Ningbo is one of the larger cities of Zhejiang Provence and sits at the mid-point of the Chinese coastline, towards the south of the Yangtze Delta. Ningbo is a city with strong Buddhist connections boasting a number of visually-impressive, historical temples.
On the outskirts of the city is Xikou (a town in Fenghua) and includes the birth place and the early home town of Chiang Kai-shek. It is now a museum and comprises a number of well restored dwellings including Fenghao House (his residence), Yutai Salt Shop (Chiang’s birth place grandfather’s business) and Wenchang Pavillion (Chiang’s home with his wife Soong May-ling). It is all well done with many interesting artifacts although the area has become a little commercialised, Xikou is a must-see for those who have an interest in this influential leader and his part of modern Chinese history. Many Chinese people come here to pay a visit, the mountain area around the village is fantastic, and Chiang Kai-shek build a temple in the mountains in the years before he escaped to Taiwan. What was surprising was the very respectful and balanced treatment given to Chiang.
The Ningbo Tianyige Museum is the oldest library in China. It is set in a quiet and elegant environment, exquisite gardens, primitive architecture with strong local characteristics. The collection is well protected from environmental conditions and fire risks. We spent most of the time exploring the surrounding rooms and gardens and sheltering from the heavy rain storm.
We also walked around Moon Lake and Nantang Old Street with it’s diverse selection of local food stalls, restaurants and traditional products. It was a great place to walk around and to sample the local offerings.
We also embarked on a demanding walk up a steep hill to get photos of the surrounding city and lakes but it was very humid and hot by the time we reached the top and we were worried about the approaching afternoon thunderstorms!
Ningbo has a lot to offer to visitors and we wished that we had more time to explore some of the famous temples and the mountain scenic areas.
If you would like more information about this destination, please do not hesitate to contact me.
