Tianyi Pavilion · Moon Lake Scenic Area

Tianyi Pavilion · Moon Lake Scenic Area

Tianyi Pavilion · Moon Lake Scenic Area is a national AAAAA-level tourist attraction.

Tianyi Pavilion · Moon Lake Scenic Area is located in the downtown area of Ningbo, consisting of two core scenic spots: Tianyi Pavilion Museum and Moon Lake, covering a total area of approximately 1 square kilometer. The area boasts abundant historical resources and profound cultural heritage, with over 50 cultural relics protection units and sites at various levels, including three national key cultural relics protection units.

Those close to the water enjoy the moonlight first; half of a city’s scenic wonders lie by the lake. Covering an area of 9 hectares, Moon Lake was historically known as West Lake and also once called Mirror Lake. It has long been a gathering place for literati and scholars, earning the reputation of “the Confucian capital of eastern Zhejiang.” Originally excavated during the Zhenguan era (627–649) of the Tang Dynasty, in the seventh year of the Tang Taihe era (833), Wang Yuanwei, the magistrate of Mao County, constructed the Tashan Weir to divert water to Mingzhou (Ningbo), forming the Moon and Sun Lakes. This resolved droughts, floods, and provided drinking water for the city, breathing life into this water-centric city and opening a legendary chapter of refined elegance for Moon Lake.

In the seventh year of the Northern Song Qingli era (1047), Wang Anshi was appointed as the magistrate of Yin County and recruited renowned Confucian scholars known as the “Five Masters of Qingli” to Moon Lake to promote education. Scholarship flourished in Siming, and the academic tradition of eastern Zhejiang began to take root. During the Yuanyou era (1086–1094), magistrates Liu Shu and Liu Cheng successively carried out major renovations of Moon Lake, creating the scenic “Ten Islets,” which complemented the Three Dikes and Seven Bridges. In the seventh year of the Zhenghe era (1117), Magistrate Lou Yi built the Goryeo Envoy Hostel by Moon Lake, making it a radiant pearl along the Maritime Silk Road.

When the Southern Song Dynasty established its capital in Lin’an (Hangzhou), Mingzhou’s proximity to the imperial center brought successive governance by noble and capable officials. Under the stewardship of the Shi family—renowned as “three prime ministers from one family, two kings ennobled across four generations”—poetry societies flourished around Moon Lake, and academies and libraries were established one after another. The “Four Masters of Chunxi” lectured at Moon Lake, fostering the “Siming School” that emphasized morality in personal conduct, education, and governance. Eastern Zhejiang scholarship entered its golden age. These four masters inherited and expanded upon the philosophy of Lu Jiuyuan, founder of the School of Mind, becoming a bridge between Lu’s teachings and those of Wang Yangming, the great synthesizer of the School of Mind. Their contributions to the development of the philosophy of mind were immensely significant.

Between the 40th and 45th years of the Ming Jiajing era (1561–1566), Fan Qin, Vice Minister of War on the western shore of Moon Lake, built Tianyi Pavilion. As China’s oldest existing private library, this cultural landmark has proudly stood for over 450 years, with an unbroken legacy of scholarly tradition. Between the Ming and Qing dynasties, the academic tradition of eastern Zhejiang reached even greater heights, and Moon Lake became home to one of the most influential schools in Chinese history—the Siming School. Huang Zongxi, one of the founders of the Siming School and one of the Three Great Thinkers of the late Ming and early Qing periods, lectured by the lake, teaching and mentoring numerous disciples. Wan Sidai, Wan Sitong, and Quan Zuwang, who lived along the shores of Moon Lake, became key representatives of the Siming School. The Siming School emphasized integrity, and during this time, Moon Lake became a place where loyalist poets of eastern Zhejiang sang sorrowful patriotic songs. The school's advocacy of the principle that “both industry and commerce are fundamental” gave rise to the Ningbo Businessmen, China’s foremost commercial dynasty. Its philosophy of “applying learning to practical affairs” helped establish Ningbo as a renowned “hometown of academicians.”

Tianyi Pavilion is China’s oldest existing private library, as well as Asia’s oldest library and one of the world’s three oldest family-run libraries. Moon Lake was excavated during the Zhenguan era of the Tang Dynasty, with a water area of 96,000 square meters. Its round expanses resemble a full moon, while its winding curves evoke a crescent, hence the name “Moon Lake.” Last March, Haishu District pioneered the use of the PPP (Public-Private Partnership) model in Zhejiang Province to launch a comprehensive water ecological restoration project for Moon Lake. Following restoration, the water quality of Moon Lake has been consistently maintained at Grade IV surface water standards, with some indicators reaching Grade III standards.

The ancient city endures, and history unfolds gracefully. Today, the creation of the Tianyi Pavilion · Moon Lake AAAAA-level tourist attraction will further enrich the essence of “Bookish Ningbo” and “Poetic Zhejiang,” giving us an additional spiritual homeland to cherish and protect.

Recommended Sightseeing Route:

Tianyi Pavilion Museum: Dongming Cottage – Fan Family Former Residence – North Book Repository – Tianyi Pavilion Library – Zunjing Pavilion – Mingzhou Stele Forest – Qianjin Studio – East Garden – Hundred Geese Pavilion – Ninghui Hall – Forest Spring Elegant Gathering Hall – Mahjong Origins Exhibition Hall – Bridal Sedan Hall – Qin Family Ancestral Hall – Tianyi Pavilion Painting and Calligraphy Gallery – Zhuangyuan Hall – South Garden – Shuibei Pavilion – Fan Family Extra Rooms – Sima Mansion

Moon Lake: Moon Lake Memory Plaza – Fan Residence – Hydrological Stele – Yintai Mansion – Bao Kui Temple (Exhibition Hall on Mingzhou–Goryeo Relations) – Lu Residence – Jiang Residence – Dafangyue Mansion – Magnolia Grove – Guan Di Temple, Lay Buddhist Forest, He Mijian Ancestral Hall – Academicians’ Grove – Yang Residence (Moon Lake Art Museum) – Huaguoyuan Temple – Moon Lake Bridge – Site of Lake Heart Temple – Yuan Residence – Wu Family Branch Ancestral Hall – Moon Altar – Li Residence – Yan Yu Tower – Chaoran Pavilion

Further Reading:

· Top 100 Historical Site-type Scenic Spots of 2020

· The 34th Batch of National AAAAA-Level Tourist Attractions (October 2018)