– Ninna-ji – 仁和寺 –
Kyoto(京都) – August 8, 2018
Ninna-ji is one of the several great World Heritage Sites in Kyoto. Some of its stunning features include its Niomon front gate, five storied pagoda, and late-blooming Omuro cherry blossoms.
It is the head temple of the Omuro school of the Shingon Sect of Buddhism. During the Heian period, Emperor Koko had its construction started in 886 and it was completed in 888AD. The oldest buildings were all built in the 1600s. These include the Niomon front gate, Chumon inner gate, the main hall, the Kannon Hall, and its pagoda.
The grounds are large. You can walk through the temple and enjoy its gardens from many raised, wooden walkways in the Goten. There is also a hiking trail in the back of the grounds known as the Omuro Pilgramage, a miniature version of the famous Shikkoku Pilgrimage.