Kofuku-ji Temple, Nara

Kofuku-ji Temple is one of the major temples in Nara, Japan. It is one of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara that are inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
 East Golden Hall (Tokondo), Kofuku-ji Temple (31 March, 2008) © Timothy Tye using this photo
The Kofuku-ji Temple is the main temple of the Hosso school of Buddhism. It was established in AD 669 by Kagami-no-Okimi, the wife of Fujiwara no Kamatari, the founder of the Fujiwara clan, one of the illustrious families of ancient Japan. The temple was originally located in Yamashina, in Yamashiro Province, in present-day Kyoto. It was relocated to Fujiwara-kyo in AD 672, and to its present site in Nara in AD 710.
Many of the buildings of Kofuku-ji Temple are today designated as National Treasures of Japan. They include the East Golden Hall, or Tokondo; the five-storey pagoda, the three-storey pagoda, and the North Octagonal Hall, called Hokuendo. The South Octagonal Hall, or Nanendo, is listed as an Important Cultural Property.
 South Octagonal Hall (Nanendo), Kofuku-ji Temple (31 March, 2008) © Timothy Tye using this photo
 The Five Storey Pagoda, Kofuku-ji Temple (31 March, 2008) © Timothy Tye using this photo
 North Octagonal Hall (Hokuendo), Kofuku-ji Temple Author: 663highland (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)
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