The awards ceremony of the 5th Ningbo Charity Awards is held in the city on Dec 12. [Photo/zj.zjol.com]

A charity awards ceremony was held on Dec 12 in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, to reward local citizens who have made outstanding contributions to the city's charitable causes over the past three years.

Altogether 90 groups, companies and individuals won awards, including wealthy entrepreneurs and ordinary workers, elderly charity enthusiasts and members of the younger generation. 

Philanthropy in Ningbo has a long history and has been in full swing in recent years, with the number of charity projects increasing and the network of charity organizations evolving. 

Ningbo had 7,363 non-governmental organizations registered as of 2017, including 34 charity groups, ranking 8th among the top 100 domestic cities in this year's "China City Philanthropy Index". It has made the list for five consecutive years. 

The city has received a total of around 2.5 billion yuan ($362 million) in donations over the past three years, with the charitable expenditure reaching 2 billion yuan and benefiting 2.2 million people.

Several outstanding local citizens receive their awards on the stage. [Photo/zj.zjol.com]