Qita Temple, founded in the Tang dynasty, is a working Chan (Zen) Buddhist monastery that sits in the eastern part of Ningbo's old city. The temple's main distinction is architectural: it preserves several wooden halls from the Song and Yuan dynasties in remarkably complete condition, making it one of the more authentic examples of pre-Ming Buddhist architecture in Zhejiang. The three-dimensional wooden bracket systems in the main hall are particularly fine.
The monastery maintains a population of resident monks and runs a programme of meditation retreats open to lay participants. The temple is somewhat less visited than TianYi Ge or the Laowaitan waterfront, which makes it easier to explore at leisure. The attached pavilion houses a Song-dynasty stone inscription considered one of the important calligraphic documents of the period.