Main hall Gokurakubo hondo of Gangoji temple in Nara. National treasure of Japan. World Heritage Site of UNESCO.

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Gango-ji is an ancient Buddhist temple, that was once one of the powerful Nanto Shichi Daiji, in Nara, Japan. The original foundation of the temple was by Soga no Umako in Asuka, as Asuka-dera. The temple was moved to Nara in 718, following the capital relocation to Heijo-kyo. Gango-ji initially held as much as seven halls and pagodas on its complex ground, which occupied a wide area within what is now Naramachi, the preserved district of modern Nara city. The original architecture were, however, lost over time and notably in fires during the 15th and 19th centuries (Muromachi and Edo period respectively). The best preserved part of the temple is known as Gango-ji Gokurakubo and belongs to the Shingon-risshu school. This site is a part of a group of temples, shrines and other places in Nara that UNESCO has designated as World Heritage Site "Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara"

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Size: 4272px × 2848px
Location: Nara, Japan
Photo credit: © Ivan Marchuk / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No

Keywords: ancient, asia, attraction, buddhism, culture, east, gangoji, hall, heritage, history, honshu, islands, japan, japanese, journey, main, nara, nippon, oriental, religion, sightseeing, temple, travel, traveling, treasure, trip, unesco, vacation