🏛️ 5A National Attractions
Last verified 30 Jun 2025
Ningbo features 2 国家5A级 scenic areas—the historic port city's premier destinations—spanning ancient library heritage, traditional gardens, mountain retreats, and eco-village tourism.
1 Quick Metrics
Total sites
2 📍
UNESCO share
0 – Ningbo has no World-Heritage listings
World heritage sites
Entry-fee range
Free waterfront strolls at Moon Lake → ¥ 120 peak for Xuedou-Peak cable car inside Xikou
Standard admission for Tianyi Pavilion
Metro/rail reach
Tianyi Pavilion sits 800 m from Metro L2 "城隍庙"; Xikou–Tengtou needs 40 min CRH + 30 min bus
Variable by site type
Real-name booking
Required for both sites (WeChat "宁波预约通" mini-prog)
Passport/ID mandatory
2 Why It Matters
Library older than Shakespeare — Tianyi Pavilion (AD 1561) is East Asia's oldest private library; its 300 k volumes and curved "boat" roof inspired countless Jiangnan scholars.
Eco-model countryside — Tengtou Village inside the Xikou scenic zone is China's poster child for sustainable agro-tourism, pairing rice paddies with solar rooftops since the 1990s.
Mountains to Moats — In one prefecture you can glide a lotus boat under Ming stone bridges at Moon Lake and, two hours later, ride a cable car above Xuedou's bamboo sea where Chiang Kai-shek once retreated.
3 Pro Tips
1
Moon-Lake golden hour — Arrive 17 : 00; west-shore pavilions back-light the Tianfeng Pagoda for mirror shots.
2
Library quota — Tianyi restricts the Ming-vault hall to 50 ppl / 30 min; book "文物善本馆" slot in mini-prog, passport required.
3
Xikou bundle ticket — ¥ 180 covers Xuedou Temple, Wuling Gate, Chiang's Former Residence & round-trip eco-bus; cable car adds ¥ 40.
4
Avoid weekend crush — Take CRH G-trains from Ningbo Station to Fenghua (21 min), board bus 202 for Xikou before 09 : 00.
5
Stay after dark — Moon-Lake's south bank lights up at 19 : 30 with guqin + Kunqu mini-sets—free for anyone inside park.
4 The Full 5A List
📚
1 · Haishu
Tianyi Pavilion & Moon Lake Scenic Area / 天一阁·月湖景区
1561 private library · 300 k volumes · crescent lake with nine arch-bridges · Ming City-Wall remnant · Metro L2 "城隍庙".
🏔️
2 · Fenghua
Xikou–Tengtou Scenic Area / 溪口·滕头景区
400 m Xuedou Falls, Chiang Kai-shek residence, Lingfeng peak cable car & eco-village paddies · CRH → bus link.
Two contrasting 5A gems—one city-center, one mountain-valley—give Ningbo a "library-to-lotus-fields" weekend loop. No Tourist Traps. No BS.