By early evening the parks around Moon Lake fill with residents dancing or practising tai chi, and the lakeside plazas and pagodas stay busy while the light goes. Later, people drift towards the riverfront and the bar streets, where the night runs on conversation, drinks and, in some places, a fair amount of noise.
Ningbo's nightlife is modest and spread out rather than concentrated in one big strip. Much of it is built around eating and drinking in bars, with a foreigner-oriented scene in the old riverfront quarter and a business-oriented one near the larger hotels and out in Beilun. It suits visitors who are happy to move between a few distinct areas in a taxi rather than walk one dense entertainment district, and who want a low-key evening rather than a large-scale club scene.
Where to go out in Ningbo
1. Lao Waitan (the old riverfront)
This is the main bar quarter, with many bars along its streets. It is the most obvious place to start a night out, and it draws foreigners and visitors as well as locals. Be aware that the bars here are often empty and overpriced because competition between them is fierce, so it pays to look at a few before settling.
The area has also been home to late-night venues with a rougher reputation, including one described as a sleazy disco where fights and police call-outs have been known. If that is not the night you want, treat the quarter as a place to choose carefully rather than to assume a single mood.
2. The streets around the Sheraton
A small cluster of bars sits by the side of the Sheraton, attracting newly arrived business people and some foreign students. The atmosphere is conversational and business-oriented rather than a big night out, and it suits a drink or two close to where you are staying.
One practical note from the sources: this area includes bars of the "girlie talking bar" type, where tourists and business men are expected to buy rounds for the staff. If you go into one, pay for drinks as you get them rather than running a tab.
3. Beilun
Out in the outer district of Beilun, business travellers trade and socialise, and many bars have sprung up to cater to them before they make the short trip back downtown. It suits an evening that follows a work commitment on that side of the city rather than a dedicated night out from the centre.
A practical point from the sources: next to every bar area you can find a cheap hotel, which is useful if you do not have a driver and want to drink more than you planned.
4. Bars with happy hour specials
All over Ningbo, many bars run happy hour offers, typically buy-one-get-one until 20:00 or buy-two-get-one after 20:00 on selected beers. This is a general pattern rather than a single venue, and it suits an early start to the evening.
Ask before you order, since the terms vary from bar to bar and the offers apply only to certain beers.
5. Restaurants, for the drinking that comes with dinner
Beer at cheaper restaurants is quite weak and bland and often not very cold, while foreign and more expensive Chinese restaurants serve export-quality Tsingdao and European or Japanese beers. If beer matters to your evening, this is worth knowing before you sit down.
It suits a meal-led night rather than a bar crawl, and it is the simplest option if you want to eat and drink in one place.
6. Moon Lake in the evening
Moon Lake is a crescent-shaped lake surrounded by a park with traditional plazas and pagodas, and at some times of day the park is full of residents dancing or doing tai chi. Boat rides on the lake are possible, or you can simply walk around it.
It suits an early, calm part of the evening before you move on to the bar areas, and it is free to visit.
How a night out unfolds
The sources describe happy hour offers running until 20:00 and a second round of offers after 20:00, which suggests an early start to drinking for those who want the deals. Beyond that, they do not set out fixed dining times or closing hours. What they do make clear is that nights can run late: one venue in Lao Waitan is described as a late-night disco, and the advice to carry your hotel's business card assumes you may be getting a taxi home late. Plan on eating first, going out after that, and keeping your return journey simple.
Festivals and events worth timing a trip around
- National Day and the National Day Golden Week holiday, early October.
- Double Ninth Festival, October.
- Christmas Day, December.
- New Year's Day, January.
- Spring Festival Eve and Chinese New Year, February.
Frequently asked questions
Where do visitors tend to go for bars?
Lao Waitan is the main bar area, with many bars along its streets. The bars by the side of the Sheraton are a smaller alternative, and Beilun has its own bar scene for business travellers.
Is there a cheap way to drink in the evening?
Many bars across the city run happy hour specials, commonly buy-one-get-one until 20:00 or buy-two-get-one after 20:00 on selected beers. Ask before you order, as the terms differ between bars.
How do I get back to my hotel late at night?
Take a business card from your hotel before you go out, so you can show it to a taxi driver to get home no matter how late it is.
What should I watch out for in the bar areas?
In Lao Waitan, bars are often empty and overpriced, and some venues have a rough reputation late at night. In the Sheraton area, some bars expect customers to buy drinks for staff, so pay as you go rather than running a tab.
Decide which part of the city you want to end up in, sort out your taxi arrangements, and plan the evening around that.