Ningbo | The Old Bund: A Fusion of East and West

| The Old Bund: A Fusion of East and West. 🌊 Three rivers and six canals converge, with a lake nestled within the city. In 1844, after Ningbo opened as a treaty port, Western culture flooded in, leading to the emergence of early consulates, Western-style hospitals, and China's first girls' school. At the confluence of the Fenghua, Yuyao, and Yong Rivers, European and American merchant ships gathered, making it a port connecting to the world. Merchants rushed to build shops along the shore, trade flourished, and China's earliest Bund, the "Ningbo Old Bund," was formed. 🚲 This is my second time in Ningbo. As the evening breeze blew, I, as usual, rented a bike and started riding in the refreshing spring air, heading towards the Bund under the neon lights. Numerous European-style old buildings, witnesses to over a century of Ningbo's transformation, have been well-preserved and restored. 🏠 The Zhu Residence, a Shikumen architectural complex at 180 Zhongma Road This small, green-tiled, hard-mountain style modern Western-style house features exposed brick walls with multiple Western-style wooden windows, combining Western carvings with traditional Ningbo residential elements. The red stone door frame of the rainy season is paired with a heavy black lacquered wooden door, adorned with a copper ring. The owner of the house, Zhu Baosan, was a representative figure of the modern Ningbo merchants. In the early Republic of China, he served as the president of the Shanghai General Chamber of Commerce and the finance chief of the Shanghai Hududufu (Military Governor's Office), and was also elected as the president of the Ningbo Association in Shanghai. ⛪ Jiangbei Catholic Church Looking up, the towering spire of a church pierced my line of sight—the grandest church in Zhejiang. With stained-glass windows, arches, and vaulted ceilings, it is a typical French Gothic building. However, the beam-lifting internal structure of the spire and the stone corbels were also influenced by traditional Chinese architecture. This blend of Eastern and Western styles is a common characteristic of the "architectural strata" fossils of that era. At nightfall, the church is bathed in crimson light, with men, women, and children taking photos in front of it. The pond in front of the church reflects the single bell tower, creating a mirage-like image. The wheels of history will never turn back. ☕ Agate Coffee Just a hundred meters west of the Old Bund Art Museum, there's a coffee shop with a particularly eye-catching storefront: Police Station + COFFEE, also known as Agate Coffee. At first glance, it feels like a police station has been transformed into a coffee shop, a truly unique experience! Many people come here to check it out.