A night view of Laowaitan, a signature pedestrian street in downtown Ningbo, East China's Zhejiang province [Photo/WeChat account: nbfb0574]

Laowaitan, a signature pedestrian street in downtown Ningbo, was recently included in a national program to boost nighttime culture and tourism consumption.

Also known as the Old Bund, Laowaitan is situated on the north bank of the confluence of the Yaojiang River, Fenghua River, and Yongjiang River.

Known for its cobbled streets, and bustling bars and restaurants, the street is popular among foreigners and locals alike.

Laowaitan was included in the national pilot program for pedestrian street renovation and upgrading by the Ministry of Commerce last year.

It welcomed 2.4 million visitors in 2020 and raked in 210 million yuan ($32.3 million) in tourism revenue. Both the visitor numbers and tourism revenue generated in the night accounted for more than 70 percent of the total.

An investment of 310 million yuan will be used to promote Laowaitan's connectivity with surrounding commercial complexes.

Earlier this year, a footpath stretching 1,640 meters near Laowaitan  opened to traffic. The path starts from Xinjiang Bridge at Sanjiangkou in the south and stretches to Baisha Park in the north, facing the Yongjiang River in the east and Renmin Road in the west.