Sanjusangen-do Temple Guide

Completed in 1266, the Sanjusangen-do Temple which is officially called Rengeo-in Temple, is a faithful copy of an original that was built in 1164, but burned down in 1249. Originally built by Taira no Kiyomori for the emperor Go-Shirakawa, the temple is today a national treasure. It is best known for its wooden image of the Thousand-Armed Kannon (the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy), a masterpiece of the Kamakura period, which stands surrounded by 1000 smaller statues of the same goddess. The hondo (main building) is split into 33 sanjusan (bays) that exist between its many pillars to symbolise the 33 incarnations of Kannon, hence the name Sanjusangen-do Temple, which literally means '33 bay hall'.
Air: Kansai International Airport. Rail: Train: Keihan Railway to Shichijo Station. Road: Bus: Public services. Car: Hiezan Driveway (from Imazu-cho); Meishin Expressway (from Osaka); Tomei Expressway or Meishin Expressway (from Nagoya).

Department of Industry and Tourism, Tourist Section, Kyoto City Government, Kyoto Kaikan, Okazaki, Sayo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
Tel: (075) 752 0215 (administration) or 525 0033 (Temple)
Website: http://raku.city.kyoto.jp/sight_e.phtml

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