The Shanghai Leisure Boating Club will be there too. For your next holidays, why not renting a Megayacht like the Alexander ? 125 meters long (400 feet), 57 crew members, 80 guests...Could be a good idea for a trip with friends but maybe not a cheap one ! More about it : HERE
JUNE 2007 - HELLONINGBO news, reviews, tips, info...FUN !
2007/June/26 : On the forum 15 FREE invitations to dine in Zplace ! ZPlace is a cool place to meet with friends and listen to music with live bands. Don't know the place ? You should definitely have a try. Look at this great offer HERE ! Summer is coming and it will be time for us to update our Ningbo restaurants and bars listing and add some fresh reviews. HelloNingbo will also offer more gifts to its reader. So stay connected and drop an eye regularly on the forum !
2007/June/28 : If you regularly pass by Gulou, walking or driving to Jiefang Nan lu where quite a few bars and KTVs are (ALA Bar, etc...) you will see that the overhead walkway has been closed and people cross directly on the street. This will be the case for the next 2 months needed for a big renovation. So if you drive or if you pass by walking, be careful in both cases as it's a crowded section. Great ! Ningbo is getting prettier !
2007/June/21 : "Hey Guys ! What's up ? No more news ?" This is what a guy said to me last night...First thank you because we know that we have more and more readers waiting for our news and sorry as recently we've been quite busy testing and tuning our new forum. Good news it will opened next Monday ! It already looks and works great, thanks to VBulletin, the world's leader of forum software. Still we want it to be easy to use and very friendly to browse. More communication, more information and more fun ! We hope you will like it and use it to stay connected !
2007/June/23 : Flight Tickets Special Discount to Hong-Kong ! A return ticket Ningbo <-> Hong Kong is only RMB1410 !!! (All taxes included) - It's really time to have a trip to Hong-Kong ! Book now as this offer is only available from today to July the 14th. Call Kathleen : 13336860722
2007/June/25 : It's strange to see that during 10 days, all the official world weather forecast websites like BBC Weather, MSN Weather, Accu Weather, etc have been wrong in their predictions. Ok we all know that the weather forecast is not an exact science but until now we were quite satisfied with the predictions of these websites. Amongst them we found the MSN and BBC weather to be the most accurate. So has the satellite been hacked so that all websites got wrong information for a while ? Anyway we will still keep on displaying the MSN weather (very quick to display because on our local server) but we also created a new page regrouping 6 other links to the some other world weather forecast. Click : Ningbo weather forecast
2007/June/09 : As part of the CICGF (China International Consumer Goods Fair) , the first International Yacht Exhibition will be held in Ningbo Grand Theater from the 8th to the 12th of June. More than 20 different types of yacht including some famous brands like Alpha, Point 65, Mercury and some local builders like Ningbo Kinghwan will be exposed. As the GDP keeps growing in the east coast of China and modern life concept has now been accepted by the new generation, yachting is now a new leisure
2007/June/11 : We received quite a few mails asking us for the Bullet Trains Timetable from Hangzhou to Shanghai. It is now available ! Check it HERE. You want to travel abroad and need a flight ticket ? You can contact us for cheap flight tickets. Just send us a mail (click HERE) and don't forget your mobile phone number. You can also directly contact Kathleen 13336860722. We already served quite a few happy customers, so you could be one of them too. We deliver flight tickets at your door for free if you live in Ningbo in or near the city center and also in Beilun.
2007/June/13 : Looking for a part-time job during the summer ? HelloNingbo is currently looking for a Reviewer that could help us to update and develop some of our sections. Candidate must be a native English speaker or highly qualified in English writing. Job is planned for July and August but could go further on and if you're a talented person it could even lead to full time job at a higher position. If you think you can help us by writing interesting reviews about places and businesses, please send us your resume by email (click contact at the bottom page)
2007/June/15 : Want to enjoy a FREE classical music concert ? HelloNingbo is offering a special promotion: if you buy one ticket for the Windiana (USA) Wind Ensemble Concert on Monday the 18th, you will get one ticket FREE for the Vienna Ensemble Wild Concert on Tuesday the 19th. Both concerts will be held in Ningbo Grand Theater at 19:30. More information HERE. Book it now: 13336860722.
2007/June/18 : HelloNingbo opens its door for constructive exchanges and talks !
2007/June/03 : Grand opening last night of Ciao Italia (see our news of the 1st) and quite many people got together. Of course some Italian Guys that might have smelt the inviting aroma of their favorite food but also friends from other nationalities. Marc (Canada), Boss of the famous LBB bar was there without Lilly but with Ben (France) the Ex-Manager of Le Cargo bar, great DJ ! Debbie D. (USA) who is taking care of all the "Ningbo moms" and Angela (Italy) and Jeff (France) freshly arrived in Ningbo 3 months ago. Amir & Nancy also dropped there with Tangsa, one of their daughter regularly recording for Shanghai and Beijing TV. Space is lacking here to introduce everyone and we also respect people's intimacy... As we already planned to do a full update of our "Bar and Restaurants" section in the weeks to come, Ciao Italia will be soon reviewed. Who said I like these tough tasks ? We wish long life and prosperous business to Ciao Italia !
We also happened to know that a free magazine about Ningbo has just been launched and should be available in quite a few bars and restaurants. This is a good news for you readers. More info means more fun. After the loss of the magazine "In Touch Ningbo" almost 2 years ago that was later reduced to 2 or 3 pages inside "In Touch Zhejiang" and the English version of "In Ningbo" stopped a few months ago, we sincerely hope the new NG Magazine will at last shows that Ningbo is something else than a modest town somewhere near Hangzhou. By reading HelloNingbo, you might have realized that this city is growing up fast and offering more every day. This is why we regularly bring up fresh info and new sections. Thank you all as we see our web stats going up. We believe life should be seen from different angles. "Richness starts with diversity !". So good luck Guys !
2007/June/06 : The 6th China International Consumer Goods Fair (CICGF) will be held in Ningbo from the 8th to the 12th of June in the International Convention and Exhibition Center. The fair will set up 3000 booths and will be divided into 6 sections : household textiles and garnments, electronics and home appliances, office supply sport articles and furniture, decoration and gifts, articles of daily use, foodstuffs. Well-known enterprises, famous brands and new products from home and abroad will attend the fair. More info on the official site : www.cicgf.com and also : www.cgfair.com
2007/June/07 : Have you seen our latest report about the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. They played magnificently all kind of traditional instruments. See our photos and video : HERE
2007/June/01 : CIAO ITALIA is a new Italian restaurant opening this week end ! Located on Jiangdong South Road (Jiangdong Nan lu), 109, CIAO ITALIA is by the river bank just down the well known residence Jindishui An. CIAO ITALIA is managed by an Italian team that of course loves Italy but above all their food. On the menu some famous classics like Pizzas, Pastas, the Minestrone soup but also Lasagna, Tagliatelle ai Funghi, Carpaccio di Bresaola, Seafood dishes and the famous Torta Della Casa (Homemade Italian Cake). Opening ceremony will be held tomorrow Saturday the 2nd at 18:00. Meet the leading team Enzo, Umberto, Antonio and the Chef Alessandro (il parle francais couramment !). Already feel hungry ? Drop in CIAO ITALIA !
2007/June/02 : Yesterday was Children's Day and students from all around the world had a great time. In Beilun, parents, students and teachers from AIAN International School all met in Harborland. Miraculously the rain stopped in the morning and everyone could have a nice time on he amusements. Pupils from Liren Kindergarten were also there and of course every child was delighted too...Great day for all of them !
2007/May/08: AIAN, the famous international school in Ningbo is introducing a new director, Ms. Shirley Davis. She will assume her duties as of August, 2007. Shirley has had 17 years of experience in International Schools, nine in administration, both in Asia and Europe. She is presently director of the Benjamin Franklin International School, Barcelona, Spain. Previous to that, she was the Middle School Principal at the International School Manila. Shirley serves on the board of AISH (Academy of International Heads).
Due to increased student numbers, AIAN will have more staff (already 40 persons !). Additional staff will include a computer teacher, two additional teachers in Mandarin and ESL, plus more TA (teacher assistant) support. At the high school level there will be additional staff in math, and the language arts / social studies subjects. A full-time consultant will be involved in the WASC process, plus curriculum revision and the student service component. Want to know more about AIAN international school, click HERE
Due to increased student numbers, AIAN will have more staff (already 40 persons !). Additional staff will include a computer teacher, two additional teachers in Mandarin and ESL, plus more TA (teacher assistant) support. At the high school level there will be additional staff in math, and the language arts / social studies subjects. A full-time consultant will be involved in the WASC process, plus curriculum revision and the student service component. Want to know more about AIAN international school, click HERE
2007/May/10: Looking for a job ? Are you an English Language Teacher ? If this is the case you could get a pretty decent salary by teaching in one of the most famous school in Ningbo ! How to answer to this offer ? Pretty simple, just send us your resume (email at bottom of page) with a valid phone number. The school will contact you directly to fix an interview. You can expect RMB10000/month according to experience.
2007/May/11: Hey Guys ! What's up with HelloNingbo ? Well a new design fellows ! HelloNingbo is having a new look with a new index page and also new templates for different sections. Clearer and with more stuff, HelloNingbo is making a step forward. Keep an eye on our new design that will be on during the week-end. HelloNingbo is growing up with the city that keeps growing !
2007/May/13: Happy Mother's Day ! Joyeuse Fête des Mères ! Herzliche grüsse zum mutertag ! Félicidades mama ! Buona festa mamma ! Gelelicituud ! Gratulerer med morsdagen ! Boa mamã !
Sorry I cannot go on translating but you all understood what's the day about ! Still did you know that Mother's day is not celebrated at the same date by quite a few countries ? For example, Mother's day was in Norway on February the 12th, in UK on March the 18th, in Spain on May the 6th and will be celebrated in France and Morocco on June the 3rd. Want more info about Mother's Day, click HERE
Sorry I cannot go on translating but you all understood what's the day about ! Still did you know that Mother's day is not celebrated at the same date by quite a few countries ? For example, Mother's day was in Norway on February the 12th, in UK on March the 18th, in Spain on May the 6th and will be celebrated in France and Morocco on June the 3rd. Want more info about Mother's Day, click HERE
2007/May/17: The Brazilian Steak House has a new Chef that just arrived from Brazil. Mr Flaviano has been cooking Brazilian meals for 30 years ! His experience has brought him around the world (Germany, Spain, USA and South Korea) in lots of hotels and restaurants. Mr Flaviano is an expert in cooking meat using the famous churrascaria de rodizio (open-flame barbecue). Located opposite to Tianyi Square on the 2nd floor of the Ningbo World Hotel, the Brazilian Steak House offers a buffet with many kinds of dishes (vegetables, pastas, spring rolls, fried rice, french fries, etc) and meat will be served at your table. So the method is simple : you make your choice and eat as much as you want ! Lunch RMB58 - Dinner RMB68. Half price for children under 1m20.
2007/May/16: Friday the 18th is International Museum Day. International Museum Day has been celebrated all over the world since 1977. On Friday the 18th, all the museums in Ningbo will open to public free. If you are interested to see Tianyi Ge (Tianyi Pavilion), Gulou (Drum Tower), Qing'an Huiguan (Mazu Temple), Baoguo Si ( Baoguo Temple) etc, entrance is free for all these places.
2007/May/15: Ready for Children's Day ? Children's Day will be celebrated on June the 1st. There are quite a few events in Ningbo that you can enjoy with your children. From the 1st of June to the 3rd of June in Ningbo Grand Theater, there will be the Puppet Show "The Fairy Tour of Andersen". You will meet all the famous images of Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tales including the mermaid, the little match girl and other friends of children. Same moment in Harborland Theme Park in Beilun, there will be some events for the "9th International Childrens Film Festival". On the 8th and 9th of June, Ningbo Yifu Theater is presenting the children play of "Little Bear's Adventure" while the Beilun Theater having the children play "Cinderella". All the cinemas will have children movies including some English movies. Watch our Ningbo Events Calendar for information about plays and shows.
2007/May/18: Very pretty and cozy flat to rent in the 5 star residence Century City (Shi Ji Cheng). Located right in the city center, a few minutes walk from the Moonlake and 3 minutes by taxi from Tianyi Square, Century City has a huge garden with swimming pool and all shopping around. The flat is 80 m2 and has a private entrance. 1 living, 2 bedrooms, 1 big kitchen, 1 bathroom. Opposite to the supermarket A-Best. Double glass bay windows. Quiet place. 3 powerful Samsung air conditioning, TV, DVD player, etc. See photos HERE. RMB4800/month - Min. rent. 1 year - Free assistance to settle down - Kathleen: 13336860722
2007/May/20: Mexican Restaurant opening soon in Lao Waitan (The old Bund). Located just next to Le Cargo bar, a new Mexican style restaurant and bar should open soon. Called Casa Maya it will be the first of its kind to open in Ningbo. It should be followed by a new Italian restaurant opening soon too in another location. Keep an eye on this section to know more about these 2 new places...
2007/May/27: If you're a sports fan particularly interested in Volley Ball, the Beilun-China International Women's Volleyball Tournament 2007 will be held in Beilun Gymnasium from the 30th of May to the 1st of June can be a great event for you. This time there are four teams playing that include China, Cuba, Dominica and the Netherlands. The World Grand Prix Finals will also be held in Beilun Gymnasium from the 22nd to the 26th of August 2007. More about CN Women's Volleyball Team: HERE
2007/May/22: Did you use to keep a lot of cash at home or with you because the ATM only allowed you to take 5000RMB/day ? Recently, most of the Chinese banks increased their maximum limit for withdrawing cash from ATM machines. The amount is now up to 20000RMB/day. This new limit only concerns saving accounts not yet credit accounts.
2007/May/24: Cheery Dental Clinic is sponsoring the Children Play "The Tour of Andersen" on the 1st of June in Ningbo Grand Theater. If you join the performance, your child will get a very cute gift and a free entry to their Children Teeth Care Talk. Cheery Dental Clinic is very popular amongst Expats in Ningbo. More about it HERE
2007/05/26: Flea Market, rummage sale, garage sale, whatever you prefer to call it, there is going to be one on next Saturday, June 2. The sale will be outside the main gate of Liren Garden in Beilun starting at 8:30 am until about noon. This is sponsored by the Li Ren Community. If you would like to participate, they will provide tables free of charge. Email Deborah Dean (debo_dean@yahoo.com) before May the 31st with how many tables you need. Table size is 105 x 45 cm.
2007/May/29: Children in Beilun are lucky to have some great schools. Amongst them is the international school AIAN and next to AIAN is Liren Kindergarten. Last Saturday morning (the 26th), Liren Kindergarten was organizing informal activities in Haiyun Park (Haiyun Gongyuan) located on Zhonghe Road. All children had fun with modeling clay and enjoyed drawing. Liren Kindergarten is a 5 star kindergarten in Beilun with great hardware and highly qualified teachers. Two new foreign Teachers recently joigned them. More HERE
2007/May/31 : Have you seen our new Transportation section ? Train section with quite a few photos and (accurate) timetable and an Airport section with full and exclusive flight schedules in English. HelloNingbo is the only website with such service and can also deliver discount flight tickets at your door ! Have a look at this new section HERE
MAY 2007 - HELLONINGBO news, reviews, tips, info...FUN !
2007/April/04: There are regular shows on CCTV4 with foreigners singing, dancing and/or acting. Their level of Chinese is usually amazing as they often have been first studying Chinese in their own country, then they usually came as students in some universities in Beijing for several years. The most famous of these foreigners "Da Shan" has made a career and has now lots of "spiritual sons" like "Da Niu" who also appeared on other channels. If you can speak Chinese fluently,
you could have the chance to be the new foreign host CCTV9 is looking for…
2007/April/05: 574.8 km/h is the speed reached 2 days ago by the French TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse - Very High-Speed Train). A TGV new world record for the French railway network which shows the excellence of the French railway industry. But what is more interesting than a simple world record is that all big cities in France are reachable by the TGV which is much more convenient that the plane as the TGV arrives right in the city center. Imagine taking a train in Ningbo and arriving in Hangzhou city center in about 20 minutes. Well it might not be that quick but soon it will be much quicker than the 2 hours we need today. Already from April 18th, China railway will experience a significant speed rise. The speed of a large part of main railways will reach 160 to 200 kilometers per hour. Concerning Ningbo and surrounded cities, Shanghai-Hangzhou will be 80 minutes only and Shanghai-Ningbo will be less than 3 hours. More HERE !
2007/April/09: Sorry a bit late this month for the Monthly Events Calendar but still time to book some excellent plays being held in Ningbo Grand Theater or Ningbo Concert Hall. Check also Ningbo Wanda Cinema that offers movies in original version on panoramic screens and 5 star environment !
Get the Flash Player to see this player.
2007/April/11: Thanks to all the Readers that give us feedback. We will do our best to follow your suggestions. First, the preview information page has been put back as you wished, that means it won't open directly the whole page anymore. If you click on objects of this preview page, like the video below for instance, the movie will start immediately. If you click on a photo, it will zoom immediately. More soon...
2007/April/14: The Shanghai Lounge Bar is not in Shanghai but in Yuyao on the 5th floor of the Grand Pacific Hotel. It's the place in Yuyao where foreigners like to drop and meet. James the Manager is there to welcome you with Tony and Janet that speaks a perfect English. Drinks are reasonably priced and atmosphere is friendly. If you're in Yuyao have a try over there and by the way Janet is wishing to learn pool, who can help ?
2007/April/16: After Lao Waitan, a new BullFighter restaurant opened last week on the second floor of the building almost opposite the Nanyuan Hotel. Clean and bright place with nice decoration. The menu mainly offers sets that include a soup, a steak, unlimited buffet with mainly vegetables, soft drinks and ice creams for a total of RMB70 to 118 depending on the piece of beef you choose. Children menu are RMB28. Review is to come but you might already have a try, the menu is in English with photos. Just need to point at what you want ! Remember that one steak includes a set, so just need to order 1 dish, all the rest is included....
2007/April/19: Sunday the 22nd (in 3 days !) Gymboree Early Childhood Education Center will present a spectacular musical festival. Gymboree international music festival will be held in the new Wanda square from 9:30am to 12:00am then in the afternoon from 15:00pm to 17:30pm. There will be Live Band Music Theme Show with traditional Chinese music, classical music, jazz and rock and roll music and also Musical Fairy Tales, Global Kids Music Booths, Features game Zone and Lucky Draws. If you live in Ningbo and have a child in early childhood, you should not miss this event ! - Book Online now : 87369076 - Mieux connaitre Gymboree : ICI - Access Map is HERE
2007/April/21: Huge audience of 500 persons attending last night the "Fine Arts Night" organized by AIAN (Access International Academy of Ningbo). The international school held the show in Harborland Theme Park where parents and children met in the Concert Hall. The atmosphere was great and the show was the best introduced until now. The 200 children worked hard rehearsing for weeks but the result was worth it !
Get the Flash Player to see this movie.
2007/April/24: Did you know that the Ningbo train timetable has been totally modified last week ? From the 18th of April, the old train schedule is not applicable anymore but still the reference on websites of companies selling tickets (!). So be careful if you plan going to Hangzhou or Shanghai. Hopefully guys HelloNingbo is there to help you and is today publishing the new timetable in English. Have a look on our new transportation page : HERE Soon more (valid) schedules and transportation tips.
2007/April/27: New Calendar has been uploaded. Click for the new: NINGBO MONTHLY EVENTS CALENDAR
2007/April/28 to May the 5th:
All the team is off for a few days. We know that many of you are also going abroad or around China for this week, so we wish you you all a
VERY HAPPY MAY HOLIDAY !
All the team is off for a few days. We know that many of you are also going abroad or around China for this week, so we wish you you all a
VERY HAPPY MAY HOLIDAY !
APRIL 2007 - HELLONINGBO news, reviews, tips, info...FUN !
2007/March/01: New Ningbo Events Calendar for March uploaded !
2007/March/05: What about watching a film with friends on a panoramic screen ? As more and more of us tend to buy or download tons of DVD's, we should be careful not to become a "couch potato". Yes we all know that going to the cinema is more expensive than to watch a DVD at home, especially in China ! But enjoying a movie with friends in a cinema is like going out for dinner instead of boiling a pack of dried noodles at home. Ningbo Wanda Cinema is a new 5 star complex cinema with 8 halls that is really worth to try ! We went there and
saw the last James Bond "Casino Royal". Of course we had already seen it at home a few weeks ago. But when we re-watched it on a 25 meters large panoramic screen with Dolby surround sound, it was another dimension ! From now on for sure, we will first go there to watch this kind of movie and then eventually buy the DVD. HelloNingbo will soon publish a monthly list of the English version movies available there. For more information click : Ningbo Wanda Cinema
2007/March/06: Not only they were charming but they also danced well and played traditional Chinese instruments very well ! The Zifeng Girl Band enchanted our ears last night in Ningbo Grand Theater by melting traditional and electronic sounds...Amazing style...We were also very happy to meet quite a few HelloNingbo readers and we thank them for their support ! Full report soon about this show with online videos !
2007/March/08: Today is Women's Day. Thanks to all female readers that support HelloNingbo. More HERE!
2007/March/10: SCOOP !!!! See how we managed to meet Bill Clinton in Shanghai on the 6th of February ! HelloNingbo Director just had time to shake hands and get a picture taken. See on the right. More HERE !
2007/March/15: See our report about the Zifeng Girl Band performing in Ningbo Grand Theater on the 5th of March. Amazing mix of traditional and electronic sounds...More about it HERE !
2007/March/17: Today is Patrick's day ! Though the Founder of this website (Patrick Donovan) mainly lived in France, he doesn't forget his Irish roots. Not only St. Patrick's Day is celebrated by all the Patrick over the world but it is Ireland's greatest national holiday as well as a holy day. Patrick's Day is also a huge celebration in the USA as about 12% of U.S. residents claim Irish ancestry. Might be time to drop in one of the Ningbo pubs for a whiskey or a pint of Guinness...
2007/March/20: Ningbo Wanda Cinema regularly offers original version movies. Now playing is "Deja Vu" a good thriller from Tony Scott, starring Denzel Washington and Paula Patton. Read a review HERE. Also on the screen now is "Babel" with Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett. Babel earned Alejandro González Iñárritu, the prize for Best Director at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival. Read a review HERE. Here are the times for these 2 movies. Deja Vu : 10:50 - 11:55 - 13:30 - 14:25 -16:00 - 16:50 - 18:50 - 19:30 - 20:00 - 20:35 - 21:15 - 22:00 - Babel : 10:30 - 11:20 - 13:05 - 13:55 - 15:45 - 16:35 - 19:10 - 21:40.
2007/March/25: From today on until the 27th of October, Ningbo Airport will use the summer timetable which means that 70% of the flights schedules are going to change. Concerning flights from Ningbo to Shanghai, departures are NOW at : 15:50, 20:00 and 20:20 (Pudong) while returns from Shanghai to Ningbo are at : 10:10, 11:30 and 21:50 (Pudong). Good news if you feel like visiting Nanjing. There will be now direct flights every Tuesday, Friday and Sunday. For discount tickets booking, contact Ningbo Expatriate Service Center : 13336860722 (bulk price applied for every ticket - free door delivery if you live in Ningbo or in Beilun)
2007/March/26: From the 29th of March to the 1st of April, Ningbo 7th Car Exhibition is going to be held in Ningbo Conference and Exhibition Center. Opening time is 9:00 to 16:30. Ticket entrance is 30 RMB. Many new cars from famous brands (Porsche, Ferrari, Rolls-Royce) will be introduced with live shows for the public to experience a stunning presentation of what's new and what's next. Quite a few activities to enjoy too such as the Honda Singing and Dancing Show, a Forte violin show and live jazz music bands. See HERE our report from last year !
2007/March/29: You have less than 3 days to prepare a few jokes for your friends, and/or relatives as the 1st of April is Fool's Day. The history of April Fool's Day remains clouded. The theory about the reform of the Gregorian calendar in the late sixteenth-century, is likely to be the most widespread and most accepted. April Fool's Day is a "for-fun-only" observance. In France the person fooled is known as "poisson d'avril" and French people celebrates this holiday by placing a cut out paper fish on the back of friends. Nobody gets off work or school. It's simply a fun little holiday, but a holiday on which one must remain forever vigilant, for he may be the next April Fool ! (click on the words in bold for more information)
POISSON D'AVRIL !
Updated : 03/29 !
MARCH 2007 - HELLONINGBO news, reviews, info...FUN !
2007/February/01: Remember the Car Parking Meters we've talked about last week ? Finally 2000 parking meters have been already installed around Ningbo city and they start to run from today on. In fact no need to bring a lot of coins with you because these meters work with an IC card. Where to get this card ? You can just ask the guy who is taking care of the parking. A bit like a telephone card, the IC meter card comes pre-charged with 3 different units amount: RMB50/100 and 200. For the day time (7:30-21:30), it's 3-4 Yuan/hour (depending on the area) after 21:30 to 7:30, it's 4 Yuan/night. First need to select your place (push button "Left" or "Right") then press your card against the meter. The counter then starts. When leaving, the card must be pressed again. The counter stops and the card is then debited for the time spent.
2007/February/02: Foreign Supermarkets plan to expand their business in Ningbo. Carrefour (France) is going to open a second store in Ningbo downtown (behind Tianyi Square, opposite to the Mirage Hotel). It should be opening around the middle of 2007. At the same time Auchan (France) is planning to open a third store in Xinxing Village, Jiangbei district (north west of Ningbo city) in 2008.
2007/February/03: We were announcing last month in these columns the upcoming opening of Ningbo Starbucks Gugo (see HERE). Now Starbucks Gugo is opened from January 2007 ! That makes now 4 Starbucks Coffee in Ningbo (2 in Tianyi Square, 1 in Lao Waitan, 1 next to the Sheraton-Portman Hotel). This new Starbucks located in the Gugo shopping center at the back of Tianyi Square is just next to the new Bread Talk bakery. So what is special in this new Starbucks? Nothing !
No surprise but a usual clean environment,
nice cakes and an overall young and lively atmosphere. What did you say ? How's the coffee ? humm...OK !
2007/February/06: As we announced in our Monthly Events Calendar, the Ningbo Concert Hall offered more concerts at a special holiday rate of RMB20. Yes just RMB20 for a seat ! Last Saturday and Sunday there were other sections of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music that came to Ningbo. Saturday was a sax evening with Zhuang Xupeng and Sunday was a keyboard show with accordions and midi systems. Very different styles and quite entertaining. We were really amazed by the dexterity of the musicians and particularly those using the Midi keyboard. Nothing to do with the keyboard toys we see in supermarkets. The sound was so impressive that my poor microphone could hardly handle it. Still you can have a good idea of what I mean by clicking on the videos below. The Ningbo Concert Hall was packed during the 2 nights and these shows were a real success ! Follow our Monthly Events Calendar for more to come !
If you're a car fan, Ningbo has a great annual car exhibition. Have a look at what happened last year HERE !
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2007/February/04: Shanghai is used to have regular glamorous events and parties where famous singers and movie stars join in. Not yet the case in Ningbo but still last night the new club Double just next to the Sheraton-Portman hotel was having a huge party celebrating the new Mercedes Class E. Around 22:00 about 10 Mercedes Class E fully decorated and all with top models inside, arrived to the club. We didn't know about this party but for sure we won't miss the next one ! In between if you want to get an idea of the classy Shanghai nightlife, open SMARTSHANGHAI website and watch their videos. Great stuff ! Earlier on that evening we also saw a brand new Bentley Continental GT. With 12 cylinders, 550bhp and a top speed of over 300km/h, this car is awesome ! Click HERE for a full review of the Bentley Continental GT.
Get the Flash Player to see this player.
Get the Flash Player to see this player.
Get the Flash Player to see this player.
2007/February/08: What about seeing a movie in a cinema ? Yes I know it's far more expensive than to watch a DVD at home, especially in China ! But enjoying a movie with friends in a cinema is like going out for dinner instead of eating at home. There are now new and modern complexes in Ningbo. Ningbo Times Cinema is offering from the 1st to the 28th of Feb, the new James Bond, "Casino Royal" (English version). Everyday at 12:30 - 13:30 - 14:30 - 15:00 - 15:30 - 16:00 - 17:00 - 18:15 - 18:45 - 19:15 - 19:45 - 20:15 - 20:45 - 21:15 - 21:45 - 22:15 - Price: RMB60
Ningbo Wanda Cinema is offering from the 1st to the 28th of Feb, this year's best animated movie "Happy Feet" (English Version). Everyday at 12:15 - 14:15 - 16:15 - 18:15 - 20:15 - Price: RMB60 - Address: No. 999 Siming Zhong Lu, Yinzhou District (3rd Floor of Wanda World) - 宁波市鄞州区四明中路999号万达商业广场（金座）三层
Ningbo Wanda Cinema is offering from the 1st to the 28th of Feb, this year's best animated movie "Happy Feet" (English Version). Everyday at 12:15 - 14:15 - 16:15 - 18:15 - 20:15 - Price: RMB60 - Address: No. 999 Siming Zhong Lu, Yinzhou District (3rd Floor of Wanda World) - 宁波市鄞州区四明中路999号万达商业广场（金座）三层
2007/February/14: Opening today of a new foreign style pub in Lao Waitan ! It's the story of Victor and Billy, 2 friends that enjoy the night life after a hard day work. They decided one day to start their own business and Ningbo VB Bar was born...VB Pub is huge and the 3 storeys offer the customers 3 different atmospheres ! 1st floor is a huge bar with TVs and a table football. The 2nd floor has a huge wall screen, a table pool, a dart board, another bar and the 3rd floor is more intimate. It's the place where friends can talk together around a table or in a private lounge.
Ningbo VB bar is located almost opposite the Shamrock bar. Long list of drinks available and prices are reasonable...Have a try ! VB Pub plans to have regular activities so keep tuned for more information to come !
2007/February/11: New foreign pubs opening soon in Beilun ! Beilun located about 25 minutes east from Ningbo city center is growing up fast and having more and more foreign companies / factories settling down. Already 3 foreign pubs were located near the Lebanner Hotel but the same owner decided to open 2 new pubs just next to the foreign residence Liren Garden. Good idea and for sure these places will soon be popular as the residence is even expanding. Liren part 3
that includes a dozen of new buildings should be achieved before the end of this year. More details soon...
2007/February/13: Yesterday afternoon the weather was quite warm 21°C/70°F and a lot of people were enjoying the sunshine outside in parks. We took 2 interesting pictures...Today the weather might even be warmer ! You can leave your scarf at home and your coat at the office...Why not take a break and enjoy a drink at Starbucks sidewalk terrace or have a pleasant walk in Lao Waitan along the river bank ?
2007/February/16: We've tried the CRH (China Railway High-speed) bullet train ! Yesterday afternoon we left Shanghai south station at 15:58 and arrived in Hangzhou at 17:28. The CRH train which can travel at 250 kilometers/hour is still running at a lower speed but we did appreciate the comfort of the seats and the low noise while running. It costs us a reasonnable RMB53 for a
soft seat. Note that hard seats are also quite comfortable just a bit more narrow. More in our new "Transportation" section that will soon be available ! A few more photos available online HERE !
2007/February/18: Happy New Year to you all ! Xinnian Hao ! 恭贺新春 ！This is the Year of the Pig, running from today on until 2008 Feb. the 6th and is also known as the Year of the Golden Pig, or Jin Zhu, regarded as a most auspicious time. It occurs only once every 60 years in a full cycle of the zodiac, which involves not just the 12 animals but also the five elements - earth, metal, water, wood, and fire. In China, the Pig is associated with fertility and virility. To bear children in the year of the pig is considered very fortunate, for they will be happy and honest.
2007/February/21: A part of the interesting side of China is that we can still find some amazing craftsmen doing unusual things. Look at these guys molding dough figurines ! They can create almost everything you want. Their tools are very basic but their hands do the rest. Some of them have real talent and it's a pleasure to see them molding something "live" in front of us. We found this kind of craftsmen at the door of the Children's Park or at the entrance of Auchan in Haishu, they often move here and there. The usual price of RMB5 for a figurine is very reasonable and once it's really dry (about 48 hours), you can keep it...forever...
2007/February/24: If you live in Ningbo for a while, you can't have missed the Tianfeng Tower. Yes I'm talking about the pagoda near Cheng Huang Miao ! Well did you know that it was the first construction to be there before the city of Ningbo even existed ? The Tianfeng Tower had a tough life as it had to overcome conflicts and calamity weather. Over the years it has been partially rebuilt 8 times ! But today the old Lady is still there and if you climb to the top you can enjoy a great panoramic view of Ningbo downtown. The place is open every day and the entrance ticket is only RMB5.
2007/February/26: Following our news of February the 11th, Hemingway's Inn and the Red Lion located next to the main entrance of Liren Garden in Beilun, opened their doors this week-end. More facilities and fun for more foreigners to come in that area...
2007/February/27: If you didn't follow the results of the 79th Academy Awards (Oscar) that were hold 2 days ago, you should know that Martin Scorsese, the creator of Raging Bull and Taxi Driver, was finally rewarded for his movie "The Departed". It took him 26 years, two directing nominations and two screenplay nominations, but Martin Scorsese finally won an Oscar ! Helen Mirren also won an Oscar for best actress. The 61-year-old star triumphed for her role in The Queen, in which she played the monarch during the days following the death of Diana, Princess of Wales. More info about the ceremony, HERE
FEBRUARY 2007 - HELLONINGBO news, reviews, info...FUN !
2007/January/26: Following our information of January the 11th concerning the installation of parking meters in Ningbo, we just saw today some meters fully installed. This type uses a plastic card and cannot be feeded with coins. Shall we have now an "Ayi" giving us this card instead of tickets ? Shall we be able to buy a monthly card ? Well stay tuned and we will give you more info as soon as these meters will be running...
2007/January/05: Today a small quizz ! Look at the picture on the right and guess where you are. Yes in a sandwich store...Yes in Ningbo...Ok give me now your answer...What ? did you say Subway ? Wrong ! Looks "more than" alike...as the decor is identical, the staff clothes, colors, photos, prices and even the sandwiches names are the same...But it's not Subway... Still we had a try to see if the quality was alike and in fact...Humm ! My advice "just go for the original !"
2007/January/06: Nice Italian-style restaurant and coffee shop just opened on January the 1st near Sheraton-Portman Hotel and next to O'Reilly's pub. Ningbo Gino Cafe is offering an affordable menu that is nevertheless quite attractive. The place is clean with a stylish decor and clean bathrooms (that's rare). The English-Chinese menu is very well done with clear photos. They offer the traditional "a la carte" menu but also 4 different sets. A "Business set meal" (RMB39-lunch only), a "Milano set"(RMB65), a "Firenze set"(RMB98) and also a "Kids set" (RMB39). We chose a "Milano Set" with a Beef & vegetable soup, a mixed salad, some spaghettis carbonara and a coffee. For RMB65 this set was worth the money. We also chose a "Firenze Set" with an aperitif, a mushrooms soup, a mixed salad, a beef tenderloin with red wine sauce (excellent !), a chocolate cake and a glass of coke. This set was great and also worth its RMB98. The service was fine and the atmosphere was not too noisy. It's not Gino Cafe's
2007/January/08: "Last Christmas I gave you my heart !...." Great song of George Michael isn't it ? By the way did you spend the last Christmas in Ningbo ? And what about Christmas today in China ? New report HERE !
2007/January/11: Did you see the new kind of trees that are being planted in Ningbo ? Outside Central Garden or near the South Railway Station, we can see them expanding quickly...Any idea ? Yes, I heard someone talking about "Parking Meters" and you are right ! From the 31st of January, several parking places will be operational and will require drivers to feed the machine with coins. I will miss those "Ayi" with their small tickets booklet, sometimes "forgetting" to give me my receipt or even giving me a "second hand" one...
By the way did you know that the world's first parking meter was installed in the US in 1935 ? So from now on, if you drive in Ningbo don't forget to start keeping a small stock of 1 Yuan coins with you. according to the location, it should be 3 to 4 Yuan/hour during daytime and 3 to 4Yuan/night. More soon...
2007/January/15: From January the 3rd to March the 17th 2007, the Ningbo Concert Hall is holding a special performance season with 26 concerts for music fans !
The list of performances covers classical and jazz including orchestra, piano solo, guitar, strings, singing, electronic music, children chorus and Chinese traditional instruments.
The list of performances covers classical and jazz including orchestra, piano solo, guitar, strings, singing, electronic music, children chorus and Chinese traditional instruments.
just buy your ticket at the counter, 30 minutes before the concert starts. The next performances are : "On the wing of songs" singing concert by Zhao Yong and his students on Friday the 19th of January, 19h30 and "New Century of Guitar" - Sweet guitars by Shanghai Music Academy on Sunday the 28th of Jan, 19h30
2007/January/16: Following last month's internet disruption, we still need to be patient as internet services will not be fully restored until the end of January. More HERE. CCTV.com also announces "Internet disruption to be fixed in 15 days". Read full article HERE !
Concerning submarine cables, did you know that : "Fishing vessels and ship anchors are the main causes of cable damages either via compression, dragging or breakage. Fishing vessels cause the damage in more than 2/3 of all submarine cables. Repair of submarine cables are expensive and difficult, especially in remote parts of the oceans. Less than
Concerning submarine cables, did you know that : "Fishing vessels and ship anchors are the main causes of cable damages either via compression, dragging or breakage. Fishing vessels cause the damage in more than 2/3 of all submarine cables. Repair of submarine cables are expensive and difficult, especially in remote parts of the oceans. Less than
20% of all repairs were in the deep ocean where the intrinsic faults of the cable system are the major factor influencing overall system reliability. Shallow water repairs at depths less than 1,000 m are due to fishing and anchors. Generally, cables are not installed in sea areas where deep sea vessels anchor or where fishing activities are intense. If it is necessary to do so, submarine cables are usually buried to a depth of 1 meter. In order to avoid damaging the submarine cables, cable awareness charts are issued to fishermen and other seabed users free of charge. Location of cables is also included in electronic navigational charts. Owners of the cables generally spearhead such awareness programmes." - Want more ? Just click HERE !
Ningbo Concert Hall offers amazing ticket rates ! Every concert is only 20RMB ! No need to book,
first try as it's a restaurant well established in Shanghai from 1995 that already has 18 stores in China (12 in Shanghai). Finally we left Ningbo Gino Cafe quite satisfied and with a good overall impression. If you want a quick meal with an affordable menu, have a try ! (46-2/3, Portman Boulevard - 波特曼大街46-2/3号)
2007/January/01: Happy New Year to you all ! As the Chinese New Year is becoming more and more popular in western countries (TV reports, huge festivities in Chinatown, supermarkets events, etc...), China also starts to celebrate Christmas and the "international" New Year. Even 2 years ago, we could hardly hear a single firework when 2005 arrived. But time has changed and this year we saw and heard lots of fireworks and crackers. The photos below taken in Beilun show that even more people were concerned. But for Chinese people it's a kind of rehearsal as the big festivities are still on standby until early February when the Pig's Year will be celebrated. Fireworks
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will then display in any city streets and for several days... By the way, did you know that fireworks and crackers originated in China ? More HERE !
2007/January/02: What a great view of Ningbo when you dine at the revolving restaurant on top of "Zhong Nong Xin" building ! This building is located in Zhongshan Dong Lu (Zhongshan East road) just opposite the main entrance of Tianyi Square. The restaurant is called "Tiānxiāng Yuán" which textually means "sky / good-smell / circle". That makes sense ! Take the lift to the top (35th floor) and enjoy a spectacular 360 degree panoramic view of Ningbo city. The place is clean and the decor is elegant. The food was quite good and the service was pretty decent. After 20:30, only drinks and light food are served but the place is still opened until 2:00am. Prices are very reasonable. It cost us about RMB60
2007/January/04: Have you ever tried one of the photo stickers machines we can see in places like Legou hymall ? If not, you should, as it is typical local fashion. These machines are not only very popular in China but in Korea too. You first tell the hostess the size of photos you want and the backgrounds/effects you like. As there are hundreds of them, the hostess will usually help you to choose by showing you a selection. Then you just sit, get a few digital shots taken, point to the ones you like and eventually redo one or another. After comes the printing with a glossy protection on it. Then why not put your favorite picture in a key holder or get it print on a ruler or a cup ? When I told you it's typical ! I personally
never saw these kinds of amusements in Europe. It's fun and not only for children ! More about "photo sticker machines" by clicking HERE !
per person for a meal.
Don't miss the place. This is a fine dining tourist attraction in Ningbo !
2007/January/18: New Ningbo Home Inn in the city center ! The new hotel just opened in Haishu near the Moonlake. Recently quite a few luxurious four and five stars hotels opened in Ningbo which is a good thing for companies staff and managers but what about 'private' visitors or expatriates travelling around China and paying the whole trip from their own pocket ? Home Inn has the answer offering cheap rates but very clean environment, nice staff and comfortable rooms. Ningbo already had several Nanyuan Inn worth the money and also one
Home Inn opposite the Women and Chidren's Hospital but none was so central, right near the Moonlake, 3 minutes walk from the DrumTower. Home Inn is a hotel chain founded in 2002 operating a total of more than 150 hotels in more than 50 different cities across China. Every room offers TV, free broadband internet access, air conditioning and 24hours hot water. Standard room is RMB219, breakfast is RMB10. Zhenming lu - Zhanqqi Xiang, 21 Hao. (宁波市海曙区镇明路章蓍巷21号) - Central booking tel : 400-820-3333 (from a cell phone) - 800-820-3333 (from a fixed phone) - 0574-56867788 (hotel). So if you plan to come to Ningbo and need a cheap though clean and convenient stay, try there !
entry level. See the range of products sold in Wal-Mart HERE. As usual when there is such an opening, the place was fully packed. The 'popular' atmosphere was the one of a 'hard discount store'. Concerning the prices a full review should be done to really tell what supermarket is the cheapest but as prices change almost every day...We think the point is not there. If you live next to a superstore, don't expect something really special from Wal-Mart. But for people in Yinzhou that used to take buses or taxis to go shopping far away from home, Wal-Mart brings them convenience to their door. Inside the store we appreciated to see a few benches here and there for people to be able to sit down if they felt like it. Walmart also has some shopping carts equipped with new born baby seats. On the 2nd floor there is a printing photo machine that accepts CDs and all kind of card (SD, smartmedia, etc). On the dark side, we didn't really see any imported goods and found the check-out system with several cashiers and queues on the same line a bit confusing. We were also told about 20 meters from the store's door to carry our goods and give back the shopping cart. Hopefully we didn't have heavy things as we still needed to cross the entire mall and walk again to get back to our car...But this will be probably tuned later on...Everything new needs a bit of time to be readjusted...Ningbo Wal-Mart is located at the far right of the mall when you face the main entrance and opens everyday from 7.00 to 22.30.
2007/January/20: The first Wal-Mart Supercenter opened 2 days ago in the new Wanda Plaza Business Area located in Yinzhou. In 1998, Metro (Germany) was the first to open the superstore's race in Ningbo, followed one year later by Carrefour (France) then a few others like NGS and Auchan (France). Today Wal-Mart (US world's n°1 retailer) known as "Woerma" , is entering the race too. Ningbo Walmart store offers food (1st floor) and non-food (2nd floor) products at
2007/January/22: HelloNingbo Monthly Events Calendar is back. This page will be regularly updated. If your company organizes a special public event that could interest foreign customers, you can always contact us to ask for publishing information on this page. Want to know what will be going on in February, just click HERE !
2007/January/24: Do you want to have an interesting family adventure ? Just head to Ningbo Ocean World and watch thousands of different fish. From the underwater tunnel, you will see them all ! There are also 2 shows with diving mermaids and a very cute seal ! We went there and not only brought back the timetable and prices info but also posted photos and an online video ! Want more ? Just click HERE !
2007/January/27: The challenge is going to be completed ! Well done guys ! Following the closing of the Xinjiang bridge last September (see here), another bridge was to be built next to it. The delay was very short as Ningbo city wanted to proceed to the opening for the Spring Festival (February 18th). Several teams worked day and night and a true suspense remained...
But today the bridge is almost operational. Just a few details need to be achieved but we can already see that the challenge is a success ! Very soon Lao Waitan will be connected again to the city center. Bravo Ningbo !
2007/January/29: Last Friday AIAN International School located in Beilun celebrated the Chinese New Year to come. A Dragon Dance was executed by a professional team. If you think it's simple to manipulate this dragon then you're wrong. It's a team job that needs lots of training and rehearsing as it's a robust and exuberant dance.. Last Friday was quite windy and the team couldn't achieve their best figures nevertheless everyone had a great time watching the show. Small pupils from Liren Kindergarten, located next to AIAN, joined the audience and were happy to see the dragon face to face ! By the way did you know that the earliest records of the dragon dance were in the Western Han dynasty about 200 BC ? More about it HERE !
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2007/January/30: On Sunday the 28th the Shanghai Conservatory of Music was performing in Ningbo Concert Hall. 11 young guitar players and 1 talented violinist played during 90 minutes several pieces from Mozart, Handel, Bizet (Carmen) and also from the great pioneer of modern tango music Astor Piazzolla. The performance started a bit slowly with only 2 guitar players on stage but from the time the violinist Mr Guo came up, the show took a far greater dimension. It ended up with the
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12 players on stage. Finally the audience gave the musicians a long warm ovation. Located in the city center, the Shanghai Conservatory of Music has currently 50 professors, 120 associate professors and about 1200 students.
That was part of the Concert Hall "special holiday offer" with all seats at only RMB20/person ! Three more other concerts to come in February. Check our Events Calendar for more details about Ningbo performances !
2007/January/31: We announced you on the 27th that the construction of the new bridge replacing the old Xinjiang Qiao was almost finished and there we are ! The new bridge connecting Tianyi Square (Haishu district) and Lao Waitan (Jiangbei district) opened officially today ! The old Xinjiang closed for passengers at the same time. Be careful if you drive as the speed limit for vehicles on this new bridge is 50km/h.
JANUARY 2007 - HELLONINGBO news, reviews, info...FUN !
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This website has official ICP authorization from Zhejiang Government n°05070173
