Kyoto 京都: Byodoin Temple 平等院 || Uji 宇治

Byodoin Temple 平等院 is a temple that featured in the Japanese ￥10 coins. Therefore, it became a very popular sight-seeing temple that most of the visitors or foreigners or even the locals would visit it when they are in Uji, Kyoto. Furthermore, the water reflection of the temple makes it look fabulous even more! Soo beautiful.

After having lunch with Morita-san and Kaz-san at a Tonkatsu restaurant in Uji, he then sent us to the Byodoin Temple which is very famous in Uji, Kyoto. Morita-san told us about the Byodoin Temple that featured in the Japanese ￥10 coins. If not, we would not noticed about it. We were here during the month of Autumn season. There were so many autumn trees around the temple. Just so beautiful.

Byodoin garden opens at 08:30 and close at 17:30 (last admission at 17:15)
Byodoin Museum, Hoshokan - Opens at 09:00 to 17:00 (last admission 16:45)
Interior of Phoenix Hall - opens at 09:10 to 16:10 (viewing time starts at 09:30, 50 people at one time, every 20 minutes thereafter)

We bought the admission tickets for ￥600/person which includes the Byodoin Garden and Byodoin Museum. There would be an additional charge of ￥300 if you would like to visit the Interior of Phoenix Hall as it was collected as a donation to the temple.

After that you would be given a map on how to tour around the Byodoin garden and museum. The tour begins at the south entrance gate and would ends at the tickets entrance. Basically, you are like making a tour in a circle. Just follow the signs and you will definitely not getting lost here.

Wait. wait. wait. We were into the main character soon - the Byodoin Temple.

This was the side back view (Yokuro - two wing corridors) of the Byodoin Temple. The lake water was super clear, we could even see the bottom of the lake with our naked eyes. No pollution or rubbish in the lake. So clean and clear.

History of the Byodoin Temple
Initially, the Byodoin Temple was built in 998 as a countryside villa for the politician, Fujiwara no Michinaga, not as a temple. Then, Michinaga's son, Fujiwara no Yorimichi turned Byodoin into a temple and ordered the construction of the most spectacular feature, the Phoenix Hall in 1052 of the Heian period.

By that time, it was so popular for the Vairochana statue. The statue was then lost and replaced with a large wooden seated statue of Amida Nyorai (Amitabha Tathagata) at a height of 2.43m, a national treasure of the Empire carved by the Japanese artisan Jocho in 1053.

The Phoenix Hall (Amidado) has its own official name but then it was nicknamed Hoodo (Phoenix Hall) once it was completed in 1053 for its shape and the two phoenix statues on the roof. Furthermore, there are 52 wooden statues of Bodhisattvas dancing and playing musical instruments on floating clouds, surrounding the Amitabha. And now, the hall is featured on the Japanese ￥10 coins.

The Byodoin's buildings were repeatedly lost to fires and other circumstances over the centuries, however, the Phoenix Hall was never destroyed, causing it to be one of the few original wooden structures left to survive from the Heian period. It was so unique that the building and statues were created about 1000 years ago have been passed down to this day and were registered as the World Heritage Site.

Middle Back (Biro - tail corridor) View of the Byodoin Temple

Side view (Yokuro) of the Byodoin Temple

This was the side view of the Byodoin Temple which is also the entrance to the interior of Phoenix hall. Look ! When there were enough of 50 people in the group, the tour to the interior of Phoenix hall will starts. Each group will enters every subsequent 20 minutes.

We did not enter the interior of the Phoenix Hall. We just had a stroll around at the outside garden. By knowing that Amitabha Tathagata, a big wooden God statue was enshrined inside the hall. Therefore, I just make a simple pray from the outside of the garden.

The weather was cooling fresh on that day. It was nice to laze around the garden, taking pictures while enjoying the autumn seasons.

Look how fabulous the whole structure of the Byodoin Temple together with its water reflection ! Really fantastic. The water was so clean, clear and calm. As you can see the water reflection of the whole Byodoin Temple. Really Amazing !

The Central Hall of the Byodoin Temple is named Hoodo / Chudo while the two wing corridors are named Yokuro and the tail corridor is named Biro. There are 4 buildings all together of Byodoin Temple.

Byodoin Temple got featured in the Japanese ￥10 coins.

We just cannot get enough of taking pictures with the Autumn trees and leaves. Overly beautiful and gorgeous Autumn Trees and leaves, or maybe just because we did not have 4 seasons in our home country. Therefore, we were overly excited with the autumn season. >.<

The amazing colours changes in different seasons. Looks how fantastic the nature was!

The Byodoin's museum is constructed underground so that it will not distract the Phoenix Hall. It exhibits most of the valuable artifacts of the temple, including dozens of cultural properties and national treasures. It also displays on how Byodoin's construction was done and the history behind.