Ningbo History

One of China’s oldest cities, Ningbo was the birthplace of Hemudu Culture, which can be dated back to 4,800 B.C. In the Xia Dynasty (about 2,000 B.C.), the city was called Yin and in the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 B.C.) it was subordinate to the state of Yue. In the Qin Dynasty (221-206 B.C.) the three counties of Kuaiji Shire --Yin, Mao and Gouzhang -- all belonged to the area that we call Ningbo today. In the Tang Dynasty (618-907 A.D.), Ningbo, then called Mingzhou, was one of the original stops on the maritime Silk Road: Ningbo, Yangzhou, and Guangzhou were known as the three largest seaports for foreign trade. However, it wasn’t until 821 A.D. that the city began to take shape with the construction of the city wall. The local district government then moved to the spot where the three rivers meet. In the Song Dynasty (960-1279 A.D.), Ningbo was further established as one of the three important seaports for external trade. In 1381 during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 A.D.), the city got its current name of Ningbo, meaning ‘calm waves’. After the Opium War between Britain and China, Ningbo became one of the five treaty ports by the Treaty of Nanjing in 1840.

After the liberation of eastern Zhejiang Province in May, 1949, the city of Ningbo became part of the county of Yin. In 1986 it was ranked as a famous historic and cultural city by the People’s Republic of China and one year later in 1987 it was recognised by the State Council as a city specifically included in the state plan.

At present, Ningbo consists of 6 districts, 3 county-level cities and 2 counties and covers an area of 9,671.59 square kilometers. It is home to a population of 5.96 million. Over the years, Ningbo has been the most developed city in Zhejiang Province. It ranks fourth in the per capita income scale and second in consumption levels in China. It is also an important part of the Shanghai International Shipping Hub Port and has opened up sea routes with more than 600 ports in 100 countries and regions.