This month’s temple – Byodoin

Byodoin is an impressive temple in the city of Uji located in the Kyoto prefecture.
Out of all its’ beautiful features, the highlights would be the Phoenix Hall and the fact that it is built on a lake. It is as if the image of  heaven’s palace is reflected on the surface of the water. During the time that this temple was built, the people believed that Phoenix Hall was a divine paradise that appeared on the lake’s surface.
This Phoenix Hall is such an important part of Japanese culture that it is even engraved on the 10 yen coin. 
The Byodoin temple was built in 1052 by the Fujiwara family and is also a part of the UNESCO World Heritage List.