Byodoin Temple (平等院)

Byodoin Temple (平等院) is a striking example of Buddhist Pure Land (Jodo) architecture. Together with its garden, the temple represents the Pure Land Paradise and was influential on later temple construction. Byodoin was initially built in 998 as a countryside retreat villa for the powerful politician Fujiwara no Michinaga, not as a temple.

Michinaga's son turned Byodoin into a temple and ordered the construction of its most spectacular feature, the Phoenix Hall. Although the building was given another official name, almost immediately after its construction in 1053, it was nicknamed Hoodo ("Phoenix Hall") because of its shape and the two phoenix statues on its roof. The hall is now featured on the back of the Japanese ten yen coin.

平等院は仏教浄土建築の顕著な例である。一緒にその庭と、寺院は浄土パラダイスを表し、後に神殿の建設に影響を与えた。平等院は最初ではない寺として、強力な政治家の藤原田舎の隠れ家ヴィラとして998ノー道長を建てなかった。

道長の息子が神殿に平等院を向け、その最も壮観な機能、フェニックスホールの建設を命じた。建物は1053年に建設した後ほぼすぐに別の正式名称を、与えられたが、それは、その形状とその屋根に2フェニックスの彫像のフェニックスホールを愛称で呼ばれた。会場は、現在日本の10円硬貨の裏面に紹介されています。

Photos:

"Byodoin Phoenix Hall Uji 2009" by 663highland - Own work. Licensed under CC BY 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Byodoin_Phoenix_Hall_Uji_2009.jpg#/media/File:Byodoin_Phoenix_Hall_Uji_2009.jpg

"Byodoin-PhoenixHall-M1264". Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Byodoin-PhoenixHall-M1264.jpg#/media/File:Byodoin-PhoenixHall-M1264.jpg