| ||||
      Tweet  | |
Enryaku-ji Temple was once a major monastery in the Kyoto area. It is located in Otsu City in Shiga Prefecture neighboring Kyoto. Fortress-like, it used to house three thousand subtemples with thousands of warrior monks, called sobei. Today, what's left is a mere shadow of its former self.
The Daiko-do hall at Enryaku-ji Temple, Shiga Prefecture
Author: 663highland (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)
This Tendai monastery is located on Mount Hiei, overlooking Kyoto. It was established in the Heian Period by Saicho, a monk who introduced the Tendai sect of Mahayana Buddhism from China to Japan. Enryaku-ji became the headquarters of the Tendai sect, and was one of the most important monasteries in Japanese history.
Although initially entrusted to protect Kyoto, the monastery became so powerful that it troubled the emperor, resulting in an attack on the temple led by warlord Oda Nobunaga in 1571.
Today, visitors come to Enryaku-ji to experience its setting, isolated on the mountain top, and feel the grandeur of its past.
Shoro Bell Tower, Enryaku-ji Temple, Shiga Prefecture
Author: 663highland (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)
Enryaku-ji Temple is divided into precincts. Visitors can travel from one precinct to another by shuttle bus. The following are the sights:
East Precinct
- Kohuho-den
Museum of treasures. - Konpon Chu-do
The Inner Sanctum, housing the statue of the Healing Buddha. - Jodo-in
Pure Land Hall, site of Saicho's tomb.
West Precinct
- Jogyo-do
Hall where monks circumambulate the alter while chanting invocation. - Hokke-do
Hall where monks meditate upon the Lotus Sutra. - Shaka-do
Main hall of the precinct.
East Pagoda, Enryaku-ji Temple, Shiga Prefecture
Author: 663highland (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)
Yokokawa Main Hall, Enryaku-ji Temple, Shiga Prefecture
Author: Oilstreet (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)
This property is a UNESCO World Heritage Site inscribed under Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto
Return to My Kyoto Travel Guide
Return to Japan Travel Guide
  
   
Point - Click - Discover!Thanks for visiting this webpage. To continue exploring, choose another destination! My World Travel Guides - celebrating a beautiful world beautifully. Earning a living as a Happy Jobless GuyI am a Happy Jobless Guy! I am one of the few people who is fortunate enough to earn an income from my websites that I don't to go out to work. My sites get thousands of visitors every day. It has been a long process, but it is something everybody can achieve, and that means YOU. The following are some articles which you might want to read if you want to do what I do:
 |