Throughout their respective histories, Shanghai and Ningbo have been inextricably linked, each viewing the other as similar yet distinct, like a reflection through a warped mirror. These two cities -- once two of the busiest ports on the East China Sea -- sit symmetrically to the north and south of Hangzhou Harbor.

The Ningbo and Shanghai connection goes beyond mere geography and economics. Ningbo was a booming center of trade as early as the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907), and by the sixteenth century was welcoming goods and silver from as far away as Spain and Portugal. One British trader wrote of Ningbo in 1832, "It surpasses anything Chinese which we have yet seen, in the regularity and magnificence of the buildings, and is behind none in mercantile fame."

Ningbo was the site of the second battle of the First Opium War (1840-42), falling after Guangzhou (Canton) succumbed to British gunboats. When under the terms of the Treaty of Nanjing Britain was given the right to select five treaty ports, Ningbo was an obvious choice -- much more so than Shanghai. But as Shanghai developed, Ningbo's fortunes declined, and its hold on the region's trade increasingly slipped over to its sister. Shanghai's new status as China's leading port drew to it the savvy, experienced businessmen from Ningbo and Guangzhou, the two cities that once competed for that title. Many of the people who now consider themselves Shanghainese migrated from Zhejiang Province three to five generations ago, and of them the largest proportion hails from Ningbo. In the first half of the twentieth century, the Ningbo Guild was second only to the Green Gang in influence, and the modern Shanghainese dialect derives many of its patterns from Ningbo speech.

Modern day Ningbo is a peaceful, subdued city where past and present coexist unselfconsciously. It manages to remain free of the crowded urban ugliness that permeates most China's cities. It is a city of broad, tree-lined lanes criss-crossed by a network of rivers, where one can cross town by bicycle rickshaw for 5 yuan. Only a handful of the city's major intersections sport traffic lights, with the rest relying on an honor system: Please dodge carefully and try not to hit anyone. Downtown, a Song Dynasty tower neighbors a Soviet-style factory and overlooks an urban landscape of high-rises jutting up awkwardly from the Qing courtyard houses that surround them.

Ningbo can serve as a comfortable launching pad for touring the numerous temples, towers, lakes and mountains within a two-hour radius in the surrounding Zhejiang countryside. The city itself, however, contains more than enough to fill up a laid-back weekend. Although the Cultural Revolution struck particularly hard in Ningbo, damaging many of the historic buildings and looting most of their contents, the city is now taking extensive measures to protect what remains and, in some cases, recreate what was destroyed.

Most notable, and best preserved, of Ningbo's sights is the Tian Yi Ge imperial archives, located on Changchun Lu. A sprawling compound with dozens of ornate buildings and numerous exquisite gardens, Tian Yi Ge requires the better part of an afternoon to fully explore. Only a smattering of the books and archives remain, so many of the buildings instead contain exhibitions on Ningbo's history and traditional crafts. Over four hundred years old, Tian Yi Ge figured as one of Zhejiang's most important centers of government and scholarship under the Ming and Qing Dynasties. It was also the site of recreation for imperial ministers, attested to by the compound's glitteringly gilded opera stage. An extra 5 RMB will let you climb onto the stage for a view of its swirling red and gold ceiling, and for a higher surcharge you can even rent opera costumes for the ultimate cheesy photo op.

A few blocks east of Tian Yi Ge lies the long, narrow Moon Lake (Yue Hu) and its surrounding Moon Lake Park. Despite the absence of gates and entrance fees, the park is clean and peaceful, and its patrons actually leave their trash in the garbage cans rather than on the sidewalk. Old-style teahouses dotting the shore of the lake do brisk business. Jutting into the lake from its northern point is the Guandi Temple. The temple was gutted in its entirety during the Cultural Revolution, but in 1994 the city's devout took up a collection to restore the building. The new Guandi Temple is thus filled with new and not particularly picturesque statues, but worshipers are plentiful and the place is interestingly administered not by monks but by retired, blue-coated townspeople who volunteer their time.

A number of small streets run off from Moon Lake Park, and are worth wandering down for the gray brick courtyard houses typical of East China in the Ming Dynasty that populate them. This type of building once predominated in Shanghai as well, but was replaced early on by Western architecture, and now the only remnants that can be found in suburbs like Songjiang are disappearing fast. Ningbo, in contrast, is making a marked attempt to preserve these neighborhoods, and most of the buildings are in very good condition. The city is even creating replicas of this architecture in parks and other publications, with attention paid to authenticity down to the smallest detail. One of these alleys contains the Qingzhen Mosque, which has served as the center of Ningbo's community of Muslim traders for almost a thousand years. Originally constructed in 1003 AD, the current structure dates from 1699, and renovations in 1987 fixed as much as possible of extensive damage from the Cultural Revolution. Half of the unassuming building now houses a children's arts and craft school, but the rest still functions as a mosque, with women and unbelievers allowed only as far as the courtyard.

Beyond the mosque and temples, Ningbo also contains quite a collection of Catholic churches. Portuguese missionaries first came to Ningbo in 1628, and the Christian influence remains strong. An enormous Gothic cathedral, sort of a peach-colored replica of the Xujiahui Cathedral, was constructed downtown just a few years ago, and its twin spires can be seen from most parts of the city. More interesting, though, is the Old Cathedral (Tianzhu Jiaotang), a French Jesuit construction dating from 1872. The still-functioning Cathedral is an odd mixture of Chinese and Western architecture, from a distance indistinguishable from the gray-tiled surroundings except for the steeple. Located at Waima Lu and Waizhong Lu, by Tongjiang Bridge, the Cathedral is part of the dilapidated old foreign enclave, a collection of decaying Art Deco facades running for a few blocks along Waima Lu and Neima Lu by the river. In contrast to Shanghai, Ningbo is preserving its Chinese historical heritage while abandoning the Western remnants to the slow rot of time.

Zhongshan Lu, Ningbo's main thoroughfare, boasts a monument that is even more of an architectural bastard than the Cathedral. Ningbo's Bell Tower was first built in 821 atop the old city wall. It was replaced by a frilly Ming pagoda in 1434 and, in 1930, a Western-style clock tower was superimposed on top of the pagoda, and the result is truly bizarre: Tang city wall topped by Ming pagoda topped by Western clock. Innocuously gracing a sidewalk, as if it were dropped there by accident, the Chengtong Tower can be found just down the street. The cute, five-story brick tower was built during the Tang Dynasty in 863.

The significantly larger Tianfeng Tower, built during the Song Dynasty and located on Kaiming Jie near Jiefang Nan Lu, can be spotted from most parts of downtown. A ? climb to the top allows a fantastic panoramic view of the city. From the tower, proceed up Kaiming Jie towards Yaoxing Jie to the huge City God Temple Fair (Chenghuang Miao Shengchang), a sprawling street market similar to Shanghai's Yuyuan. In one section, stock up on gifts and souvenirs, such as a wild array of hats, hairclips, cigarette lighters, and the freshwater pearls that are the region's specialty, selling for as low as ? a strand. Head down the street for stall upon stall of greasy snacks, or turn back onto Kaiming Jie for a row of nice restaurants.

Ningbo lacks the scenic wonders and tourist draws of Zhejiang's more popular destinations. If a traveler is looking for something beyond the frantic rush of sightseeing and crowd control, however, they could do no better Ningbo for a calm, peaceful day or weekend away from Shanghai's urban bustle.

Getting There:

Buses are the fastest route, taking a little over three hours from Shanghai to Ningbo. They cost about ?0 one-way for an AC bus with lavatory, and leave from the long-distance station by the North Train Stations. A plush and comfortable new train shuttles between Shanghai and Ningbo, and the trip takes over six hours and costs 60 RMB each way. Alternatively, ferryboats from Shanghai to Ningbo take anywhere from six to twelve hours and cost between ?0 and ?00. There are also flights into Ningbo from most cities in China.

Where to Stay: