| A short suburban train
journey from the JR Nara station, followed by a 20 minute walk (or a taxi if
you are feeling lazy), lies the Horyu-ji temple complex. Despite its
UNESCO World Heritage status and its claim to be (one of) the world's oldest
wooden buildings (parts from 607AD), on previous visits I had given it a
miss, expecting just yet another temple. It turned out to be well
worth the effort with several rather interesting buildings including an
octagonal hall (Yumedono), a pagoda and a fascinating grain store on
stilts...just like the Galician versions only bigger...and made of wood.
All enhanced considerably by the cherry blossom in
early April, it made for a rather pleasant day wandering around at a
leisurely pace and enjoying lunch overlooking the temple. You could
probably squeeze in the two other major sites on the western side of Nara,
Yakushi-ji and the Heijo Palace, but I preferred the leisurely approach and
spent the whole day there; highly recommended. |
x.jpg)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
x.jpg)