Sanmon Gate, Nanzenji Temple

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Nanzenji Temple, whose spacious grounds are located at the base of Kyoto's forested Higashiyama mountains, is one of the most important Zen temples in all of Japan. It is the head temple of one of the schools within the Rinzai sect of Japanese Zen Buddhism and includes multiple subtemples, that make the already large complex of temple buildings even larger. The history of Nanzenji dates back to the mid 13th century, when the Emperor Kameyama built his retirement villa at the temple's present location and later converted it into a Zen temple. After its founding, Nanzenji grew steadily, but its buildings were all destroyed during the civil wars of the late Muromachi Period (1333-1573). The oldest of the current buildings were built after that period. The gate was constructed in 1628 by the ruling Tokugawa clan for soldiers who died in the siege of Osaka Castle in 1615.

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Size: 5120px × 3400px
Location: Kyoto, Japan
Photo credit: © JPTenor / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: attraction, buddism, gate, heritage, history, leisure, nanzenji, religion, sanmon, temple, tourism, travel, visitor, zen