Eihei-ji, Buddhist temple in Fukui Prefecture, Japan
Eihei-ji is a Buddhist monastery on a forested mountainside in Fukui Prefecture where monks continue to live and study today. More than seventy wooden buildings are linked by covered walkways, forming a complex among cedar trees and rock formations.
A monk named Dogen founded the complex in 1244 after returning from China, bringing a new meditation practice to Japan. Since then the site has served as headquarters for one of the largest schools of Zen Buddhism in the country.
The name comes from a Chinese expression meaning eternal peace, reflecting the intention behind its foundation. Visitors observe monks in training and experience the simple wooden construction and understated aesthetic of the monastic environment.
The site can be reached from Fukui Station with a direct bus that runs each hour. The path through the grounds involves stairs and sometimes steep sections, so proper footwear is recommended.
The complex includes seven main halls that symbolically represent the body of a dragon, mapping the path of spiritual development. Many structures have been rebuilt multiple times since the founding in the 13th century after being destroyed by fires.
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