Joanna James
If you're keen on visiting the modern nucleus of the vibrant city of Ningbo, where the ancient and contemporary co-exist in harmony, here are five fun facts about the famous Tianyi Square.
Tianyi Square is the size of a mini-town with picturesque streets lined with gleaming shop fronts of international brands and Chinese boutiques. Even for hardcore shopaholics, it would take a good part of the day to weave in and out of the 300 stores within the cosmopolitan city centre. Once you've finished exploring the plethora of historic and cultural sites, Tianyi Square is perfect for some contemporary avenues of recreation. The Square is an artistic maze of 2 million square meters, segmented into retail, restaurants, electronics, entertainment, and interlaced with greenery, light displays, and waterside views. In short, Tianyi Square is an oasis of limitless shopping potential, alluring sights, and beautiful open spaces, smack dab in the centre of the city.
The main highlight of Tianyi Square is the magnificent, musical water fountain with intricate plays of water that jet up to 40 metres high while canvassing a breathtaking width of 60 metres. This water-borne performance is one of the many exclusive features of the city's cosmopolitan nucleus, and the fountain is framed by a variety of unique sights from a canal-lined street reminiscent of Venice to imperial period architecture and the vibrant outlines of multi-storied hotels and shopping centres. If you've got your bearings at a Ningbo Hotel close to the city centre, such as the Pan Pacific Ningbo, this will be one sensational sight you wouldn't want to miss!
Tiyani Square is the retail hub of Ningbo right next to the city's key business districts, therefore if you're an executive couple or family it's the perfect place to enjoy. Everywhere you turn is a lush storefront sporting your favourite brands from Apple, Adidas, Zara and H&M to KFC, Subway, and Starbucks nestled into quaint Chinese street-corners.
You can also find picturesque local artisan boutiques and brands, as well as sniff out the mouth-watering aromas from Eastern restaurants and tea shops. Popular Chinese brands include Peacebird and Oppo, interspersed with less well-known shops where you may find pretty trinkets for a mere song. As for satisfying your taste-buds with a local delicacy, you may want to try out a famous Ningbo-style seafood dish or the surprisingly delicious street food amidst the festive lights and open air.
While being a relatively modern addition to the city's beautiful skyline, Tiyani Square is just a stone throw's away from a multitude of iconic cultural and historic allurements. These include the breathtaking Moon Lake Park with its historic edifices, the ancient Ningbo Drum Tower with its charming view, and the Tianyi Library, which is said to be the oldest of its kind in Asia.
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