Ningbo in Zhejiang province. [Photo/Yongpai App]

Ningbo has been selected as one of China's national key tourism cities under the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) for building China into a tourism power, the country's first national-level plan dedicated to tourism development.

Issued by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the plan classifies destinations into three categories: tourism hubs, major tourism destinations and distinctive tourism destinations. Ningbo's inclusion is expected to create new opportunities for its cultural and tourism sectors.

The plan sets a goal of making significant progress in building a world-class tourism industry by 2030. It calls for higher-quality tourism development through deeper integration of culture and tourism, smarter and greener innovation, improved public services, stronger tourism consumption and greater international exchanges.

Ningbo was selected due to its unique combination of mountains, rivers, lakes and coastline, as well as its rich cultural heritage. The city is home to renowned landmarks such as Tianyige, the oldest existing private library in Asia, and the Hemudu archaeological site, a cradle of Chinese civilization.