Japan Strolling | Is Uji Worth a Visit? (1)🌸

🌊I visited Byodo-in Temple in Uji, along with the upper and lower shrines. In between, I crossed a bridge that offers such a refreshing view. 🍃 Uji Bridge is one of Japan's oldest bridges and is known as one of the Three Great Ancient Bridges of Japan. 🌉 🌊This bridge was originally built in 646 by two Japanese disciples of the famous Chinese monk Xuanzang (Tripitaka), namely the monks Daozhao and Daoteng (who also studied in China under the Sui Dynasty master Jizang). It has been destroyed multiple times by floods and wars, and the current bridge is a modern reconstruction. 🌊 🍃 In ancient times, Uji Bridge was a crucial transportation hub leading to Kyoto and a strategic point for military control. 🌊During the Edo period, Tokugawa Ieyasu, who claimed to be a descendant of the Minamoto clan, issued an order prohibiting the taking of lives on either side of the bridge. Violators would be considered as insulting the shogunate. 🍃 The beautiful scenery around the bridge also made it a popular spot for poets and scholars to compose verses. 🍃 #Kyoto #UjiBridge #HistoricJapan 🌇