I just got back from Ningbo, and I have to say, March is not the best time to visit.

After my March trip to Ningbo, I can confidently say that this city is a magical music box! In the morning, it's filled with the aroma of sticky rice cakes. At noon, it transforms into a scene from the past with its blue brick and black tile houses. At night, it becomes a neon theater with the scent of seafood.✨ 🌸Picture-Perfect Sakura Park Search for "Sakura Park Station Exit B" on your map app, and you'll find 26 varieties of cherry blossoms, creating a natural photo studio! Arrive before 9am to have the entire pink wonderland to yourself. Tell your friends to use "Portrait Mode" on their phones for overhead shots, and the falling cherry blossom petals will automatically become the backdrop. 💡Secret Tip: Take photos against the light at 4pm with a pinwheel. The shadows of the petals on your face will look like a natural filter. 👗Outfit Recommendation: A light-colored sweater + denim skirt. Twirling under the cherry blossom trees makes for super energetic photos. Last week, I ran into a photography group in Hanfu and managed to sneak in three ancient-style photos, saving myself a 299 RMB photoshoot fee.😂 🚴Dongqian Lake Cycling Guide Avoid the crowds at the main entrance! Set your navigation to "Hanling Old Street Parking Lot." Walk through the reed marshes to discover the misty lake scenery, and rent a shared electric bike for a ride around the lake (choose the model with an 80km range). The S-shaped curves are perfect for cinematic videos. Remember to wear ice sleeves (the UV rays are strong enough to melt ice cream)🍦. ⚠️Fun Fact: The fish scale dam looks most beautiful against the light at 3pm, but be careful of the moss on the stone slabs. Last week, I found wild mulberries here. They were so sour they made my teeth hurt, but a boatman gave me a plum candy. 🏺A Blast from 7,000 Years Ago The Hemudu Site Museum is ten times more impressive than what you see in textbooks! Standing in the reconstructed stilt houses, looking at the glimmering carbonized rice grains, I suddenly understood the romance of the ancient people when they blew their bone whistles. 🎁Souvenir Surprise: Get a black pottery cup + rice ear bookmark set for 38 RMB. It's a better deal than the 20 RMB imitation pottery jars at the entrance. ⚠️Heads Up: The museum is closed on Mondays! If you're bringing kids, rent an AR guide. The animated presentations are super interesting. Here, I was mistaken for a guide by some elementary school students and ended up giving a half-hour impromptu presentation on "pig-patterned pottery bowls."😂 🍜Secret Menu at Nantang Old Street The vendor in the blue apron has a secret menu! Use the code phrase "add fermented bean curd" to unlock the grilled vegetable rice cakes, 10 RMB/serving, so sticky they can be pulled into strings. At noon, look out for the seafood fried rice noodles, made with fresh crab scraps. 🦀Must-Try: The 20 RMB drunken mud snails are marinated in yellow wine for 48 hours. One sip will send you to heaven. Here are three tips for picking red cream crabs: The shell should be translucent red, the legs should be springy, and a triangular-shaped navel indicates the plumpest crab. 🌳Siming Mountain Hiking Surprise Xufu Rock Waterfall is ten times wilder than the typical tourist spots! Wear non-slip sandals on the glass walkway, and you might even encounter a wild cherry blossom shower in March. Here's a secret: On Tuesday afternoons, the mountain people release bamboo rafts to catch fish in the stream. It's a perfect spot for ancient-style photos. 🎒Gear List: A mini mosquito repellent + a folding stool will make you the envy of everyone as you watch the sunset. Last time, I cosplayed as a tea picker and was mistaken for an NPC, ending up teaching tourists how to pose for half an hour.😂 Spring in Ningbo is hidden in the arc of falling cherry blossoms, in the fragrance of mugwort from steaming qingtuan, and in the silvery laughter of children running past the old city walls with pinwheels in hand. You must visit Ningbo in March to experience the city's gentleness and vibrancy. After all, some scenery, like drunken mud snails marinated in yellow wine, is hard to replicate once the season is over.🌿