Ningbo： A Bright Pearl on the Ancient Maritime Silk Road

In early August， a loud gust of wind arrives in Ningbo， offering Fenghuajiang River with abundant rainfall. Each year， millions of tons of cargo travel through this river， making Ningbo one of busiest ports in the world. Located on the northeast coast of Zhejiang Province which is known for its tea， silk and cuisine， Ningbo was formerly spelled as Ningpo. Ancestors of this land contributed greatly to make this city what it is today.It is said to be one of the oldest cities in China that prospered under the reign of several dynasties. Owing to its unique geographical advantage and rich heritage， Ningbo serves as one of the cradles of ancient Chinese civilization， especially the Hemudu Culture.

The cradle of Hemudu Culture

Ningbo， literally meaning “tranquil waves”， is abbreviated as Yong. It lies in the middle of the coastal line of the Chinese Mainland， enjoying favorable advantages of port transportation. Thanks to its location and its use as a port since the Tang Dynasty （618-907）， it has become one of the four most important international harbors in China.

As early as in the Spring and Autumn Period （about 770 BC-476 BC）， Ningbo belonged to the Yue State that flourished in the south of the Yangtze River. In search of the islands of immortality for the First Emperor of Qin Dynasty （221 BC-207 BC）， Xu Fu， a noted voyager， departed from Ningbo. Later， it was once named as Mingzhou during the Song Dynasty （960-1279）， representing two lakes in the city — Sun Lake and Moon Lake.

As one of China’s famous historical and cultural cities， Ningbo not only witnessed the rise and fall of numerous dynasties， but also was the birthplace of the Hemudu Culture.

As early as 50，000 years ago， during the Palaeolithic Period， primitive Jiande People were living here. And 7，000 years ago， a group of people made the glorious Hemudu Culture on this land. Hemudu was a site of the Yue State. It was not until 1973 that these sites were found by some local villagers during their work of construction. Historical remains of a flourishing Neolithic culture including rice seeds and wooden oars were unearthed at various sites of Ningbo. It can be seen from the unearthed arts and crafts like wooden buildings， tools， ceramics， colored paintings and carvings that Hemudu’s people lived a rich and intellectual life. These relics also demonstrate the evolution of Hemudu’s people， from a nomadic group to an agricultural community. Furthermore， these findings calls into question the conventional view that the Yellow River region was more advanced than the rest of China and shows that Chinese civilization originated in both the Yellow River and Yangtze River areas.

Ningbo now has 243 historical sites protected by the government and some of them have been listed in the Top 100 Most Important Cultural Sites in China. Also， Ningbo is the key place of the East Zhejiang School in the Ming Dynasty （1368-1644） and Qing Dynasty （1636-1912）. In recent years， Ningbo has completed its public culture and service system by vigorously building the 15-minute cultural activity circle to satisfy ordinary people’s requirement for cultural life.

Ningbo port steams ahead for rosy future

As a result of history， local people have a deep affinity for the ocean and Ningbo always illustrates its special role between the city and the sea. Someone once said that no people in the world can apparently make so great efforts in shipping for centuries like Ningbo’s people.

Historically， Ningbo was regarded as a trade city on the Maritime Silk Road at least two thousand years ago. During the Tang Dynasty， Ningbo acted as the center of trading， shipbuilding and ocean shipping， keeping frequent business links with foreign countries.

The ancient Maritime Silk Road， starting from the ancient capital Chang’an （today’s Xi’an）， the center of politics， economy and culture for a long period， served as a bridge linking the economy and culture between eastern and western countries. Portuguese， Dutch and British ships flooded into Ningbo， making it a regional economic center. According to the Treaty of Nanking signed in 1840s， the British captured Ningbo as one of the five Chinese treaty ports for foreign trade， successfully utilizing its favorable location for water transportation.

As always， Ningbo is sticking to its traditional roots while still thriving to realize modernization. Nowadays， linked by the canals to Shaoxing and the Qiantangjiang River， Ningbo becomes a major shipping center and an important industrial center in the region. Also， it pays more attention to boosting the coordinated development of the land， sea and air transport network. Sanjiangkou， a riparian area in which the Yuyaojiang River and the Fenghuajiang River join together to form the Yongjiang River and then flow into the East Sea， is associated with Ningbo port in many ways . As the busiest section in the downtown of Ningbo， Sanjiangkou attracted so many merchants of different dynasties in the history， making great contribution to the development of Ningbo port.

Since the reform and opening up， Ningbo port has become one of the top ten ports in the world and Ningbo has been a typical modern city in eastern China. In recent years， Ningbo’s economic bonds with countries along the Belt and Road have never been stronger. This year， Ningbo was selected as the “City of Charm” for the coming 14th CAEXPO. Looking ahead， it will undoubtedly play a critical role in connecting China with other countries by utilizing its world-renowned port facilities， and continue its glory on the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.