Venture past the metropolis and you’ll find a number of significant Buddhist Ningbo temples, dotted across its mountains. Among its most unique is the 1,700 year old Asoka Temple, China’s last surviving Asoka temple and hillside home to a sacred relic: a bone fragment from Sakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism (although this isn’t available for public viewing). Nearby, Tiantong Temple has been rebuilt over the dynasties dating back to its origins in the Jin Dynasty - resulting in its grand Qing Dynasty-era architecture today. On Mount Lingshan, you’ll also find the 1,000 year old Baoguo Temple: one of the oldest existing wooden Buddhist temples and a marvel of carpentry as its main hall was constructed without any nails.

Thanks to the success of Ningbo port and the city’s reputation as a shipping hub, Ningbo has rapidly modernised in recent years - but it’s still thronged with traditional architecture. The yellow Drum Tower has left its past as a dynastic military watchpost behind, instead now serving as a popular Ningbo attraction. The Old Bund, known as laowaitan to locals, is a look into Ningbo’s colonial trading past as numerous Dutch and British colonial buildings stand there to this day (repurposed as upscale bars and restaurants). Although Ningbo Museum is one of the city’s most modern structures, look closer at its facade and you’ll discover its architect Wang Shu used bricks dating back to the Tang Dynasty - taken from ancient buildings.

An ideal Ningbo day trip is a visit to neighbouring Xikou, an idyllic village famed as the hometown of Chiang Kai-Shek, the former president of China. Amidst Xikou’s beautiful greenery, mountainous landscapes and historical streets, the red and white facade of Chiang Kai-Shek’s traditional riverside home Wenchang Pavilion has been stunningly preserved alongside other related landmarks. Beyond historical sites, explore Xikou’s natural beauty at Wangjiashan’s peach orchards and hike Xuedou Mountain to see the thundering East Zhe Waterfall and golden Matreiya Buddha statue overlooking Xuedou Temple.

Created in the 1560s, this ancient library was created by Fan Qin, a Song Dynasty government official and book lover who fiercely protected his literature collection. Located on the banks of Moon Lake, Tianyi Pavilion is China’s oldest private library with a striking bamboo and floral-filled garden decorated with inscribed stone tablets. While it once held 70,000 Song and Ming Dynasty books, many were destroyed or sold during the cultural revolution. There have since been renewed restoration efforts, with a reported current archive spanning 300,000 books.

If you’re looking to escape the downtown bustle, Dongqian Lake is a tranquil spot to recharge. This man-made freshwater lake is ringed by emerald greenery, sleepy fishing villages and an enchanting temple featuring a Guanyin statue. Dongqian is also famed for the hundreds of stone carvings which surround its trails, particularly at the Stone Carving Park where you’ll find sculptures of warriors and animals dating back to the Southern Song Dynasty. The best way to experience Dongqian is on bicycle, with a number of bike rental stores and dedicated trails.

Seafood is at the heart of the Ningbo food scene, thanks to the surrounding lakes, rivers and sea which provide no shortage of fish. Yellow croaker is the main star here, where you’ll find it rolled in tofu sheets, served in a milky white soup, braised whole with pickled vegetables, sizzled with sea cucumber or deep fried with lichen. Other standouts include the region’s unusual mud snails and braised eel dishes, while you’re likely to find locals tearing into a platter of salted crab served with niangao rice cakes. Ningbo is also famed for its silky tangtuan dumplings - glutinous rice dumplings filled with black sesame and lard.

Kill two birds with one stone at Nantang Old Street, where you’ll be able to immerse yourself in traditional Chinese culture and snack on Ningbo street food. With rainbow canopies of lanterns and historical architecture lining its winding stone lanes, there’s no shortage of street food vendors frying up Youzanzi (fried dough twists), barbecued skewers as well as small stalls selling beef noodles and sweet pastries.