Kanzeon-ji, Buddhist temple in Dazaifu, Japan
Kanzeon-ji sits between rice paddies in a residential area of Dazaifu, preserving several wooden buildings from different periods. The compound includes a main hall, lecture building and bell tower arranged across a quiet courtyard.
Construction began in the late seventh century on orders from Emperor Tenji as a memorial to Empress Saimei and lasted eight decades. The original complex ranked among the largest temples in western Japan and later lost parts of its buildings to fire.
The temple repository displays 16 Buddhist wooden statues from the Heian and Kamakura periods, including sculptures measuring five meters in height.
The temple grounds are freely accessible daily and lie about ten minutes on foot from Dazaifu station. The treasure hall charges admission and displays Buddhist sculptures that may not be visible during certain maintenance periods.
The bronze bell in the tower was cast in the eighth century and ranks as the oldest in Japan. A famous scholar mentioned this sound in a poem, and the bell still rings during religious occasions today.
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