Occupation of Ningbo
The Occupation of Ningbo was the five-month period in 1861 and 1862 during which the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom successfully occupied the city of Ningbo during the Taiping Rebellion. British and French support eventually allowed the Qing to retake the city.
Fall of Ningbo
In December 1861, the Taiping, having already controlled the hinterlands of Zhejiang for many months, began marching on Ningbo under the command of Huang Chengzhong and Fan Youzeng. When the Taiping neared the city, they were approached by British, French, and American diplomats who attempted to dissuade them from taking the city. Although Western diplomats had previously been successful in warning off the Taipings, they were ultimately only able to extract promises that foreign interests would not be harmed. On December 9, 1861, 60,000 Taiping stormed Ningbo. Despite the fact that the British had been training the local Qing forces, there was no military opposition to the Taiping's capture Ningbo.Occupation of Ningbo
The capture of Ningbo provided the Taiping with access to the sea and the opportunity to demonstrate that Taiping rule would not harm foreign interests. Initially, foreign reaction to the occupation was positive, even from those who were normally critical of the Taiping, such as Harry Parkes and S. Wells Williams. However, although the Taiping were well-disciplined and took steps conducive to trade, later missives became more negative and the British began to prepare for an eventual retaking of the city by the Qing.Chen Zhengyue, a bagongsheng and member of the wealthiest household in Ying County, developed a plan to retake Ningbo. He convinced the Qing troops to attempt to retake Ningbo, collaborated with foreign armies to organize an allied action, and provided funding for the expedition.