Ningbo, located in the middle of China's coastline and the southeast flank of the Yangtze River Delta, is a beautiful port city with rich cultural heritage and abundant resource. It is the birthplace of the 'Hemudu Culture' dating back 7,000 years. Since the Tang & Song Dynasties(618-1279), Ningbo has always been an important foreign trading port in China. Today, Ningbo is a city with the same rights as a province in economic planning and management, a sub-provincial-level city further opening up to the rest of the world, and a "fairly large city" entitled to formulate local laws and regulations. Under its jurisdiction are 3 counties, 3 county-level cities and 5 urban districts. It covers a total area of 9,365 square kilometer and has a population of 5.38 million, 1.22 million of whom live in the urban area. Also, Ningbo is honored as One of the 50 top cities in China, One of China's Excellent Tourism Cities, and is listed as one of the 40 best cities in China for its investment environment.