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Ningbo is not only known for its picturesque scenery, but also for its "Four Fragrances" (rice, fish, books, and ink) since ancient times. Its abundant natural resources are also abundant. Specialties can be categorized into seafood, dried seafood, specialty foods, seasonal fruits, and traditional handicrafts.
Thousand Layer Cake: There are many small shops selling Thousand Layer Cake, but the most famous one is Jiangjia Longmen Thousand Layer Cake.
Taro heads: Taro heads are available in August. Walking on the streets of Fenghua, you can see vendors selling taro heads everywhere.
Fenghua peaches: Xikou is the hometown of Chinese peaches. Every year on August 2nd, the Fenghua Peach Festival is held from mid-June to late August. The peaches during this period are of the highest quality.
Some say, "Without the three treasures, one cannot become a child." These three crucial treasures are firm tofu, hollow tofu, and dried tofu. The firm tofu is white, tender, fragrant, and smooth; the hollow tofu is crispy but not brittle; and the dried tofu is refreshing, fragrant, firm, and chewy, with a richer bean flavor than regular tofu.
The crystal-clear waters of Dongqian Lake are home to a wealth of refreshing lake seafood. Pengyu, river shrimp, snails, and black carp are local favorites, served on the tables of every Dongqian Lake restaurant. They have become synonymous with Qianhu's beloved cuisine, earning them the nickname "Qianhu's Four Treasures."
When the cool breeze blows and the chrysanthemums bloom, it's peak season for hairy crabs from Yuyao's Moushan Lake. Ningbo residents admire the lake's clear waters, and the crabs it produces are on par with those from Yangcheng Lake.
Dalei Village in Hengjie District is home to the renowned East Zhejiang Bamboo Sea. The sprawling bamboo forests also provide a bountiful supply of bamboo shoots. Huangnigong (a type of bamboo shoot) is a standout, boasting jade-white flesh and a tender, crisp, sweet, and fresh taste.
Ningbo people have a deep affection for salty shavings. The signature dish, yellow croaker soup, requires salty shavings from Qiuai to perfectly capture the croaker's delicious flavor. In daily life, the unique sour and salty flavor of Qiuai salty shavings is a popular appetizer.
Huangjiabu in Yuyao is famous for its "original plate turtle", whose most distinctive feature is its extremely shiny carapace and ferocious temperament. Its nutritional value is higher than that of ordinary greenhouse turtles, making it the best choice for making "rock sugar turtle".
Ningbo's vermilion and gold lacquer wood carvings, mud and gold lacquer, gold and silver embroidery, and bone and wood inlay are collectively known as "three golds and one inlay".
Zhujinlacquer wood carving is a traditional Han craft that emphasizes both carving and lacquering. The saying "three parts carving, seven parts lacquer craftsmanship" is a summary of the experience of Ningbo Zhujinlacquer wood carving artists.
Gold-and-color lacquer is a lacquerware technique characterized by the combination of gold-and-color lacquer. The main technique involves pounding raw lacquer, tile dust, or oyster ash in a certain proportion to create a lacquer paste. Then, on a base made of bamboo or wood, decorative patterns such as landscapes, flowers and birds, figures, and pavilions are superimposed. Finally, the patterns are gilded and colored.
Gold and silver embroidery is a technique of embroidering silk fabrics with various colored threads, gold and silver threads, and mainly depicts auspicious motifs such as dragons, phoenixes, unicorns, and the symbols of good fortune, wealth, and longevity, which are popular among the people.
Bone and wood inlay is a traditional craft that uses ivory, boxwood, mahogany, rosewood, ox bones, copper sheets, wax stone, etc. as raw materials. It is made by grooves in the wood blank, inlaying patterns, and then polishing, carving, and lacquering.
The largest "one-stop" shopping and leisure plaza in Ningbo, it offers everything from food and drink to entertainment and shopping. It houses more than 300 stores of all sizes. It is Ningbo's "city living room" and pioneered large-scale shopping malls in China.
Address: South side of Zhongshan Road, Haishu District
Located at the mouth of Sanjiang River, the prosperity and splendor of the city are perfectly displayed here. International brands such as LV, GUCCI, DIOR, HERMES gather here, as well as Ningbo's century-old store Zhuangyuanlou, catering giant Wendi No. 1, high-end supermarket OLE, and Munich Beer Garden Restaurant... As night falls, these trendy stores with an international style are like gilded style and beauty, bringing more excitement to Ningbo, the fashionable water city.
Address: Heyi Road, Haishu District
"If you're not at Tianyi, you're at Wanda" has become a common saying among Ningbo residents. Wanda is a must-visit for many newcomers to Ningbo. It's like a city all its own, offering everything from food and drink to entertainment. You can often spend a whole day wandering around, your feet tired, but your eyes still linger.
Address: No. 999 Siming Middle Road, Yinzhou District, No. 188 Jiangbei Avenue, Jiangbei District
Located in the heart of Yinzhou's urban area, IM CITY, along with Qianhu Tiandi and the currently under-construction Powerlong Plaza, forms a large urban leisure and shopping center. IM CITY's vibrant year-round themed exhibitions are a major draw for visitors, ranging from cute items from Japan to artistic collectibles.
Address: 288 Qianhu North Road, Yinzhou District
Century Oriental Plaza is a large, one-stop shopping center, integrating department stores, supermarkets, shopping malls, world-famous brand stores, a riverside bar street, cinemas, dining and leisure facilities, entertainment venues, and art exhibitions. Its fully indoor environment caters to customers' shopping and leisure needs, rain or shine.
Address: No. 1083, Zhongshan East Road, Yinzhou District