Ningbo Rainy Day Ancient Architecture Check-in Guide

3-Day Slow Life Guide in Ningbo｜The Perfect Blend of Scholarly Charm and Everyday Life

Stroll along the bluestone path, with a thousand years of ink fragrance on your left and a century-old foreign concession on your right. This city always manages to crumble time for you to see⏳

——Itinerary——
Day 1【Scholarly Ningbo】
📍Tianyi Pavilion Museum (9:00 AM)
The oldest existing private library in China. Remember to touch the bronze statue of Fan Qin to pray for literary luck. The Mahjong Museum by Moon Lake houses interesting old items; tickets are 30 RMB (half price for students).

📍Drum Tower Pedestrian Street (12:00 PM)
Climb the tower for a panoramic view of the old city. The short-statured meat pie shop downstairs always has a long queue. Walk through Zhongshan Park to see the Republic of China-era buildings, then navigate to "Guhai Cake Shop" to buy some Water Tower Cake to nibble on while walking.

Day 2【Sanjiang Tide Charm】
📍Old Bund (10:00 AM)
20 years older than Shanghai’s Bund! During the day, admire the Western-style buildings; the stained glass in the Catholic church is stunning. For a night visit, remember to go after 7:30 PM when the bar street and the lights of the Corn Building across the river perfectly complement each other.

📍Ningbo Museum of Art (2:00 PM)
Designed by Wang Shu, this exposed concrete building hosts major exhibitions irregularly. The second-floor terrace offers the best spot to photograph the Sanjiangkou area. Free admission but reservation required.

Day 3【Culinary Intangible Heritage】
📍Nantang Old Street (9:30 AM)
The Youzanzi specialty store makes and sells on the spot; next door, Cicheng rice cake shop offers rice cake pounding performances. At the end of the street, around the corner, is a noodle knot shop featured on CCTV—remember to add a portion of beef offal.

——Tested Tips——
1. It’s recommended to hire a guide at Tianyi Pavilion (80 RMB per group) as it’s easy to miss the museum’s treasures on your own.
2. The riverside at Old Bund is windy; bring a jacket in the evening.
3. Noodle knot soup sells out early; most old shops are sold out by noon.
4. You can store luggage at Drum Tower Metro Station for 2 RMB/hour, very convenient.

🍜Must-Try Trio:
Top pick: Gangyagou Tangyuan (Heyi Road store)
Hidden gem: Cangqiao Noodle Knot Shop (118 Zhenming Road)
Dessert: Old Granny’s Alkaline Rice Dumplings (54 Hutong Street)

📸Photo Spots:
1. Red wall and bamboo shadows at the North Library of Tianyi Pavilion
2. Blue boat background by the riverside at Old Bund
3. Reflection of the stone arch bridge over Nantang River