Located in northwest of Hangzhou, Jingshan Temple was founded in 745, during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907). In times of prosperity, the temple complex housed more than 1,700 monks in more than 1,000 rooms. In the mid-12th century, two Japanese monks, Enni Ben’en and Nanpo Shomyo, travelled separately to Jingshan Temple to study Buddhism. They later introduced the cultivation, processing, and rituals of drinking Chinese tea to Japan, which later developed into the Japanese tea ceremony.

Throughout its long history, Jingshan Temple had been destroyed multiple times due to the ravages of war and fire. Some of the major structures were restored after 1994.