In Kyoto there are hundreds of temples and shrines. Some of them are small and some are quite big with vast gardens and lakes. A very beautiful and unigue shrine is Heian Shrine.
While walking to the shrine you have to pass the Heian-jingū's torii (one of the biggest in Japan). It's a towering and beautifuly colored structure, and impossible to miss. It will guide you to the shrine.
The shrine was supposed to be a reconstruction of a palace which stood there during the Heian-kyō times, when the city was a capital of Japan. However, not enough land was bought to rebuild the palace as it was, so a smaller structure was constructed and dedicated to Emperor Kanmu. He was the 50th Emperor and during his reign the capital was moved from Nara to Heian-kyō (now Kyoto).
The whole structure is truly fantastic. The rich orange color, with green roofs and green trees in the background, and pure, light sand. When I visited the shrine the cherries were in full bloom only adding more beautiful colors to the place.
It's a very beautiful place to admire the shrine, walk in the park and feed some pond fish, which (to my surprise) are very popular in Japan's shrines and temples.
The shrine begins
The picturesque square
Main Hall
The picturesque square
The picturesque square
Castle with beautiful Sakura
Sakura
Concert at the lake
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