[2025 Ningbo Attraction] Travel Guide for Jiangbei Catholic Church (Updated Jul)

🌉 Why You Must Shoot Here? When century-old Western-style buildings meet blooming cherry blossoms, Gothic church spires pierce through pink-white floral waves, with the modern glow of Corn Tower in the background—Ningbo hides its romance in the twilight of Sanjiangkou. This late March exclusive "past-meets-present" framing offers more Eastern charm than Japan. 📸 Core Photography Tips 1. Golden Hours: ◦ Blue Hour (18:00-18:30): The sky turns serene blue-purple, with building silhouettes and cherry blossoms both sharp under newly lit streetlights ◦ Avoid Noon: Harsh light overexposes petals; evening sidelight adds depth 2. Camera Angles Decoded: ◦ Wide-Angle Low Shot (Starbucks entrance recommended): Frame cherry trees as foreground, capturing Jiangbei Catholic Church spire and Corn Tower behind. Use wide aperture to blur the background. ◦ Telephoto Compression (Church square side): 200mm focal length compresses space, making blossoms, century-old clocktower, and modern landmarks collide on one plane ◦ Smartphone Portrait Mode: Focus close on blossoms with arched-window buildings as background for automatic oil-painting-like bokeh 3. Outfit Hacks: ◦ Light-colored dresses (white/beige best) complement the blossoms' softness ◦ Pearl hairpins/thin-frame glasses echo the Old Bund's vintage vibe 🚇 Foolproof Transport Guide • Metro: Line 2 [Waitan Bridge Station] Exit D, 3-min walk to Starbucks (Old Bund branch) • Drive: Navigate to "Old Bund Parking Lot" (limited weekend spots after 17:00; suggest Fortune Plaza instead) • Bike: Ride riverside from Ningbo Art Museum—stunning sunset views 🌸 Bloom Period & Hidden Gems • Peak Bloom: March 25-April 5 (varies yearly), lasting ~10 days • Crowd Hack: Arrive before 16:00 on weekdays to avoid sunset crowds • Bonus: 5-min walk to Ningbo Art Museum post-shoot for riverfront sunset ⚠️ Pitfall Alerts ❌ Church interior closed—exterior shots only ❌ Only 3 cherry trees; use framing to amplify floral abundance ❌ Blue Hour is brief—preset camera settings 💡 Must-Bring Gear: • Telephoto lens (70-200mm for portraits) • Fill light (dim under trees) • Foldable stool (low-angle secret weapon) When cherry petals rain on century-old stone steps and river winds blend clock chimes with pink blooms—this spring, your shutter click in Ningbo becomes time-traveling romance.

🔔Come to Ningbo! Enjoy juicy youzhaozi🥟 in the old streets, collect mudskippers🐟 as the sun sets over the tidal flats, and savor a bowl of yellow croaker fish noodles in the salty sea breeze. 🗓Itinerary: Day1️⃣ Drum Tower➡️Tianyi Pavilion➡️Tianfeng Pagoda➡️City God Temple➡️Jiangbei Catholic Church➡️Old Bund Day2️⃣ East Qianhu Lake, Academician Center➡️Jianshe Village➡️Guojiashi Village➡️Riyuepo➡️Hanling Old Street ⛩️Attractions: ♥️City God Temple: The City God Temple Pedestrian Street, or City God Temple for short, is a great place to stroll; next to it is Tianfeng Pagoda (5 yuan entrance fee), the City God Temple is free. ♥️Tianyi Pavilion: Tianyi Pavilion is the oldest existing private library in China, housing a rich collection of ancient books and cultural relics. ♥️Old Bund: Where fashion meets history, with brilliant lights at night and numerous bars and restaurants. ♥️Drum Tower: A must-see attraction in Ningbo! Next to it is Drum Tower Food Street, with lots of delicious food. Take Exit F of "Drum Tower Station" on Line 2. ♥️East Qianhu Lake: East Qianhu Lake is a famous lake in Ningbo, with beautiful scenery, a great place for leisure and vacation. ♥️Hanling Old Street: A well-preserved, typical Zhejiang water town transformed into an ancient street with Jiangnan characteristics, perfect for taking photos. ♥️Academician Center: The scenery here is stunning, with white corridors, arched viewing platforms, and internet-famous trees, all perfect photo spots. Standing high up, you can overlook Limin Village, and the surrounding scenery unfolds like a painting. 🚇Transportation: 🚄High-speed Rail: Take the high-speed rail from various locations to Ningbo Station. After exiting the station, you can choose the subway, bus, or taxi to your destination. ✈️Airplane: After arriving at Ningbo Lishe International Airport, you can take the airport bus or a taxi directly to the city. 🏠Accommodation: It is recommended to choose Haishu District or Yinzhou District, as these two districts have convenient transportation and are close to major attractions. Choose hotels near Moon Lake or East Qianhu Lake to enjoy the tranquility of nature and the convenience of the city. 📝Tips: ✔️Although there seem to be many attractions in the city center, they are actually quite concentrated, and many attractions are within walking distance of each other. ✔️Use the Alipay "Ningbo Rail Transit" QR code for subway and bus. ✔️Ningbo has many large shopping malls, hot pot, barbecue, Japanese food, Korean food, and the key is that there is almost no need to queue!

Located in Jiangbei District, Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province, Jiangbei Catholic Church is a historic church with significant historical, cultural, and artistic value. Originally built in the 11th year of the Tongzhi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1872) by Bishop Su, a French national from the Zhejiang Diocese, the church saw the addition of a bell tower in the 25th year of the Guangxu reign (1899). The entire structure, comprising the church, bell tower, bishop's office, scripture depository, and ancillary buildings, showcases a typical Gothic architectural style. Catholicism has a history of over 350 years in Ningbo, dating back to the first year of the Chongzhen reign of the Ming Dynasty (1628), when Portuguese missionaries arrived in Ningbo to preach and teach. The church has undergone several reconstructions and renovations, bearing witness to Ningbo's history as a port city and a center for missionary activities. Jiangbei Catholic Church's architectural style blends Roman Gothic and traditional Chinese elements, serving as a prime example of the fusion of Eastern and Western architecture. Its magnificent bell tower is hailed as the "Pride of Zhejiang." Well-preserved overall, the church holds high artistic value and is recognized as a nationally significant modern building. It is also listed as a key cultural relic protection site in Zhejiang Province and a sixth-batch national key cultural relic protection site.

In Ningbo, I saw two Catholic churches, one with a single tower and the other with two towers, both magnificent and luxurious. It turns out that Ningbo was one of the first port cities to open to foreign trade during the late Qing Dynasty, and it became one of the first places to be evangelized by Christians. The influx of foreign missionaries and merchants facilitated the spread of Catholicism, which gradually developed in Ningbo, leading to the establishment of several churches. The church in Laowaitan (Our Lady of Sorrows Church) is a national key cultural relic protection unit. Built in 1872, it adopts the Gothic architectural style and is also a model of the fusion of Chinese and Western architecture, influenced by traditional Chinese architecture. The Catholic Church on Yaohang Street in Tianyi Square (Assumption of Our Lady Church) was built between 1865 and 1866, with a bell tower added in 1918. Its exterior is modeled after Romanesque and Gothic styles, and its bell tower, at 66 meters high, is currently the tallest church bell tower in China. These Catholic churches are not only places for religious activities but also have important historical and cultural value, witnessing the exchange and integration of Chinese and Western cultures.

Didn’t know Ningbo had a historical Catholic Church. So cool!

Built by Bishop Su of French nationality from the Zhejiang Diocese. In the 25th year of the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty (1899), a bell tower was added. The entire bell tower (including the piano room), consists of the main hall, the bishop's office, the local parish, as well as bedrooms, dressing rooms, a library, the Hall of the Compassionate Mother, and a printing room. The church bell tower features Gothic style architecture. It is well-preserved.

Sharing the most Instagrammable photography spots in Ningbo. Besides the delicious tangyuan, Ningbo has many fun places to explore~ Before going to Ningbo this time, I made a travel guide in advance and listed the spots I wanted to visit, but I still encountered some mishaps. For instance, I missed two places, and another, the BOC Building, didn't light up even by midnight, which was quite disappointing. However, that's the nature of traveling, it's always changing~ Today, I'll share some photography spots with you all~ These spots, apart from being great for aerial photography, are also fantastic for shooting with a camera or smartphone from the ground. Since I mainly did aerial photography, I couldn't take pictures with a camera at the same time~ I'm missing some camera photos~ - Save these photography spots from the pictures~ Picture Tianfeng Pagoda Picture 2 Ningbo Jiayu Hotel Picture 3 Yaohang Street Cathedral Picture Jiangbei Catholic Church Picture BOC Building Picture Waitan Bridge Picture Waitan Bridge Picture 8 Pearl Shell (Hefeng Creative Plaza) Picture A guide that only I can understand~ Actually, there were two more spots in my guide that I didn't get to photograph. One is the Ningbo Chamber of Commerce International Trade Building in the southern business district, and the other is the Romon U-Park, both located in the same area. Since my trip was for aerial photography, and the southern business district is a no-fly zone, I couldn't photograph these two places. Of course, if you really want to take rooftop photos, you can go to the unfinished building next to the International Trade Building, which has over thirty floors and no elevator. Friends who want to climb can go up there and take photos with a camera. I arrived at Romon in the afternoon, intending to shoot the night scene, but it was pointless to enter the amusement park at that time, so I wasted three hours of travel and a perfect weather opportunity, doing nothing, which was quite sad. But I gained experience, and now I always check the no-fly map before going out, haha. Many places in Ningbo have a height limit of 120 meters, but that's generally enough for flying~

The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows on the north bank of the river was built in 1876. It is the highest-level church building in Zhejiang! The church building adopts the form of a single bell tower and its plan is in the shape of a Latin cross. Its distinctive Gothic architectural style can be seen from the stained glass windows, arches and vaults. The internal structure has a pointed roof and stone brackets. The exterior is mainly made of blue bricks, with red bricks used for frames and lines, which proves that it also has Chinese characteristics. It has become an important example of the fusion of Chinese and Western architecture in the early period of existence...Jiangbei Catholic Church

The Ningbo Catholic Church has been recommended as a national-level excellent modern building and has been listed as a key cultural relics protection unit in Zhejiang Province. The Ningbo Jiangbei Catholic Church (originally French-owned) is located north of the Xinjiang Bridge in Ningbo City. It was built in the eleventh year of the Tongzhi era of the Qing Dynasty (AD 1872). A bell tower was added in the twenty-fifth year of the Guangxu era (1899). The entire building consists of the church, bell tower, and side houses. It features a typical Roman Gothic style and is well-preserved to this day. It holds significant historical, cultural, and artistic value; it is also a historical witness to the French Emperor's invasion of our country.