Sanjusangen-do, the "hall with 33 spaces" is one of the major tourist spot in Kyoto. Founded in 1164, its official name is Rengeo-in (蓮華王院). The buildings were destroyed in a fire but were rebuilt in 1266 and remain standing to this day. This is surprising because most temples in Kyoto were destroyed in the Onin war (1466~1476) and the large hall of Sanjusangen-do makes it a easy target. The name of the temple comes from its main hall which has 33 sections (and hence 34 main columns).
The 120m-long hall enshrines 1001 Buddhist statues of deities, each with many arms as they are traditionally represented. So this begs the question: how many arms? Well, go there and see for yourself! :-) Additionally, 28 larger statues are placed in front of this multitude, each representing a guardian deity. Originally the temple "only" had 124 statues; the remaining ones were built when the temple was renovated.
The main hall is located on wide grounds with a photogenic orange-and-green wall which doubles as a covered promenade. A couple of zen gardens can also be found here and there. Note that photography is only allowed outside; you cannot take pictures in the hall. It is the only place in Kyoto where the specifically say that they will check your memory cards if they have a doubt. You've been warned...
While you're in the area, the excellent Chishaku-in temple is just around the corner. Access: Nearby: Hōjū-ji 法住寺 (90m), Chishaku-in 智積院 (380m), Toyokuni-jinja 豊国神社 (380m), Myōhō-in 妙法院 (400m), Kanshun-dō 甘春堂 (450m), the Kawai Kanjiro Memorial 河井寛次郎記念館 (680m), Rakutoihōkan 洛東遺芳館 (710m), the Hanbei-fu Bento Museum 半兵衛麩弁当美実館 (850m), Shōsei-en 渉成園 (860m), Shōkō-in 盛光院 (860m),... External links: Website, ウィキペディア, Wikipedia, Wikipédia, Kyoto Navi, Trip Advisor, Kyoto Design, 京都風光, Inside Kyoto, Marutake, そうだ京都, Satellite view, Map Keywords: Japan, 日本, Japon, Kyoto, 京都, Higashiyama, 三十三間堂, Sanjusangen-do, temple, 寺院, 仏閣 Statistics: visited on 4 occasions, id 441, 21 photos (19 extra photos can be found in the archive). |
