Nara Tōdai-ji Temple (2)🌿

Over the past thousand years, the Great Buddha Hall has been destroyed by war multiple times. 🌸🍃 The last completion ceremony was held in the sixth year of the Hōei era (1709). 🏯Since then, there have been several restorations, but all on a relatively small scale. 🔥 Inside the Great Buddha Hall stands a colossal statue of the Vairocana Buddha, approximately 15 meters tall. 🌸🍃 The construction of the Great Buddha began in the seventeenth year of the Nara period (745), the same year Emperor Shōmu established the capital in Heijō-kyō, and was completed in October of the first year of the Shōhō era (749). 🏯Even the Great Buddha could not escape the ravages of war over the centuries. The current statue is the result of a restoration in the fifth year of the Genroku era (1692). 🌌 •🌸🍃 What is most striking about this ancient temple is neither the world's largest wooden structure nor the principal statue of the Vairocana Buddha. 🏯Instead, it is the nearly ten-meter-tall Guardian Kings standing on either side of the South Gate of Tōdai-ji. These powerful and fierce "Guardian Kings" are truly awe-inspiring. 🌸🍃 Their appearance and demeanor are almost identical to those of the Guardian Kings in the Longmen Grottoes' Fengxian Temple, like twins. 🏯This shows how deeply the Yamato people were influenced by Tang Dynasty culture at that time and also makes one marvel at the prosperity and brilliance of Tang culture. 🌟 A brief note on a hurried visit. As April begins, enjoy the pleasant spring outings. 🌿 🌸🍃 #Tōdai-ji #Nara #TempleTravel 🏯