Shinsen-en, Japanese garden in Nakagyō-ku, Japan
Shinsen-en is a Buddhist temple and Japanese garden in the Nakagyō Ward of Kyoto. The garden is built around a central pond crossed by stone paths and a vermillion wooden bridge that leads to a small island with a shrine.
The site was created in 794 as an imperial garden for the Heian Palace and covered about 33 acres at that time. After centuries of change and gradual reduction, the garden was rebuilt in 1607 as a temple of the Shingon school.
The name comes from a sacred spring that once flowed in the garden and was believed to reach underground dragon chambers. Visitors today can cross the red bridge to the island, where a small shrine honors the Dragon Queen Zenjishi Daimyojin, who is thought to bring rain and fertility.
The grounds lie south of Nijō Castle in central Kyoto and are easy to reach on foot. The garden is open to visitors, while some temple areas are accessible only at certain times.
A nearby street is named Oike Dori, which means 'Honorable Pond' and recalls the old garden. In 863, a ceremony was held here in which 66 pikes were erected to ward off an epidemic in Kyoto.
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