Pig Roast in the heart of Ningbo

Ningbo Ring Expressway promises to be completed in its entirety by December this year. According to the joint meeting on the opening of the east section of the expressway, the principal part of the east section is to be completed in this month and it is ready to open in middle or late December.

The ring expressway is 86 km long. The west section, 42.07 km long, already opened in December 2007. The east section starts from Jiang Shan Bei to Yan Jia Qiao, 43.5 km long, with 11 elevated bridges. The designed speed is 120 km/h, and the design performance life is 100 years. With the completion of the east section, the ring road will form a complete ring.

The ring expressway is a core part of the expressway network, and it is called a “golden ring” for its importance. It should play an important role in relieving the traffic pressure in the urban area, linking the ports and promoting the construction of Ningbo-Zhoushan Port.

Now Ningbo has an expressway network extending to all directions. Northwestward, it has Hangzhou Bay Bridge, leading to Shanghai and Jiangsu; Westward, it has Hang-Yong Highway, leading to Anhui and Jiangsu; Southwestward, it has Yong-Jin Expressway, leading to Jiangxi; Southward, it has Yong-Tai-Wen Highway leading to Fujian Province

At the invitation of Nagaoka Municipal Government, Ningbo Artistic Troupe, of over 30 artists, recently left for Nagaoka for the 4th Ningbo Overseas Cultural Week. Yan Xiaoping, vice director of Ningbo Artistic Troupe said, "Our performances are distinct for Ningbo local favors and they will have the audiences know more about Ningbo."

In recent years, Ningbo has made great efforts to implement the strategy of having its culture "going out", and explore new ways and channels for overseas cultural exchanges. According to incomplete statistic figures, since 2004, the city has organized over 60 cultural exchange programs to over 20 countries and regions including USA, France, Britain, Japan, and China's Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macao. These programs are all district for Chinese flavors and Ningbo local culture, involving such fields as the Yong Opera, the Shaoxing Opera, traditional Chinese instrumental music, dance, calligraphy and fine arts.

According to the Plan of Overseas Cultural Exchanges in the 12th Five-Year-Plan Period, Ningbo should organize a number of key cultural promoting program every year to explore the markets for the cultural products of Ningbo and promote the competitiveness and influence of the products. According to the plan, every year, the city should send one or two cultural troupes to the sister cities of Ningbo