lea pof travels: April 2014

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Kyoto, Japan: Ryoanji Temple

Ryoanji Temple, more than just a rock garden

I ventured into Japan without knowing much beyond "Konnichiwa" and "Arigatou" so subtle differences in Romanised Japanese still stump me, just as Ryoanji and Rokuonji do.

Here's a comparison of the 2 (of many, many) UNESCO sites in Kyoto:

Ryoanji Temple (龍安寺) - A Japanese Zen temple garden with a kare-sansui ("dry landscape")
Ryokuonji Temple (鹿苑寺) - Also known as Kinkakuji (金閣寺) or Temple of the Golden Pavilion

From the inscription:

Ryoanji Temple, originally an aristocrat's country villa, was converted into a Zen temple in 1450. In 1488, the Hojo (abbot's quarters) was restored, and repairs were made to the other temple buildings. When these were destroyed by a fire in 1797, the Seigen-in Temple's abbot's quarters, built in 1606, was relocated to Ryoanji Temple; this structure is the present Hojo, which serves as the main hall of the temple.

The temple garden, which lies on the Hojo's south side, is thought to date from the mid-15th century. A rock-and-gravel garden comprising 15 rocks in five groupings, arranged on a bed of white gravel, it is renowned throughout the world as the ultimate example of the kare-sansui or "dry landscape" style rock garden, in which nature is compressed and given abstract expression within the confines of a very narrow space.

I love how well the Japanese preserve their sites.

My take on Ryoanji: Go zen out by the famed rock garden but the surrounding premises are also not-to-be-missed.

More pictures are available on my Flickr (simply click any photo).

Ryoanji Temple

Cost: 300 - 500 yen

Access: 13, Ryoanji Goryonoshitacho, Ukyo-ku Kyoto-shi, Kyoto, 616-8001, Japan

Related Posts:

My Japan Itinerary (December 2012)

Japan Day 6 – Kyoto, Day 1:

Kyoto via overnight bus
Arrive at Kyoto Station, raid Tourist Centre again
Kyoto Palace Tour
Ryoanji Temple
Rokuonji Temple(Golden Pavilion Temple)
Nijo Castle

Sunday, April 27, 2014

Kyoyo, Japan: Kyoto Imperial Palace

I departed from Tokyo and had set aside 2 days for Kyoto, the ancient capital of Japan (It's purely coincidental that Tokyo and Kyoto are anagrams. Tokyo is 東京 in kanji (literally 'East Capital') whereas Kyoto is 京都 or 'Capital City'). For me, Kyoto is a significant cultural centre representative of Japan, if not the most representative, and I wouldn't miss it for the world for my first trip to Japan.

The Kyoto tourist services centre is much commendable, it's located right at the Kyoto Train Station. You can head there for brochures and ask questions like 'I have 2 days in Kyoto, what do you recommend visiting?' or 'Where is the nearest onsen?' These were my exact questions as I hadn't plan for anything apart from my accommodation. The staff were knowledgeable and conversant in English and a few other languages (I doubt they will entertain queries in Elvish). I knew that Kyoto was famed for its temples and geisha, but it was here that I learnt about the guided tour at the Kyoto Imperial Palace, in English no less and for no cost. The palace is only open to visitors on the guided tour, so you can't roam freely around the grounds.

Kyoto Station

Palace Grounds

I signed up for tour that morning and got a place, I think you can book in advance online too.

Stark contrast to the Forbidden Palace in Beijing definitely

I always prefer some commentary when visiting any historical place. The Japanese guide shared tons of interesting stuff in English (I ashamed to say I've forgotten much what she said) and made sure we didn't wander off to where we shouldn't, like inside the rooms.