Kyoto is the ancient capital of Japan. From 792 (794) to 1868 officially considered the capital of the country and the residence of the emperor. Recognized center of international tourism. There are about 2000 (1600 Buddhist and 300 Shinto) temples, 17 of them under UNESCO protection and dozens of ancient palaces. Nowadays Kyoto is a large city that has retained the attractive atmosphere of hidden antiquity.
Let's start with the business card - the Golden Temple of Kinkakuji. Kinkakuji is a most elegant structure, as if admiring its reflection in the waters of a beautiful pond. Built by Shogun Ashikaga at the end of the 14th century (1397), the beauty of which has been sung for centuries: the chiseled silhouette of the gold-covered temple seems to float in the calm waters of a paradise pond. The residence of the Tokugawa shoguns, famous for the paintings of the Kano school on fusuma sliding doors, as well as the singing nightingale floors and the magnificent garden of the master Kobori Enshu. The golden pavilion stands at the edge of the pond, reflected in its surface, and thanks to this it “floats” above the ground, evoking a feeling of the illusory nature of its existence. The pavilion is surrounded by winding Japanese pine trees, creating the charm of a traditional Japanese landscape.
Next we move to the philosophical Ryoanji Rock Garden (1450). The Zen Buddhist temple of Ryoanji, the calm contemplation of which will help you concentrate, find peace of mind, and will give you the opportunity to try to understand yourself and the world around us as part of the entire universe. The temple is one of the historical monuments of ancient Kyoto, included in the UNESCO list.
The rock garden is literally imbued with Buddhist philosophy - a true wonder of the world.
The garden is located on a small rectangular area covered with gravel and consists of 15 stones of different sizes, which can be visually combined into five groups.
It is noteworthy that those admiring the beauty of this unique garden from the veranda of the temple never manage to see all the stones at once, no matter where the observer is. One can only guess what the creator, monk Soami, a recognized master of Zen meditation, wanted to express with this design feature of the garden.
The philosophers of Zen Buddhism saw a deep meaning in this, which boils down to the fact that it is impossible for a person to achieve absolute knowledge of the Truth.
A sip of water from the ritual waterfall of the Kiyomizudera Temple of Pure Water promises you enlightenment of the soul, gives you health, intelligence and love. The spirit of Goddess Kannon will bring a feeling of peace and tranquility.
This famous temple in Kyoto gets its name from the crystal clear waterfall that cascades down the mountainside. Its waters are considered healing, and many bathe in them. The unusual appearance of a wooden Buddhist temple surrounded by Japanese maples and sakura, which stands on massive columns, will forever remain in the memory. At the same time, the structure does not give the impression of monumentality, but fits organically into the picturesque landscape.
The open canopy veranda offers such a breathtakingly beautiful view of the entire city that it literally creates the illusion of flight. A magnificent view of Kyoto opens up, and a sip of water from the ritual waterfall of the temple promises you enlightenment of the soul, giving you health, intelligence and love. The spirit of Goddess Kannon will bring a feeling of peace and tranquility.
A road leads to the temple, on both sides of which there are small shops selling souvenirs, mainly pottery and porcelain items. On your way up to the temple, you can treat yourself to the most aromatic green tea and pamper yourself with exotic oriental sweets.
Sanjusangendo Temple houses 1001 statues of Kannon, the goddess of mercy. The temple was founded in 1165. The length of the temple hall is 120 meters, which is the longest wooden structure in Japan. The name Sanjusangendo (literally translated as "33 intervals") comes from the number of intervals between a building's columns, a traditional method of measuring the length of a side or the perimeter of a building in Japan. In the center of the main hall is a large wooden statue of the thousand-armed Kannon (Senju Kannon), flanked by 500 life-sized Kannon statues arranged in ten rows. Together they make a lasting impression. Kannon not only has a thousand arms, but also eleven heads - they help her better see the suffering of people, and her hands make it possible to fight this suffering. Each statue has only 42 hands. This is because by removing two normal hands and multiplying the remaining