Kōfuku-ji, Buddhist temple in Nara, Japan
Kōfuku-ji is a Buddhist temple complex in Nara, Japan, known for its two pagodas, including a five-story wooden tower standing 50.1 meters tall. The sprawling grounds contain several halls, a museum for religious artworks, and open green spaces between individual buildings.
The complex originated in 669 in Kyoto as the family temple of the Fujiwara and moved with the capital to Nara in 710. During the Nara and Heian periods the complex grew into one of Japan's most powerful religious centers.
The name translates literally as Temple of Promoting Happiness and reflects the founders' intent to secure prosperity through religious practice. Visitors today notice mainly the large number of statues in the museum, which as a group offer insight into early Buddhist sculpture.
The temple grounds are freely accessible all year, while individual halls and the museum require separate admission. The central hall and pagodas sit close together, so a full walk takes about an hour.
The central hall was only fully rebuilt in 2018, after standing as a ruin for more than three centuries. This reconstruction used traditional timber techniques to restore the original eighth-century appearance.
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