China”.
In 2017, the total income from tourism reached 171.59 billion yuan, an increase of 18.6% over the previous year. The city received 110 million domestic tourists, up by 18.6%. The income from domestic tourism was 164.91 billion yuan, up by 19.0%. The city hosted 1.87 million overseas tourists, up by 7.7%. The income from inbound tourism was US$990 million, up by 7.9%. As of the end of 2017, there are 120 star-rated hotels in Ningbo, among which 22 are five-star ones. There are 31 Scenic Spots above 4A level, and one rated 5A. In 2017, 14 villages were recognized as key agritourism destinations by the municipal government; the total number of such destinations in Ningbo is 190.
Ningbo-Nice Carnival
The Nice Carnival is one of the world's major carnival events along with the Brazilian Carnival and Venetian Carnival. It dates back to 700 years ago and is listed as an UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. It is also an important event of the 2018 EU–China Tourism Year.
The 2018 Ningbo-Nice Carnival will be held in Ningbo at the end of September, bringing every element of the French carnival to Ningbo, such as floats, flower parades, national costume displays, mask dances, street performances, and other European cultural activities. These will be combined with Ningbo’s cultural elements.
Apart from this type of themed events, Ningbo will take other measures to expand its cultural and tourism industries, such as sending official delegations to France to promote Ningbo tourism, and introducing Ningbo-Nice carnival to other cities in China. These events will serve as a bridge for cultural and tourism exchanges between Ningbo, France, and Europe.
III. City of Culture
Here, 7,000 years ago, the Hemudu Neolithic Culture flourished.
Here stands Tianyige, the oldest existing private library in Asia.
Here, a foreign trade port dating back to the Tang and Song Dynasties can be found.
This is the heartland of East Zhejiang Academic Culture and the forefront of China’s modernization and integration with the world.
This is Ningbo, a city of rich tradition and long history, a city of great economic prosperity, where culture is flourishing and in full bloom.
East Zhejiang Academic Culture
Ningbo is a major port city along China’s southeast coast, an economic hub of southern Yangtze River Delta, and the birthplace of the 7,000-year-old Hemudu Neolithic Culture. Apart from being a crucial port along the Maritime Silk Road, it is also the center of East Zhejiang Academic Culture. Ningbo is recognized as a national historic and cultural city because it has been one of China’s frontiers of social changes and East-West cultural exchanges since the 19th century.
Cultural Heritage
Ningbo is a city with a long history and rich cultural heritage. The 1,100km Grand Canal of China was listed as a World Heritage Site on 22nd June, 2014. The Tuoshan Weir, one of the four major water conservancy projects constructed during ancient times in China, was listed as an ICID (International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage) Heritage Irrigation Structure in October 2015. Xuedou Mountain is one of the five most famous Buddhist mountains in China. In 2016, Shanglin Lake’s Yue State Relic Kiln, Baoguo Temple, Yongfeng Warehouse, and Tiantong Temple were listed as Maritime Silk Road heritages. These sites are in the process of applying for World Heritage Site status. At present, Ningbo has 1,656 heritage protection sites, including 31 sites recognized by the central government and 87 by the provincial government. There are also three national historical towns (Cixi, Shipu, and Qiantong), 190 intangible heritage projects recognized by municipal (or higher level) authorities (including 25 recognized by the national government), and 94 inheritors of intangible heritage (9 of whom are recognized by the national government).
Hemudu Neolithic Culture
The Hemudu Culture, which dates back to 5,000 to 7,000 years ago, was one of the most prominent Neolithic cultures along the Yangtze River. The Culture was one of the earliest in the word to start rice cultivation, build stilt houses, and create charcoal-tempered pottery and ivory sculptures. The discovery of this culture greatly changed archaeologists' and historians' understanding of China's Neolithic period, establishing both the Yangtze River and the Yellow River as the cradles of the Chinese civilization.
From December 2013 to February 2015, the Ningbo Municipal Institute of Cultural Relics & Archeology has worked closely with renowned domestic universities and research institutions for the excavation at the Yushan & Wuguishan Mountain Site. Altogether more than 600 specimens have been unearthed at 270 different locations, making the site the closest section to coastline within the Hemudu Site and offering a new spectrum in extending Hemudu Culture from riverside to seaside.
Maritime Silk Road Culture
Ningbo is located at the estuary of the Grand Canal of China and is a key port of the Maritime Silk Road in East Asia. Thus, it has always been a center of commerce, culture, and technological exchanges. The Maritime Silk Road culture originated from the Hemudu Culture in prehistoric times, when our ancestors started to explore the world by going out to sea. These maritime travels and exchanges became more frequent in subsequent eras: increasing in the East Han Dynasty (25 AD–220 AD), prospering in the Tang Dynasty (618 AD–907 AD), and peaking in the Song and Yuan Dynasties (960 AD–1368 AD). Such exchanges continued in the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368 AD–1840 AD) and evolved continuously. Such exchanges cover a wide range of aspects from business, science, technology to culture and religion. The culture and religion of Ningbo, in particular, spread to the Korean Peninsula and Japan and played a role in the development of local histories, cultures, and religions. As Chinese President Xi Jinping stated at the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation held in May 2017, ancient ports such as Ningbo stand as living monuments of past interactions on the ancient Silk Road.
East Zhejiang Academic Culture
The academic culture of East Zhejiang in the Ming and Qing Dynasties represented by the philosophers Wang Yangming and Huang Zongxi earned Ningbo a unique position in the development of the traditional culture of China and the world as a whole. Wang Yangming was a Neo-Confucian philosopher whose popular interpretation of Confucianism has been influential in China even today. Wang developed the idea of innate knowledge and held that knowledge and action were unified. According to him, everyone should pursue individuality, dignity and independence. The political theorist and philosopher Huang Zongxi was the first to advocate the idea that business is at the core of a nation’s development, which is similar to modern economic theory. His idea of applying academic findings to solve everyday problems is still a principle for today’s scholars to follow. His famous works Waiting for the Dawn (Mingyi Daifanglu), a summary of ideas about political reform, was completed in 1663. It is interesting to note that John Locke’s Two Treatises of Government was written 27 years after this and Rousseau’s Du Contrat Social was published 100 years later. These Chinese philosophers were nurtured by the unique cultural and geographical environment of Ningbo. Creative thinking, pragmatism, entrepreneurship and many other such advanced concepts have contributed to the evolution of Chinese society in modern times.
Book-Collecting Tradition
The people of Ningbo not only derive pleasure from reading but also take pride in collecting books. Historically speaking, the city is home to over 150 well-known book collectors and more than 200 private libraries. Their collections are among the best in China and the world in terms of size, quality, and scope of subject matter. The well-preserved Tianyige Library, Wugui Library, and Fufu Library now house over 400,000 volumes of valuable ancient literature and local chronicles. The Tianyige Library is located near the Moon Lake and was built in 1566, more than 450 years ago, making it the oldest existing private library in Asia and one of the three oldest family libraries in the world. This library has never ceased to expand its collection in the past four and a half centuries. It is recognized as a national site of cultural heritage protection and ancient book collection. Today, Tianyige Library is part of the Tianyige Museum, which was established to continue and preserve the book-collecting culture. The museum now houses 8,000 artifacts and over 300,000 volumes of books in 22,000 different categories. 30,000 volumes, spanning 5,000 different categories, are rare editions. With such an enormous number of books, the museum has earned the reputation as the Greatest Library in Southern China.
Buddhism
Buddhism began to be practiced in Ningbo towards the end of the East Han Dynasty (25 AD–220 AD) and became widespread in the Tang and Song Dynasties (618 AD–1279 AD). There are many Buddhist temples around the city: Qita Temple and Yanqing Temple in the downtown area; Tiantong Temple, King Asoka Temple, and Jin’e Temple in Yinzhou District; Baotuo Temple, Puji Temple, Yongming Temple, and Wulei Temple in Cixi County; Baotuo Temple, Ruiyan Temple, and Lingfeng Temple in Zhenhai District; Xuedou Temple, Yuelin Temple, and Jingci Temple in Fenghua District. In the Song Dynasty, King Asoka Temple and Tiantong Temple were recognized by the imperial government as one of the top five official Zen Buddhist temples in the country, while Xuedou Temple was recognized as one of the top ten. Through Ningbo Port, the Buddhist culture also spread to the Korean Peninsula and Japan via the Maritime Silk Road. Due to this long history of Buddhism, Ningbo has gained a reputation as the Capital of Buddhism and Sacred Land of Southeast China.
Foreign Exchanges
Ningbo was as an important port of departure for the ancient Maritime Silk Road. Since its founding in the Tang Dynasty, the city has been a political, economic and cultural center of eastern Zhejiang Province. In 659 AD, during the Tang Dynasty in China, Japan sent four diplomatic missions to China via Mingzhou Port. The old Bund area of Ningbo in ancient times saw merchant ships and businessmen from over 20 countries including Japan, Korea, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, etc. Tianfeng Tower, which still stands in downtown Ningbo, was a navigation landmark for Mingzhou port in the Tang Dynasty. Today, the Korean Embassy Site, the Ancient Customs Site and Yongfeng Warehouse Site are all evidence of the flourishing foreign trade through Mingzhou Port in the Song and Yuan dynasties.
Ningbo also held an important position in the ancient global tea trade. In the Tang Dynasty, the Japanese monks studying in China not only learned about the essence of Chinese Buddhist Culture, but also took the Chinese tea culture and tea seeds back to Japan.
Ningbo was also a key city in the ancient global trade of porcelain. The ruins of nearly 200 ancient Yue kilns can be found in the Shanglin lake area in Cixi County, a wordless testament to the glory of an era of global porcelain trade. Celadon porcelain of the Yue kiln in ancient Ningbo was exported far across the world to Japan, Korea and Southeast Asia and greatly contributed to cultural exchange and the progress of civilization.
In addition, Ningbo was an important window for Buddhist cultural exchanges in ancient times. In particular, the King Asoka Temple and Tiantong Temple have had considerable influence over the development of Buddhism in Japan. The founders of the Rinzai School and Soto School, two of the three main sects of Zen in Japanese Buddhism, both studied at Tiantong Temple before they returned to Japan and established their own schools to spread their teachings. The King Asoka Temple is recognized as the most important site of Sarira (Buddhist relics) worship. In the Tang Dynasty, Monk Jianzhen travelled to Japan to spread Buddhism, and introduced Sarira worship to the country.
In modern times, Ningbo is among the five treaty ports opened up at the end of the First Opium War between Britain and China. Since the introduction of the Reform and Opening-up policy, Ningbo has witnessed increasingly frequent international exchanges and cooperation in various fields.
Ningbo has created important channels for international exchange and cooperation; it has 94 sister cities around the world. This has enabled Ningbo to initiate events for substantive cooperation such as the China-CEEC Mayors’ Forum, which centers around the theme of cooperation on smart transportation and green travel in the context of the Belt and Road Initiative and interconnectivity; Ningbo-Zhoushan Port and Four Major CEE Ports Cooperation Conference; and Ningbo Week in Europe, which has been held in cities such as Constanta (Romania), Dusseldorf (Germany), and Bydgoszcz (Poland) to advance cooperation on industrial logistics, trade and economy, education, and culture. These initiatives have raised Ningbo’s profile abroad, attracted more international companies to the city, and increased Ningbo companies’ presence abroad--an advancement in the city’s internationalization.
2017年11月，文化部和我市合作共建的索非亚中国文化中心在保加利亚首都索非亚落成开馆，是我市通过文化外交参与“一带一路”建设最直接、最有效的方式之一，对于促进宁波城市国际化有重要意义。
In November 2017, the Chinese Cultural Center in Sofia, which was jointly established by the Chinese Ministry of Culture and the Ningbo Municipal Government, officially opened in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. Establishing such cultural centers is a form of cultural diplomacy and one of the most effective ways for Ningbo to engage in the Belt and Road Initiative; it is also significant for the city’s internationalization.
Famous People of Ningbo Origin
The people of Ningbo attach great importance to education. In imperial official selection examinations from the Tang Dynasty to the Song Dynasty (618 AD–1127 AD), 2,432 people from Ningbo won the title of Jinshi, which was awarded to exam takers who passed both local and central governments’ tests, and 12 won the title of Zhuangyuan, awarded to those whose results ranked first in the central government’s test. The people of Ningbo remain dedicated to learning and research to this day; numerous globally-renowned scholars, scientists, and artists have emerged from the city. Among the academicians at Chinese Academy of Engineering and Chinese Academy of Science, 116 are from Ningbo, a figure that ranks No.1 among Chinese cities.
Scientists
Outstanding scientists from Ningbo include Tong Dizhou, Tan Jiazhen, Bei Shizhang, Lu Yongxiang, Han Qide, and Tu Youyou, the 2015 Nobel Prize Laureate in Physiology or Medicine.
Writers and Scholars
Famous writers and scholars from Ningbo include Rou Shi, Yin Fu, Ying Xiuren, Lou Shiyi, Ba Ren, Shao Quanlin, Tang Tao, Ni Kuang, Yu Lihua, Feng Jicai and Yu Qiuyu.
Calligraphers and Painters
Famous calligraphers and painters from Ningbo include Pan Tianshou, master of traditional Chinese painting, calligrapher Sha Menghai, oil-painting master Chen Yifei (whose works frequently fetch record-breaking prices at auctions around the world), and Sha Qi, known as “China’s Van Gogh”.
Musicians and Dancers
Famous musicians and dancers from Ningbo include Yo-yo Ma the world-renowned cellist, Lu Chunling the famous flute-player, Yu Lina the pianist, Chen Gang the composer, Yu Feng the conductor, and Shi Zhongqin the dancer, among many others.
Drama Artists
Ningbo is also the birthplace of Zhou Xinfang, master of Peking Opera. Other prominent figures include Qi Yaxian, Bi Chunfang and Jin Caifeng (Yue Opera artists), Yang Chunxia (Peking Opera artist), and Sun Cuie, Xu Fengxian, Jin Yulan and Cao Dingying, (Yong Opera artists).
Movie Industry
Ningbo people’s pioneering spirit has extended into the film industry. The first Chinese film director, film company, feature film, sound film, comedy, full-length feature film, color feature film, wide-screen 3D film, 35-mm sound automatic camera, film magnetic recorder and the first director of National Film Bureau of China all come from Ningbo or can be attributed to Ningbo filmmakers. Household names from the film sector, such as Run Run Shaw, Zhang Shichuan, Yuan Muzhi and Stephen Chow Sing-Chi, to name but a few, can all trace their roots back to Ningbo.
Tu Youyou
Born in December 1930 in Ningbo, Tu Youyou is a life science researcher and chief researcher of Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences. She studied at Ningbo Middle School and Ningbo Xiaoshi Middle School.
In 2011, Tu Youyou received the Albert Lasker Award for the discovery of artemisinin. On 5th October, 2015, she and two other scientists were jointly awarded the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. She was the first native Chinese scientist to win a Nobel Prize, and the first Chinese scientist to win a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. This is so far the top award for the Chinese medical science community and for research findings in Traditional Chinese Medicine. On 9th January, 2017, she was honored with China’s highest science and technology award.
Culturally-Advanced City
Culture is the soul to a nation and is also the spirit that drives a city forward. A city is represented by its culture. In recent years, Ningbo has striven to become a culturally-advanced city, to promote the production of film and music, and to encourage reading among citizens, creating a culture that is uniquely our own. As a result, many excellent works have been produced-—20 works have won awards from the central CPC Communications Department in recognition of their widespread positive influence, making Ningbo a 6-time winner of the award. 300 productions from Ningbo have won prestigious art awards in China; Ningbo ranks high among all sub-provincial cities and separate planning cities in this regard. A number of excellent works with great influence were created here, including the television series Xiangdong Shi Dahai (“To the East is the Ocean”), the dance drama Ten-Mile Red Dowry, the musical Gao Su Hai ("Tell the Ocean"), the opera Hongbang Tailor, the local-style opera Ningbo Dage ("The Brotherhood of Ningbo"), and the Yao Opera Wang Yangming. Since 2016, more policies supporting the cultural industry have been introduced, including The CPC Ningbo Municipal Committee’s Opinions on the Implementation Measures to Promote Socialist Arts, Financial Incentives for Excellent Cultural Projects in Ningbo, and Support Measures for Ningbo Artists. These are innovative measures to develop art and recruit artists. As a result, 12 nationally renowned artists including Chen Zhenlian, Ye Xin and Yu Feng have set up a workshop here. To improve cultural services for the public, an initiative was launched, establishing 1,023 culture centers of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles in over 150 towns, villages and communities of Ningbo. The city ranks high in Zhejiang in terms of both the quantity and quality of such culture centers.
Ningbo has drafted a plan for developing the creative industries during the 13th Five-Year Plan. In the last two years, the Ningbo Cultural Industries Fair was held. The city now has 27 municipal-level incubators and over 80 creative parks, including 20 recognized by the municipal government or higher level authorities; each has its own strengths. 2017 saw over 1,500 new companies being set up in the cultural sector with a total registered capital of over 8 billion yuan. Many local brands enjoy great reputation at home and abroad, including Deli Stationery, Dafeng, Hailun Pianos, Beifa Stationery, and Soundking Acoustics. In 2017, the added value of the cultural and creative industries stood at 71.63 billion yuan, a year-on-year growth of 22.2%, accounting for 7.27% of the city’s GDP. The value added generated by large enterprises in the sector reached 48.02 billion yuan, up by 22.5% compared with the previous year, accounting for 67% of that of the total output of the sector.
City of Readers
In recent years, Ningbo has been actively encouraging its citizens to take up reading, creating an environment that values knowledge and learning. The Ningbo Book Week, an event with “reading, innovation, and integration” as its theme, has been held for two years. During the event, numerous activities were organized, including the “China-Japan-Korea Book Exchange Seminar”, “Reading Classics for Pleasure”, “Reading Marathon”, and a competition for the title “Family of Readers”. The Ningbo Book Alliance, an alliance of bookstores, libraries and book clubs, has been set up. In addition, a reading list was compiled and distributed among citizens together with a map of book stores and libraries around the city. This campaign, initiated by the government, saw widespread citizen participation and promoted reading in the entire society.
City of Films
In 2004, the Xiangshan Global Studios opened to visitors. In the last decade it received over 10 million visitors and hosted many famous filming crews, such as those of the well-know television dramas Nirvana in Fire, The Legend of Mi Yue, Eternal Love, and The Qin Empire. Now it is the second-largest studio in China in terms of revenue and the annual number of visits by crews and tourists. In 2018, Ningbo will roll out a new set of policies for the film and TV industry to encourage successful film companies to set up bases in the city. The production of high-quality TV series, such as Wang Yangming, will be supported. Film and TV industry parks such as the Ningbo Dream Factory and Yangfan Plaza will also be supported to build Ningbo into a globally acclaimed film city.
City of Music
In recent years, the music industry in Ningbo has witnessed rapid growth. A number of venues for musical performances, such as the Ningbo Concert Hall, the Ningbo Grand Theatre, and Ningbo Cultural Plaza, have been built. High-quality musicals and dances such as Ten-Mile Red Dowry, Tell the Ocean, and Hongbang Tailors have been produced. Ningbo companies such as Hailun Pianos, Dafeng, Soundking Acoustics, and Yunsheng are well-known brands in the music industry. Founded in 2015, the Ningbo Symphony Orchestra is another milestone in the development of fine arts and music. As part of Ningbo’s effort to become a City of Music, the Jiangbei district government, in partnership with the Beida Jade Bird Group, will launch a project that aims to build a creative industry park that would also serve as a tourist destination and a center of recreation.
City of Talents
Ningbo is a city of ambition and aspiration, a place where people can realize their full potential.
This is a city with outstanding education and research resources. At present, there are 15 institutions of higher education in Ningbo, with 155,000 students enrolled, meaning that for every 10,000 residents, there are 270 university students. Nearly 5,000 international students from 113 countries are studying in the city. Ningbo is home to Ningbo University, part of the “Double-First Class University Plan” in China; the University of Nottingham Ningbo, the first Sino-foreign cooperative university in China; and the first Supply Chain Innovation Institute in China, founded in partnership with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Ningbo is also a perfect choice for career development. The municipal government adopted preferential policies for talents and professionals. The annual Week of Talents and Science & Technology is a platform for competent professionals and start-ups to realize their career dreams in Ningbo. In addition, the China (Ningbo) Robot Summit, Trips of Overseas Talents to Ningbo, New Material Tech City, International Marine Ecology City, Aerospace Tech City, the “Thousand-Talents Plan” Industry Park and other projects and initiatives are ideal choices for domestic and international talents to fulfill their dreams. As of the end of 2017, the local talent pool is 2.196 million-strong. Innovation-driven start-ups numbered over 10,000. Ningbo has three full-time academicians in the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering, four international academicians, and over 11,000 overseas talents.
Ningbo—the perfect choice for career development.
In southern China lies Ningbo, a coastal city surrounded by verdant mountains and split by three rivers.
At its center, on the shores of Moon Lake, stand modern skyscrapers and ancient structures of southern Chinese elegance.
In traditional buildings and along aged alleys, time-weathered walls and piers have been preserved, adding a touch of antiquity.
The city, raised and nurtured by the sea, thriving and prosperous through sea trade, is a city full of love and friendship, where all residents, old and new, live in peace and harmony.
Towards a Garden City
We will improve the city’s environment by promoting ecological restoration in the Siming Mountains, conserving and developing the Xiangshan Harbor, and improving the landscape of river banks. The 560 Highway, 50km of scenic waterways, and 140km scenic of greenways will be built to improve the city’s landscape. In addition, a campaign will be carried out in the next three years to renovate public washrooms. Ornamental vegetation will be planted along main roads, and there will be 1 million m2 of public green space in the downtown area.
In 2017, the air quality in the urban area of the city was good for 85.2% of the time, up by 0.5% year-on-year; PM2.5 density was down by 5.1% to 37mg/m3. There were 38 smog days, 29 days fewer compared with the previous year. A total of 71.3% of surface water is of good or excellent quality, up by 22.5%, a significant progress.
Great efforts have been made in terms of water treatment. Based on thorough investigation, officials and experts identified key targets, took different approaches to different sources of pollution, and closely followed the progress. In early 2017, Worse-than-Grade-Five Water Pollution was discovered in three areas of the municipality, 24 areas of the counties, and 1,210 small and micro water bodies in the rest of the city, but they were all rid of the pollution by the end of the year. Ningbo is also the first city in Zhejiang province to work towards the goal of zero discharge of untreated waste water, and till now, 34 townships across the city have been successful.
In respect to air pollution treatment, a total of 560 companies have taken up better practices to treat VOCs, cutting 14,000 tons of VOCs emission. 154 state-of-the-art VOC online monitoring devices have been installed, ranking the first in the province.
Coordinated measures have been taken to treat soil contamination as a result of air, water and land pollution. The hazardous waste treatment capacity of Ningbo stands at 836,000 tons per year, higher than most other cities in the province. 184 electroplating companies have stepped up efforts to promote comprehensive and advanced waste treatment, among which 37 have completed the process of upgrading, representing a strong step towards high-quality development of the industry.
Beautiful Countryside
When addressing affairs on agriculture, rural areas, and farmers, Ningbo, which has been taking the lead in agro-modernization, environmental beautification and urban-rural integration, has a solid foundation to build on, and has demonstrated distinctive local features. In 2018, guided by the three -year action plan on implementing the rural revitalization strategy, Ningbo will launch 22 key projects in total. To promote upgrading of agriculture, we will deepen supply-side structural reform in this sector with an emphasis on green, high-quality, and high-tech development. We will optimize the industrial, production, and operational system of modern agriculture to achieve high-quality development and to enhance revenues and competitiveness of the sector. To better develop the rural areas, we have set up pilot zones for urban-rural integration, and will continue to deepen rural area reform. We will make villages greener and more attractive to tourists. Measures will be introduced to improve rural management and encourage the adoption of better lifestyles. Actions are being taken to increase the earnings of rural households, especially low-income households, by supporting the rural collective economy. Per capita disposable income of low-income households is expected to rise by over 10% this year, and revenues generated by the collective economy will reach above 200,000 yuan.
Turquoise lakes, lush green mountains, neat rows of cottages, scenic roads—the idyllic rural landscape of today speaks to the gains we have achieved in supporting the countryside. In 2017, 11 towns and 31 villages, including Yinjiang in Haishu district, Xikou in Fenghua district and Liangnong in Yuyao were recognized by the province as model towns in developing good environmental protection practices and preserving local culture.
Clusters of Demonstration Village
In 2016, after a comprehensive review of the different types of geographical features and local customs in the region, Ningbo has taken measures to form clusters with certain towns and villages, especially those that share similar customs, economies, and landscapes, to promote joint development of culture, environmental protection, economy, and tourism. These clusters help to boost coordinated development in rural areas, and can vitalize the entire region. 23 such clusters have been formed so far.
The first cluster, named “Colorful Shoreline,” consists of seaside villages and towns, and was the first one to be formed. These fishing villages are part of the Xihu coastal area in Xiangshan, and the cluster showcases the unique local fishery culture. As part of the effort to support this cluster, local history and customs will be promoted, facilities and infrastructure will be improved, and tourist attractions will be developed. Tourists will be able to experience life in a seaside fishing village at its most authentic.
The second cluster is named “Colorful Eastern Zhejiang.” The villages in this cluster are distinctly eastern Zhejiang in style, with a well-preserved local culture and characteristic architecture. These quiet traditional dwellings, simple yet elegant, speak of local culture and values. Several of them have been nationally recognized for preserving culture and history, or for their visual beauty. They also boast good infrastructure. Centered around Xufu village, Fangjiahetou village, Pan’ao village, Renjiaxi village, and Xufu Cultural Park, the cluster aims to promote regional culture and local heritage.
The third cluster, named “Colorful Siming,” with Liangnong town at its heart, features lakeside scenery as well as traditional villages. The seven villages in the cluster: Wugui, Dongxi, Liangfeng, Baishuichong, Hengkantou, Wangxiang, and Houchen, are known for their natural beauty, links with China’s revolutionary history, green economy, and smart economy.
Memory of Revolutionary History
Siming Mountains Revolutionary Base
Renowned for its fresh air and green landscape, the Siming Mountains have earned many titles, such as “the Green Lung of East Zhejiang”, “Ningbo’s Natural Reservoir” and “Home of Former Revolutionary Base”. The mountainous area comprises 13 towns and neighborhoods, and is home to 300,000 people living in 207 villages. During the Sino-Japanese War in the 1940s, it was in this area that the revolutionaries established the East Zhejiang Revolutionary Command Base, set up the temporary administrative CPC committee, founded the New East Zhejiang Times and the East Zhejiang Bank, issued currency, and started schools, hospitals and printing houses. The seeds of revolution sown there greatly contributed to the victory of the war. The Siming Mountains are considered the heart of East Zhejiang Revolutionary Base; the town of Liangnong of the Siming Mountains has the same historical significance as Yan’an (one of the very first revolutionary bases in China) in East Zhejiang. During the war, there were 19 revolutionary bases in China. The East Zhejiang Base had the support of 4 million Chinese. Under the CPC’s leadership, the military forces and the local citizens fought 643 battles and captured 110-plus enemy strongholds. 4 million people were liberated; 9,000 enemy troops were either killed or captured—a great victory in China’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression.
Zhang Renya, the Secret Guardian of the 1st CPC Constitution
Zhang Renya was born as Zhang Jingquan in Xia’nan Village, Beilun District, Ningbo. In 1921, he was among the first to join the CPC and was the very first one of Ningbo origin. Among all the stories about him, the most intriguing one is that of him protecting the 1st CPC Constitution with his father, Zhang Jueqian. In late 1927, Zhang Renya went back to Ningbo, and left a parcel of documents with his father for safekeeping. It was a dangerous time; CPC members were being witch-hunted. Zhang Jueqian wrapped up the documents and books with oil paper, and put them in a fake tomb with Zhang Renya’s name on it. Among the documents was the 1st CPC Constitution passed during the 2nd CPC Congress. It has been verified to be the only copy of the 1st CPC constitution, which carries great value.
Hengkantou Village
Right after the 2018 Spring Festival, President Xi Jinping replied to a letter sent by the CPC party members of Hengkantou, a village in Liangnong Town, Yuyao County. President Xi encouraged them to pass on the legacy of previous generations of CPC members, and lead locals to create a more prosperous, civilized, and livable village.
As the former center of East Zhejiang Revolutionary Base, Hengkantou village preserves many CPC war-time legacies, such as the former sites of the East Zhejiang Revolutionary Command Base, the old East Zhejiang Temporary Administrative CPC committee, the New East Zhejiang Times, the East Zhejiang Bank, and the former residence of Tan Qilong, a CPC leader in the Sino-Japanese War. Shortly before the 2003 Spring Festival, the village was visited by President Xi Jinping, who was then serving as the Party Secretary of CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee. President Xi noted that Zhejiang province would never achieve true prosperity if the people living in former revolution bases (which are often in remote, inaccessible areas) were left behind. He encouraged villages in such areas to seek paths of economic growth, and lead other villages by example. His instruction was strictly followed, and after 15 years of relentless efforts in developing agriculture, industry, tourism, and democracy, Hengkantou village has risen from poverty to prosperity. In 2017, for instance, it received 640,000 tourists, generated 2.6 million yuan in fiscal revenue (in contrast with a debt level of 450,000 yuan in previous years), and reached 27,568 yuan in per capita income. As a result, the village was recognized by the provincial government as an example in achieving moderate prosperity and civility. During the 2018 Spring Festival, the village’s CPC members wrote a letter to President Xi Jinping, reporting on the village’s progress and also demonstrating their commitment to sustaining the momentum.
Must-See Attractions
The Old Bund
The Old Bund in Ningbo is the most historic waterfront in China. It has traditionally been one of the landmarks of Ningbo, integrating catering, shopping, leisure, tourism and business.
Tianyi Square
Located in downtown Ningbo, Tianyi Square is a first-class commercial complex featuring commerce, tourism, catering and shopping. The square covers a total area of 200,000m2, including the main body (made up of 22 buildings), a 35,000-m2 central square and 6,000 m2 of water.
Gulou Pedestrian Street
Built in 821 AD, Gulou (Drum Tower) bears witness to Ningbo’s history as an independent city. In order to bring history to life and provide local people with traditional art performances and handicrafts, a restoration project was initiated in June 2012 and completed in February 2013. The new Gulouyan (adjacent to the Drum Tower) has once again become a good choice for recreation.
Heyi Avenue
GUCCI、Christian Dior、ErmenegildoZegna、Emporio Armani、Cartier、DUNHILL 等著名消费品牌。
Heyi Avenue is a top quality shopping mall with luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Christian Dior, Ermenegildo Zegna, Emporio Armani, Cartier, DUNHILL, and many others.
Yue Hu Sheng Yuan (Moon Lake Garden)
Located to the east of Moon Lake, Yuehu Shengyuan is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Ningbo, with an area of 50,000m2. It is home to 15 historic buildings, five of which are listed as heritage buildings and protected. It is nationally recognized as a model for blending cultural heritage protection with business operation.
Zhou Su Ye Jiang
Located on the Fenghua River, this district hosts a number of top restaurants, bars and entertainment venues. In ancient times, it was a ferry station called “Zhou Su Du” and was an important passage to Ningbo city by the waterway system.
Historic Area along the Nantang River
This neighborhood consists of a 500-metre well-preserved ancient street with seven historic sites, such as the former residence of Yuan Muzhi and the Temple of Guan Yu. Visitors can find traditional streets, shops and courtyards here. It is also an ideal place to enjoy local delicacies, as many time-honored local brands have opened stores here.
Local Specialties
“Yong Cuisine” is the local name for Ningbo Cuisine, which particularly features seafood. Yong Cuisine chefs are adept at using techniques such as steaming, stewing and braising with fresh ingredients to present exquisite dishes with original flavors.
Top 10 Ningbo Delicacies
Steamed Soft-Shell Turtle with Rock Sugar
Braised Eel
Pork Belly Stewed with Seaweed
Stewed Whole Chicken
Fried Yellow Croaker in Sauce
Fried Yellow Croaker and Seaweed
Pan-fried Tofu Rolls Stuffed with Yellow Croaker
Fried Goose Liver with Spiced Salt and Diced Scallion
Yellow Croaker and Pickled Chinese Cabbage Soup
Ningbo-Style Freshwater Eel
Top 10 Famous Snacks
Sweet Tangyuan (Glutionous Rice Balls with Sesame Paste Filling)
Sweet Green Rice Balls
Steamed Buns Stuffed with Nuts, Sugar and Lard
Rice Pudding with Red Bean Paste
Steamed Sweet Rice Cake
Noodle Soup with Shredded Chicken, Pork and Ham
Steamed Buns Stuffed with Pork
Shaomai Dumplings
Pork Wonton
Tangyuan in Fermented Rice Wine
Tourism
Top 10 Tourist Attractions of Ningbo
Tianyige Museum
Xikou Xuedou Mountains Scenic Area
King Asoka Temple & Tiantong Temple
Baoguo Temple
Dongqian Lake Tourist Resort
Hemudu Culture Site
Gulou (Drum Tower)
The Old Bund (Laowaitan)
Moon Lake (Yuehu)
Zhaobao Mountain.
Top 20 New Popular Destinations of Ningbo
Tengtou Village Eco-Tourism Demonstration Area
Cicheng Ancient Town
Songlan Mountain Beach Resort in Xiangshan County
Forest Hot Spring Resort in Ninghai County
Liangzhu Culture Park
Ningbo Museum
Shipu Fishing Port Ancient Town
Dapeng Mountain Resort in Cixi City
Qiantong Ancient Town
Xiangshan Global Studios
Harborland Theme Park in Beilun District
Danshan Chishui Scenic Area
Ningbo Daqiao Ecological Farm
Wulongtan Resort
Lvye Mountain Resort
Youngor Zoo
Ningbo Sea World
Wushan Grottoes
Haitianyizhou Service Center at the Hangzhou Bay Bridge
Tiangong Manor.
A Home of Happiness
The Ningbo Municipal Government has given top priority to development and people’s livelihood. With the improvement of residents’ living standards and a growing sense of happiness, Ningbo has become a highly livable city.
Starting from late March 2017, Ningbo has started to simplify government approval procedures through a reform known as “One–Trip Administrative Procedures”. At the municipal and county levels, measures are in place to ensure that all administrative paperwork can be completed at no more than one counter or one internet service platform, and in the vicinity of the local neighborhoods. A new service mode is in place where documents can be submitted to at any counter, assigned to the relevant departments for review and approval processes, and retrieved at any counter. The municipal online service platform is in use; 3,000 district-governed and 369 municipally-governed administrative procedures can now be completed online. Now, local citizens can complete these procedures without even going to a service center.
In 2017, Ningbo achieved a GDP of 984.7 billion yuan, up by 7.8%. Total fiscal revenue reached 241.58 billion yuan, increasing by 12.4%. The public budgetary revenue was 124.51 billion yuan, up by 10.9%. A total of 195,000 new jobs were created. Per capita incomes of residents in urban and rural areas were 55,000 yuan and 30,000 yuan respectively, increasing by 7.9% and 8%.
Ningbo is a city where philanthropy and volunteerism is gaining momentum. Civility has become a concept embraced by all, and many have been recognized by the national government for acts of kindness and care. There are now over 1.7 million registered volunteers in the city, and volunteer societies now rank among the largest and most popular civil societies in Ningbo. With healthy socioeconomic development in both urban and rural areas, public services offered by the local government are now more comprehensive, covering entrepreneurship, social security, elderly care, and housing, pioneering the national effort. Satisfaction with public services in Ningbo ranks second among all 38 major cities in China. As of 2017, Ningbo has been named “National Model City of Civility” for the fifth time running.
Ningbo Citizens with Beautiful Hearts
For 18 years, in Ningbo Charity Society’s donation records, the name “Let-It-Be” appears frequently. In fact, “Let-It-Be” is the most generous donor of the Society, having donated over 9.55 million yuan in total from 1999 to 2017 at the annual “Charity Day” campaigns. All donations by “Let-It-Be” have exceeded over 15 million yuan.
The exact identity of the many “Let-It-Bes” will probably never be known, but one thing is for sure, and that is they must all be “Ningbo Citizens with a Beautiful Heart.”
A “Ningbo Citizen with a Beautiful Heart” can be a single person. It might be Lin Ping, who donated her liver to save another’s life, or Yan Yina, a girl in her 20s who built a bridge with donations from Ningbo people in Longxi of Gansu province where she worked as a volunteer teacher. It might be Fang Ya’er, who has taken care of the family members of a late friend for two decades, or Gong Xueming who has given financial support to 5,700 poor students. It might be Liu Jiafen, president of the Damin School for children with disabilities, who has helped these special children to become independent, or Yu Fuling, who excels in her position as head of the local Huachuan Community. It might be Liu Guojuan, a mom who adopted and raised up four baby girls on her mean income and has kept donating to a local elderly care house for 30 years, or Liu Zhaoxia, a policewoman who has given financial support to 75 poor students and set up a volunteer team to help the neighborhood community. It might be Ding Huiqing, the obstetrician of Ningbo No.1 Hospital famous for her skill and dedication. It might be Cai Guokang, the village mayor who commissioned multiple infrastructure projects in his village with his own savings. It might be Hu Jianjiang, the police officer who risked his own life to capture a drug dealer.
“Ningbo Citizens with Beautiful Hearts” might be a group of people. They might be the 300-some locals, who donated 600,000 yuan within 6 days to Luo Nanying, a teacher from Qinghai Province who suffered from leukemia, or the 10,000 Ningbo citizens who have twinned with 15,000 poor students in Guizhou Province. They might be the kind-hearted local residents who donated 300,000 yuan to Li Xuejun, a mother attempting to save her son through cord blood transplant. They might be the private car owners who volunteered to take fellow citizens home in the face of Typhoon Haikui, or the four ladies who gave first aid to a senior citizen in a traffic accident. They might be the courier who saved a girl who fell from a high-rise building, or the “Red Power” (Hong Se Li Liang) society, a group of selfless citizens who donate blood regularly, or perhaps members of the Ye family, several of whom have lost their lives guarding a lighthouse off Ningbo’s coast.
A sense of charity and social responsibility is in the heart of every single person in Ningbo. As of the end of 2017, 65 residents of Ningbo have gained national recognition for their acts of kindness and care towards fellow citizens. Yu Fuling, Chen Shufang, Qian Haijun and four others were awarded or nominated for the title “National Moral Model.”
V. A Brighter Future
Goal: to make Ningbo a port of global renown, a city of modern civility, and a member of first-tier cities nationwide at an earlier date.
Making breakthroughs in six fronts within three years’ time: In the spirit of “time waits for no man”, Ningbo should strive for a leading role in high-quality development with a 6-pronged approach, namely: promoting the implementation of major projects, accelerating industrial upgrading, increasing R&D investment, optimizing urban and rural development, enhancing efficiency of government services, and improving the governance of the Party, so that Ningbo’s social and economic development would reach a new height by 2020.
To promote the implementation of major projects, the focus should be on major and promising industries, major infrastructure projects, ecological and public utility projects, etc. No efforts shall be spared to find, implement, and plan out major projects in all possible sectors; investments with promising returns should be encouraged.
To accelerate industrial upgrading is to implement supply-side structural reform, focus on industrial transformation, upgrading and integration, further opening-up policy and build more competitive enterprises. Apart from consolidating gains, stock assets should be revitalized, economic increment secured, industrial structure optimized, strengths given full play, weakness avoided, and more competitive industries created, so that a modern economic system can be established at a quicker pace.
To increase R&D investment, one should bear in mind that technology brings about competitiveness. R&D investments can be increased by enterprises by utilizing different platforms and the support of intellectuals. All sectors should be encouraged to achieve scientific innovation with more efforts, leading to stronger regional innovation capacity.
The optimization of urban and rural development can be achieved by following the examples set by successful metropolises, both domestic and aboard, and by coordinating regional development, strengthening planning and regulation, improving development quality, enhancing management ability so that a modern city can be created at an earlier date.
To enhance the efficiency of government services, all officials should strengthen the awareness of serving the greater good and the public, shoulder the responsibility of making Ningbo great and benefiting the public, strive for efficiency, focus on details, and never shy away from making decisions, so as to bring better services to the public.
To improve the governance of the Party, the management of party officials should be strengthened and talents cultivated. More oversight will be exercised on grassroots Party committees so that Party members would be better prepared for making the Party greater.
主办单位：中国田径协会、北京市体育局 联合主办：中央电视台
承办单位：中奥路跑体育管理有限公司、北京市体育竞赛管理中心
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