Thursday 8 December 2011

Temple in Japan

That's another card which I've got from Japan.



On the eastern side of the Itsukushima Shrine is the 27.6-meter tall Goju-no-to, a five-story pagoda that stands next to the Senjokaku (literally "hall of 1,000 tatami mats"). It is said that this pagoda was built in 1407. Its architectural style is a skillful combination of Japanese and Chinese features. Its warped cypress-bark roofing is Chinese style while the wooden door at the entrance is Japanese. Although visitors cannot go inside the pagoda, they still can enjoy the richly-colored Buddhist drawings on its walls and the magnificent gold decorative paintings on the upper part of its pillar. Although an ordinary five-story pagoda usually has a central pillar from its base all the way to the top, this one is made in an extremely rare style because its pillar stops at the second level.

Both this pagoda and the next-door Senjokaku have been designated as important cultural assets. Indeed, its elegantly curved roof and vivid vermilion color create a beautiful silhouette that stands out strikingly among the other features of the cityscape (from)

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