His identity remains a secret, and social workers in Ningbo say they want to keep it that way.

Its Ningbo plant is also home to an in-house research centre and a Japanese-made sewage treatment system.

His good looks and bohemian dress sense have won him thousands of online fans after a resident of Ningbo posted a picture online.

The bridge was built to reduce traffic congestion, cutting travel time between Shanghai and Ningbo from 4 hours to 2.5 hours.

'They are now aware of the default risks and reluctant to lend to struggling businesses, ' one Ningbo-based businessman said.