Qita Temple
The Qita Zen Buddhist Temple (Chinese: 七塔寺), or Seven Pagodas Temple, is a Zen Buddhist temple located in the Yinzhou District of Ningbo, China. It is the only major Zen Buddhist temple complex within the city proper of Ningbo.
It is listed as a "Han Chinese Buddhist Temple of National Significance" (汉族地区重点寺院). Since 2011 it has been listed as a relic being protected by the provincial government.
The history of the temple dates back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907) in 858 A.D. It was first called the Dongjin Zen Courtyard (东津禅院). The temple has gone through multiple cycles of destruction and re-building. At the beginning of the Qing Dynasty (1644–1911) seven pagodas were known to be placed in front of the entrance of the temple. Since then it has been given its present name. During the Qing Dynasty the temple was the site of the dissemination of the Linji school of Buddhism.
The temple was nearly totally destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. It was restored in 1980.
The temple is accessible via Line 1 of Ningbo Rail Transit; the nearest station is Jiangxia Bridge East Station.