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Sanjusangen-do Temple (Rengeo-in), Kyoto

The Sanjusangen-do Temple also popularly known as Rengeo-in, is a temple in Kyoto famous for having the longest wooden structure in the world. That structure, the main hall of the temple, is what gave Sanjusangen-do its name: "sanjusan" means thirty-three, and that number refers to the 33 spaces between the building's pillars.

Lined on both sides of the long wooden hall are one thousand statues of the Kannon (the Japanese version of Kuan Yin, the goddess of mercy). Each is identical to the other, so a walk down the hall affords a most exciting visual experience.

At the end of the hall is the central statue, the image of a One-Thousand-Arm Kannon. It was carved by a master sculptor, Tankei, in 1254, when he was already 82 years old. Upon the head of the Kannon are ten more heads, including a miniature Amida Buddha. Each Kannon is believed to have 33 manifestations, or avatars, so within the Sanjusangen-do Temple the faithful can invoke the mercy of 33,033 Kannons.

The Sanjusangen-do Temple holds an archery contest for young women. They are to shoot the arrow from one end of the veranda of the main hall to the other. This takes place on the Sunday before the Coming of Age Day, a Japanese holiday held annually on the second Monday of January.

Sanjusangen-do, KyotoSanjusangen-do, Kyoto
Source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sanjusangen-do_mars_2009_071.jpg
Author: Dingy
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Women Coming-of-Age Archery Contest, Sanjusangen-do Temple, KyotoWomen Coming-of-Age Archery Contest, Sanjusangen-do Temple, Kyoto
Source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Toshi-ya.JPG
Author: Peter111
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How to reach Sanjusangen-do Temple

Take the subway to the Keihan Nanajo Station.

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Hello and thanks for reading this page. My name is Timothy and my hobby is in describing places so that I can share the information with the general public. My website has become the go to site for a lot of people including students, teachers, journalists, etc. whenever they seek information on places, particularly those in Malaysia and Singapore. I have been doing this since 5 January 2003, for over twenty years already. You can read about me at Discover Timothy. By now I have compiled information on thousands of places, mostly in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, and I continue to add more almost every day. My goal is to describe every street in every town in Malaysia and Singapore.
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