SANJUSANGEN-DŌ
Unquestionably one of the most spectacular temples in Kyoto. It is known for the 1001 wooden statues of the goddess Kannon lined up in the main pavilion, drowned in incense fumes.
Originally built in 1164 for Emperor Go-Shirakawa by Kiyonomori no Taira before they became enemies. The temple burned down in 1249 and was rebuilt as it was in 1266. It consists of a huge hall 119 m long and 18 m wide, divided into thirty-three bays. They represent the thirty-three forms of reincarnation of Kannon Bosatsu, which gave rise to the 33 western pilgrimages and the 33 eastern pilgrimages. In the center of the hall is the famous 3-meter-high statue of Kannon with ten heads and the statue of Amida, executed by Tankei (1254), son of Unkei. Another must-see is the incredible series of 1,001 statues of Kannon, arranged in staggered rows, which were carved using the so-called yosegi technique: hollow pieces of wood were assembled and loosely carved, then other craftsmen worked on the details, before lacquering the statues. At the back are the Nijūhachi Bushū, or 28 statues of Senju Bosatsu's acolytes, which symbolize the twenty-eight constellations in esoteric Buddhism.
Myoho-in. This is the main temple of the Sanjūsangen-dō located north of the Chishaku-in. The temple is open only on rare occasions. It was originally built on the slopes of Mount Hiei. It still houses paintings by Shoei and Eitoku Kanō.
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Members' reviews on SANJUSANGEN-DŌ
The ratings and reviews below reflect the subjective opinions of members and not the opinion of The Little Witty.
on a failli passer à coté de ce temple et puis on s'est dit pourquoi pas! et là whaouh
1001 statues alignées! splendide, à couper le souffle