[2025 Ningbo Attraction] Travel Guide for Seven-pagoda Temple (Updated Jul)

A chance visit felt like stepping through a portal, leaving the hustle and bustle behind and returning to a place of inner peace. Ningbo Qita Temple, a temple that has experienced thousands of years of vicissitudes, stands quietly in the center of the city. It is like an ancient book, quietly telling the traces of time and the accumulation of history. This temple, once known as Qixin Temple, has existed since the Dazhong period of the Tang Dynasty. During the Kangxi period, seven stone pagodas were built in front of the temple, giving it new life and meaning. Stepping into the temple, the Hall of Great Strength, the Hall of Heavenly Kings, and the Hall of Yuantong Treasures come into view. They not only represent the profound heritage of Buddhist culture, but also the crystallization of the wisdom of the ancients. Under the shadow of these buildings, I seem to see the reincarnation of history and the inheritance of culture. Strolling in the temple, I felt inner peace and tranquility. There is no hustle and bustle of the city here, only devout faith and a tranquil atmosphere. Here, I met myself, the one deep inside my heart. I let go of all my worries and stress, and focused only on my inner world. Every stay at Qita Temple is an inner baptism. I look forward to coming here again next time and meeting myself again. This is the pure land of my heart and the home of my soul.

Located in the center of Ningbo City, Seven Pagodas Zen Temple and Seven Pagoda Temple were built during the Tang Dynasty and have a history of 1,150 years. As an ancient temple, even though it is located in the city, you can feel a calm atmosphere when you enter the grounds. Buddhas are enshrined in each building, but I felt that the Buddhas in this temple have somehow human-like and generous faces. It is soothing. Many old temples charge an admission fee, but I was able to enter for free. Please note that admission is only available until 4:30 p.m. Access: 10 minutes walk from Jiangxiaqiao East Station on Ningbo Line 1 Opening hours: 5:00-16:30 Admission fee: Free Visit date: March 1, 2023 #Ningbo #NingboCity #SevenPagodasZenTemple #SevenPagodaTemple #AncientTemple

I didn't make any plans before coming to Ningbo. I just wanted to find a quiet place with few people and wander around for a few days. My impression of Ningbo still lingered on Tianyi Pavilion and Gang Ya Gou from many years ago. Unexpectedly, this trip, starting with a bowl of incredibly delicious seafood noodles, turned into a seven-day adventure that left me wanting more. The subway and buses were so convenient, perfect for a solo traveler like me to explore at my own pace~ DAY 1 Qita Temple-K11 Art Mall-Anlan Club-Qianye Club-Tianyi Square DAY 2 Baoguo Temple-Cicheng Ancient Town DAY 3 Tianyi Pavilion-Moon Lake Park DAY 4 East Qian Lake DAY 5 Ningbo Museum-Nantang Old Street DAY 6 Tiantong Temple-Ayuwang Temple-Drum Tower-West Pagoda of Tianning Temple DAY 7 Moon Lake Park Even without visiting the attractions, just wandering around Moon Lake Park, finding a cafe to relax in when tired, felt very pleasant. Ningbo truly brought me many pleasant surprises.

In order to see the ginkgo trees in Qita Temple, I rushed from Hangzhou to Ningbo. Although they are not yet completely yellow, they are still very beautiful. The ancient Zen temple and the ginkgo trees complement each other. It is so beautiful. And now there are also very beautiful ginkgo punch card paper for checking in. "Ginkgo" brings good luck, and it is also the first good luck in autumn, immediately 🐛! 📍Address: Qita Zen Temple, No. 183 Baizhang Road, Yinzhou District, Ningbo 🚗Transportation: It is recommended to take a bus or taxi 🎫Tickets: 🆓 ⏰Opening hours: 08:00-17:00 🔗Current status: Yellow-green stage, 🎨becomes beautiful in a moment

Ningbo has many temples, but due to limited time, I chose the most convenient Qita Zen Temple to visit. The Zen temple is free to visit and offers three incense sticks. The temple's halls are elegantly structured, ancient, and solemn, representing the typical Zen Buddhist seven-hall layout. The weather was hot, and after walking around the temple, I was drenched in sweat. Despite the heat, I managed to visit the Heavenly King Hall, the Guanyin Hall, and the Three Saints Hall. The temple is currently expanding, and it should be even more grand and magnificent in the future. I definitely need to visit again when I get the chance.

The Seven Pagodas Zen Temple is a typical Zen Buddhist monastery with a seven-hall architectural system, facing south with the entrance to the north. The entire temple currently occupies an area of 19,632.04 square meters, with a constructed area of 16,969.07 square meters. Arranged in depth from south to north, its main buildings include the Hall of Heavenly Kings, the Yuantong Treasure Hall, the Hall of Three Saints, the Dharma Hall, the Sutra Tower, and the Ancestral Hall along with the Abbot's quarters, all aligned on the central axis and each with seven bays. Most of these structures were built by the end of the Qing Dynasty under the guidance of the elder monk Ciyun. On both sides of the central axis, there are the Bell and Drum Towers, wing rooms and guest halls, as well as the Bao'en Lecture Hall and the Qixin Library. Outside the mountain gate stands the symbol of the Seven Pagodas Temple—seven blue stone Buddha pagodas, symbolizing the past seven Buddhas, lined up in front of the mountain gate.

Located next to the Ayuwang Temple, the Seven Pagodas Temple site is a lesser-known attraction in Ningbo. Standing on the steps of the temple site, surrounded by mountains and water, one can see the moss-covered stone foundations, the old trees with twisting vines, and the slightly murky life-release pond, all of which seem to narrate the history of the pagoda complex. Time flies, with spring breezes and summer rains, only the green hills remain unchanged. Traveling back in time to the Qing Dynasty a hundred years ago, if you visited this ancient temple hidden in the secret landscapes of Taibai Mountain for a spring outing, a Tang Dynasty poem could serve as your travelogue, 'Entering the ancient temple in the early morning, the first sunlight shines upon the tall woods, a winding path leads to a secluded spot, the Zen chambers deep with flowers and trees.' The monks' lives of morning bells and evening drums, and studying by the light of blue lamps and yellow scrolls, were simple and regular, day after day, year after year. In the blink of an eye, over a hundred years have passed, and the incense of the past is unknown when it ceased. What will this place look like in another hundred years? It's impossible to predict. Borrowing a poem from the Tang Dynasty poet Wang Wei to express the sentiment of 'many years later,' 'In the new home of Mengcheng Hollow, ancient trees and withered willows remain. Who will come here again? Empty sorrow for those who were once here!' According to research by relevant departments, the Seven Pagodas Temple site and the monks' cemetery are preliminarily judged to have been built during the Qing Dynasty. The site is about 100 meters long from south to north and about 60 meters wide from east to west. Along an irregular central axis, from north to south, there are distributed the monks' graves, temple fields, underground palace, water well, and the great hall, among other sites. The site is surrounded by a stone wall, which is now just over half a meter tall. The pagoda complex faces south with a terrain that is 'high in the north and low in the south, with the sides higher than the middle.' The Seven Pagodas Temple site was a place for the elder monks of Ningbo Seven Pagodas Zen Temple to practice. The Putong Pagoda was established to enshrine the relics of the monks who passed away in tranquility. The discovery and verification of this site have filled the gap of having records without a foundation for the Yushanling Pagoda complex sought by the Seven Pagodas Temple, providing physical evidence for the study of the history of the Seven Pagodas Temple and the burial customs of its monks. Touring Strategy 🚙 For self-driving, navigate to Tiefo Temple in Yinzhou District, Ningbo. After arriving, drive northeast for less than two kilometers, and upon seeing a mountain pond, you can park and visit the site. 🚄 Take the subway line 1 to Baozhuang Station, head north to Tiefo Temple, take bus 107-1 to Baozhuang Station, then walk 2.6 kilometers to Tiefo Temple, and then walk another 2 kilometers to the site. 💴 No admission fee. Nearby attractions: Ayuwang Temple, Ancient Ayuwang Temple, Lingfeng Zen Temple, Tiefo Temple, Renjiu Village, Xiaojia River Wetland Park, etc.

Located in the bustling city of Ningbo, yet isolated from the world Here are the bell tower, drum tower, library... All quietly hidden in this Tang and Song Dynasty Qita Temple Everywhere tells a story I like the quietness and fragrance here Slow down your life pace Walking in the Qita Temple with a view at every step As if time stopped, only for me to stop⏹️ Enter the main gate, take three incenses♨️, and worship in all directions The ginkgo tree has now shed its leaves, but it is not alone Little birds nestle and perch on the branches! When you enter Qita Temple, you can first get a good luck head🧧, stamp a favorite stamp on the 🧧 cover, and you can get a zodiac card paper! Attached: 🧧Meaning and stamp details: ✔️Red——Fortune (Hundred Fortune Stamp) ✔️Purple——Career (Hundred Lu Stamp) ✔️Pink——Wish (Hundred Xi Stamp) ✔️Blue——Health (Hundred Shou Stamp) ✔️Orange——💰(Hundred 💰Stamp) 🚶When leaving, you can spin a wheel to get a gift: a word sign, 💰god sticker, lotus sticker, eighteen seeds, dragon beads... every piece is irresistible. ‼️Please string the dragon bead bracelet, get a Year of the Dragon postcard, stamp a set of Year of the Dragon stamps, 🎋clean your hands and put down your worries~ This is the beginning of the new year! ⚠️Other 🕐The entire Qita Temple tour takes about 2 hours 📌Ningbo Yinzhou Baizhang Road No. 183 Qita Zen Temple 🚇Get off at Jiangxiao Bridge subway station, about 900 meters from the exit, there is an underground parking lot for self-driving, which is quite convenient! 🎫Ticket: None 🕗Opening hours 8:00-17:00

Cultivate compassion, bless love Hold a stick of incense slowly rising, walk slowly Colorless, tasteless, meaningless, ignorant Listen to a piece of Sanskrit music, bow your head No wisdom, no gain, no suffering, no extinction Watch a group of fish at ease, bend over No hang-ups, no obstacles, no fear, dream Recite a lotus flower shaking lightly, whisper Not born, not extinct, not dirty, not increasing or decreasing Worship Buddha and extinguish sins like the sand of the river, devout Cultivate a period of compassionate time Bless all the loved ones around you One temple, one name The Qita Temple on Baizhang Road in Yinzhou District, Ningbo, is the largest and best-preserved temple in the city. It is also one of the four major jungles in eastern Zhejiang (Tiantong Temple, Ayuwang Temple, Qita Temple, Guanzong Temple). It was built in the Tang Dynasty and has a history of more than 1160 years. It is a truly ancient temple. The Qita Zen Temple is named after the seven Buddha pagodas in front of the door, and it faces the modern K11 building. The temple has a small number of visitors and is very suitable for slow strolling. The temple is free of admission, and the entrance will also give 3 incenses. The main hall is dedicated to the statue of Guanyin, which is said to have been invited from Putuo Mountain during the Ming Dynasty. So it is also called 'Little Putuo'.

The Seven Pagodas Zen Temple is a thousand-year-old ancient temple located at No. 183, Baizhang Road, Yinzhou, Ningbo. As one of the four famous temples in eastern Zhejiang, it retains the architectural style of the Tang and Song Dynasties, exudes a simple charm, and is a must-visit place for Ningbo tourism. 🛬【Itinerary】: Recommended for half a day 1. Walk about 900 meters to the Seven Pagodas Zen Temple after arriving at Jiangxia Bridge Metro Station 2. Get three free incenses at the entrance 3. You can bring your own stamp album or buy a postcard, and get a free custom stamp for the Year of the Dragon at the Dharma Logistics Office on the east side 4. With the arrival of the Year of the Dragon, pray for a string of dragon spirit beads for yourself and get a postcard for the Year of the Dragon 5. Don't forget to wash your hands in the wishing pool before leaving, washing away all the bad luck 🕘【Opening hours】: Opening hours: 8:00-17:00 💴【Ticket price】: The tickets for the Seven Pagodas Zen Temple are free ⛺【Must check in locally】: The Seven Pagodas Zen Temple is a must-visit attraction because it is hidden in the city, but it can make people away from the hustle and bustle and enter the shelter of the soul. It retains the architectural style of the Tang and Song Dynasties, and every place exudes a simple charm, making people feel peaceful and peaceful. 🍩【Must-eat food】: Near the Seven Pagodas Zen Temple, you can taste local delicacies It is recommended to taste Ningbo special snacks such as soup dumplings, fish balls, Ningbo sauce duck, etc., these delicacies can let you experience the unique flavor of Ningbo 🚌【Traffic strategy】: Subway🚇: Walk about 900 meters from Jiangxia Bridge Metro Station to reach the Seven Pagodas Zen Temple, with convenient transportation 🧡【tips】: When visiting the Seven Pagodas Zen Temple, respect the rules and culture of the temple Don't step on the threshold, keep quiet Pay attention to your words and deeds, don't make loud noises

Qita Zen Temple is located in Yinzhou District, Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province, facing Baizhang Road to the south, leaning on Jicao Street to the west, connecting Jicao Street 38 Lane to the north, and reaching Rainbow North Road to the east. It was established in the twelfth year of Tang Dazhong (858) and is one of the "four major Buddhist jungles" in eastern Zhejiang. The structure of Qita Zen Temple is elegant, simple and solemn, and it is a typical Zen garan seven-hall system. The main buildings include: Seven Buddha Pagoda, Mountain Gate Archway, Pumen Column, Heavenly King Hall, Yuantong Treasure Hall, Three Saints Hall, Dharma Hall and Sutra Tower, Ancestor Hall, Ciyin Hall and Jade Buddha Pavilion, Huayan Pavilion, Bell Tower, Drum Tower, East and West Rooms, Warehouse, Xiangji Kitchen Complex Building, "Yunlaiju" Building, Zen Study Hall, Baoen Lecture Hall, Qixin Library, Art Museum, etc. In 1983, Qita Zen Temple was approved by the State Council of the People's Republic of China as the first batch of key open temples nationwide. In 2019, Qita Zen Temple was rated as a provincial-level peaceful religious activity place by the Zhejiang Provincial Ethnic and Religious Affairs Committee. On January 7, 2011, Qita Zen Temple was listed as a key cultural relic protection unit in Zhejiang Province. On April 9, 1983, it was approved by the State Council of the People's Republic of China as a key temple of Chinese Buddhism nationwide. Opening hours 5:00-17:00 Ticket price Free

Qita Zen Temple is located at No. 183 Baizhang Road, Yinzhou District, Ningbo. The temple hall has an elegant structure, simple and solemn appearance, and is named after the seven pagodas in front of the hall. It is a typical Zen Buddhist seven-hall structure. It was first built in the 12th year of Tang Dazhong (858 AD) and is one of the "Four Major Buddhist Monasteries" in eastern Zhejiang. There are not many tourists, the environment is quiet, some buildings are still under repair, there are cultural relics in the temple, and the masters in the temple are very patient and kind. The ginkgo leaves in front of the temple have turned yellow, giving off a full sense of autumn. A faint fragrance lingers in the temple, which is very calming. The quaint building is also very photogenic. When the weather is good, it is also very comfortable to sit by the koi pond~ 📍Address: No. 183, Baiwen Road, Yinzhou, Ningbo. 🚌Transportation: Jiangxiaqiao Subway Station on Metro Line 1 is about 900 meters away, and buses are also very convenient. There is an underground parking lot for self-driving, but the space is limited. ⏰Opening hours: 8:00-17:00. The tour lasts 1-2 hours. Tickets: None, no reservation required.