I’ve been to China twice now. The last time I was there, it was strictly for business so I had no time to roam around Shanghai. So I was really excited for my second trip since I arranged a sidetrip in Beijing for us. However, we still had time to spare in Ningbo. And I guess it was a great thing because we didn’t know that Ningbo had so much to offer.

Anyway, I’d like to share to you guys some of the photos I took when I was there. I used my Samsung Galaxy S3 because I’m a lazy blogger. Hahaha!

It was my first time to use another Airline (we usually book with Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines) and I gotta say, I wasn’t disappointed. China Eastern Airlines wasn’t that bad as what the reviews about them usually say. The flight attendants were friendly and can speak English. Although if you are not familiar with their accent, you have to listen closely. Also, FREE FOOD! LOL And it was really fun because they served us food from China. It was kind of scary not knowing what exactly you are eating but I guess, that’s another way to enjoy the food. Haha!

Your Asian trip won’t be complete without seeing signs like this. No offense, okay? They’re just really funny. 😀

We went to China via Shanghai. And then from Shanghai we went to Shangyu by car. We had to visit there first for our business transaction before finally going to Ningbo. It was a really great drive because a brand new BMW fetched us. LOL

For our first free day, we went to the mountains near Ningbo to do some Red Bayberry picking. It was a really cool experience since it was my first time to do something like that. The place was refreshingly cool even though it was Summer.

 

The place has also temples around so we were lucky to experience the beauty of preserved China culture in Ningbo. I also enjoyed our Asian lunch at the area. I realized how Chinese people have a thing for dipping vegetables in soy sauce. And that they eat rice AFTER the ulam. I actually requested that they serve the rice first and they gave me this weird look. I’m sorry but I am Filipino,  no matter where you take me. LOL

After our berry picking session, we went to Cicheng. The people in Ningbo usually call it, Small Town. I asked our Chinese friend why but she also doesn’t know the reason. What’s more funny was it was also her first time visiting the place. Haha! I guess touring around business partners do have benefits. 😉

We wrapped the day by hitting downtown to eat dinner. One of the things I observed in my stay there is that they order a lot of food. Like A LOT. I guess they still practice the tradition of having 8 different kinds of food on the table. Or maybe 9? Sometimes I even think it’s 12. LOL

Someone suggested over my Instagram account to visit Lao Wai Tan. It’s actually near our hotel so it was no problem for us. Lao Wait Tan is Ningbo’s gimik area. It’s near Ningbo’s river so you can also admire the lights from downtown. It kind of reminded me of Avenue of Stars in Hong Kong. Lao Wai Tan had so many bars and they were all populated with different races. You can see foreigners and locals drinking together, having fun. I tried their TsingTao when I was there. Beer is not really my thing but the taste was okay, i guess.

 

For our second free day, my Mom and I did some strolling and shopping. Our hotel was within Ningbo’s shopping district so it was easy to go there. It was really fun observing people. Sometimes, people would even approach us. I’m not sure about this but I don’t really find myself Chinese-looking. LOL

My Love From the Star was a big hit, not only in the Philippines but in China as well. Here’s a picture of Jun Ji-Hyun (Cheon Song Yi in the hit korean drama) in a department store. She’s one of the endorsers of a certain brand there. I also saw a big billboard of both Jun Ji-Hyun and Kim Soo-Hyun (Do Min Joon) endorsing the Samsung S5 in China.

The night before we left for Beijing, we toured around Tianyi Square. It’s where the high end shops of luxurious brands are situated. Of course I had to visit Zara and H&M, two of my favorite brands. It was really awesome because of the HUGE price difference compared to the shops here. I guess it’s because most of their products were made there in China.

I also got to try their street food. I had to ask our Chinese friend to be honest with me of what kind of meat was in the barbecue, she just laughed at me but told me it was beef in the end. Hey, I really don’t want a taste of dog or cat!

 

On the third day, we left Ningbo and flew to Beijing. I maybe a traveler but I’m not really good with turbulence. They’re really scary! My coping mechanism during these times are cute boys like Nicholas Hoult. LOL. I watched Jack the Giant Slayer during the whole plane ride. It was really bumpy because of the weather.

 

Here are the two photos I took with my DSLR…

The Night vs. Day photo in Ningbo. To answer your curiousity, that’s not exactly fog that you see. That’s smog. And yes, the river is color brown. According to our friend, China may be overpopulated and really polluted but the government is already doing something about it. The increase of diseases and bad tourist reviews had an impact on the government’s decision. In fairness, their streets were clean and there were so many plants and tress around. I guess China is currently on rehab.

 

That’s it for now. This is just my Ningbo experience. I’m posting my Beijing experience next week.

China is a very big country. It’s not only Shanghai or Beijing that is worth the visit. I actually think the other provinces are more worth it, like Nanjing, Hangzhou and Guangzhou. There’s just so much you can see in China. I highly recommend you put this country in your bucket list. 🙂

–the girl who’s lost in Desire’s lair–