The 2022 China Urban Tourism Development Forum is held in Wuxi, East China's Jiangsu province on Nov 24. [Photo/Ningbo Daily]

Ningbo in East China's Zhejiang province has made the list of the top 20 "charming" tourism cities in China over the past decade, according to local media reports.

The list was released at the 2022 China Urban Tourism Development Forum held in Wuxi, East China's Jiangsu province on Nov 24. Other cities on the list include Beijing, Hangzhou and Xiamen.

Ningbo has in recent years made strides in tourism development. The city has been ranked top in China in terms of tourist satisfaction rate many times over the past 10 years.

The Ningbo Tourism Festival launched by the local government has been held for 15 years in a row and has attracted more than 200 million visitors, resulting in more than 100 billion yuan ($14.29 billion) in consumption.

Ningbo is today widely known for its rich culture, captivating natural scenery and tasty seafood.

The city has taking steps towards becoming a modern coastal metropolis, according to a head official from the Ningbo municipal bureau of culture, radio, television and tourism.