Tiantong Temple, about thirty kilometres east of Ningbo in the hills of Taibai Mountain, is one of the five great Chan Buddhist temples of the Song dynasty and one of the most significant in Chinese Buddhist history. The temple was founded in the Tang dynasty and rebuilt comprehensively in the Song, and several of its current halls and the large forested approach avenue date from the Ming. The approach through a kilometres-long avenue of ancient trees planted in the Song dynasty is one of the more imposing approaches to any Chinese temple.
The temple is still an active monastery with several hundred resident monks, and the monastic atmosphere is more concentrated here than at more touristic temples. The surrounding Taibai Mountain forest contains additional small temples, meditation halls, and hiking trails that make the area worth a full day. From Ningbo, the temple is reachable by bus in about forty minutes.