KIYOMIZUDERA TEMPLE - PART TWO

[CONTINUATION OF PART ONE]

19th MARCH 2017 ~ We finally entered the main hall of the temple building, which again was crowded with people who were busy taking photos of the place as well as of themselves. *sigh*

Here are some interesting facts I gathered from the internet about Kiyomizudera:

• It is located halfway up Mount Ottawa, hence the never ending ascending walk for about half an hour.
• The temple was founded in 778.
• The temple had been destroyed by fire many times but was always rebuilt by its faithful followers.
• One of the most important features of the temple is the wooden platform which was built on huge pillars, perched on a mountain slope.

The temple was undergoing some major renovation work when we were there so the view was in a way blocked by the wooden/bamboo stilts. If I were there a week later, I would be able to see the temple transformed to a holy place covered with cherry blossoms/sakura.

Read more about Kiyomizudera by visiting the website HERE. 

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KIYOMIZUDERA TEMPLE - PART ONE

After walking uphill for quite some time, we finally arrived at one of Kyoto main attractions, Kiyomizudera. We could see the orange gate from afar and there was no sign of the crowd leaving the place.

It was impossible to strike a pose in front of the entrance without any human beings in the background. *sigh*

This temple is a UNESCO heritage site, and I will write more of some important facts I found about the place in PART TWO.

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WALKING THROUGH A JAPANESE VILLAGE IN HIGASHIYAMA DISTRICT

19th MARCH 2017 ~ We were going to the next must-visit tourist attraction in Kyoto - Kiyomizu Dera. However, after we jumped out of the bus, we had to walk up quite a distance through a small traditional Japanese village to get to that place. I just found out the name of the place is Higashiyama District. This was the first time I saw so many women wearing bright floral printed kimonos walking on the streets.

Unfortunately, there were just too many people at that time - locals and foreigners alike. The streets were quite narrow so at times, we had to move really slow. At the same time, the houses on the left and right had been converted into small shops selling all sorts of souvenirs to tourists, so there were people who made short stops to see the items on sale.

However, you could be deceived by the kimono-clad ladies. They could just be other tourists renting the kimonos for the day and pretended to be Japanese. I could sometimes hear them speaking in other languages.

I first thought this was the attraction but NO, there was still a long way to go.

Sakura! Sakura!

I for once wanted to get away from the crowd who seemed to grow by the number. Where did all these people come from? There was no way for us to lose our way to Kiyomizudera - we just literally followed the direction where these strangers were moving.

[MY OSAKA AND KYOTO TRIP MAIN PAGE]