Tendoji Temple

Ningbo Tiantong Temple is one of the five famous temples of Chinese Zen Buddhism. It is located on the southern foot of Tiantong Mountain (Taibai Mountain) in Dongwu Town, Yinzhou District, Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province, about 25 kilometers from the city. It was first built in the first year of Yongkang in the Western Jin Dynasty (300 AD) by the monk Yixing, and it has a history of more than 1,700 years. The temple was officially built during the Qianyuan period of the Tang Dynasty (758-760) and was listed as one of the five major Zen temples in the Song Dynasty. During the Southern Song Dynasty, the Japanese monk Dogen sought Dharma here and later introduced the Caodong Sect to Japan. The Japanese Caodong Sect respects Tentong Temple as its ancestral temple. Every year, a large number of Japanese believers come to worship, and Tentong Temple has become an important link for the exchange of Buddhist culture between China and Japan. It was renovated many times during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Emperor Kangxi bestowed the plaque "Tiantong Zen Temple". During the Republic of China period, eminent monks such as Xuyun and Yuanying once lived here. Tiantong Temple is built on the mountainside. It is large in scale, with the buildings rising layer by layer along the central axis in a rigorous layout. Wangongchi: The pond for releasing animals in front of the mountain gate, which is said to have been built by tens of thousands of people during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Mountain Gate: There is a plaque with the words "Tiantong Zen Temple" and stone tablets with the words "Southeast Buddhist Kingdom" on both sides. Tiantong Temple is one of the ancestral temples of the Caodong Sect and holds a high status in the history of Chinese Buddhism. The temple preserves inscriptions, plaques and cultural relics from past dynasties, such as the Song Dynasty's "Imperially Granted Tiantong Jingde Zen Temple" stele. Zen experience: You can participate in morning classes, chanting and other activities to experience the Zen atmosphere. Address: Tiantong Village, Dongwu Town, Yinzhou District, Ningbo City. Transportation: Take bus No. 162 or WeChat No. 55 directly from the city, or drive for about 40 minutes. Free admission. Opening hours: 6:00-17:00. Tiantong Temple combines history, religion and natural scenery, and is an important cultural heritage and tourist attraction in Ningbo.