Sanjūsangen-dō Temple
三十三間堂 · 히가시야마구
Buddhist temple in Kyoto, Japan
Contents
11 sections · tap a section for its opening lines1Sanjūsangen-dō Temple1:57
Welcome to Sanjūsangen-dō, officially known as Rengeo-in, a temple that represents the absolute pinnacle of Heian and Kamakura-period Buddhist sculpture. The name 'Sanjūsangen-dō' literally translates to 'Hall with Thirty-Three…
Listen in the app2The Thousand and One Kannon — A Sea of Compassion1:50
Upon entering the hall, you are met with an almost incomprehensible sight: a dense, golden forest of 1,001 statues of the Sahasrabhuja-arya-avalokitesvara, or the Thousand-Armed Kannon. These life-sized figures are arranged in…
Listen in the app3The 28 Guardian Deities — Fierce Protectors1:35
Standing in front of the golden rows of Kannon are the 28 Guardian Deities (Nijuhachi-bushu). These figures represent the fierce, protective side of Buddhism. …
Listen in the app4Raijin and Fujin — The Gods of Wind and Thunder1:28
At either end of the long hall stand the most famous of the guardians: Raijin, the God of Thunder, and Fujin, the God of Wind. These figures are iconic in Japanese art, often depicted in paintings and pop culture, but these…
Listen in the app5The Central Great Kannon — The Heart of the Hall1:27
In the exact center of the 120-meter hall sits the 'Chujon,' the Great Kannon. This statue is significantly larger than the others, standing over three meters tall. …
Listen in the app6The Hall of 33 Spaces — Architectural Mastery1:45
Leaving the interior and walking along the exterior veranda, one can truly appreciate the architecture of the 'Hall of 33 Spaces.' The building is 120 meters long and 16 meters wide. The '33 spaces' refer to the number of gaps…
Listen in the app7The Temple Gardens and the Chishakuin View1:33
The grounds surrounding Sanjūsangen-dō offer a pleasant, park-like environment that contrasts with the somber interior. To the east, you can see the lush gardens of Chishakuin Temple, and to the west, across the road, is the…
Listen in the app8Sanjūsangen-dō Temple
9The Taikobei Wall and the South Gate
10The Kyuse-inari Daimyojin Shrine
11Closing1:28
As you leave Sanjūsangen-dō, the image of those 1,001 golden faces likely remains etched in your mind. This temple is a testament to the power of repetition and scale in religious art. …
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What is Sanjūsangen-dō Temple?
Sanjūsangen-dō Temple is a place in 히가시야마구 with 11 story sections on Tellby. You can read the opening of each section on this page; the sound plays in the app.
| Location | 히가시야마구 |
|---|---|
| Type | Heritage |
| Story sections | 11 |
| Total length | 13 min 03 s in all |
| Text language | English |
| Coordinates | 34.9879, 135.7717 |
| Last updated |
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