Face-Lift for Byodo-in Phoenix Hall

Renovated Byodo-in Phoenix Hall now unveiled in Uji

Takako Sakamoto Dec 09, 2014 - 1 min read

<p>This is the scene that is stamped on the face of the 10-yen coin! The Phoenix Hall, was under renovation for two years, and finally made its first public re-appearance. It looks so beautiful, almost beyond recognition.</p>

<p>I waited for the entrance gate to open at 8:30 in the morning</p>

<p>The autumn leaves around the Phoenix Hall added beauty to the newly renovated hall</p>

<p>Wonderful contrast between the blue sky and the vermilion Phoenix Hall</p>

<p>The maple trees in front of the pond were not turning color yet</p>

<p>The main chamber of the Phoenix Hall has a cutout window in the shape of a referees' fan, through which the statue of Amida Nyorai can be seen</p>

<p>In early mornings there are no ripples on the pond's surface, and you can enjoy the clear reflection of Phoenix Hall on the water surface</p>

On November 23rd of 2014, I visited Byodo-in Phoenix Hall in Uji City, Kyoto.

The Phoenix Hall of Byodo-in underwent renovation between September 2012 and March this year. The roofs were replaced, and pillars were painted anew, giving it a refreshed look. The phoenix in radiant gold on the roof of the central chamber, and the pillars and walls painted in brilliant vermilion are wonderfully eye-catching. On this sunny autumn day, the newly renovated Phoenix Hall made a striking contrast with the high blue sky, and its reflection on the mirror-like surface of the pond was just awesome!

See also: Beyond Phoenix Hall at Byodo-in (Villa of Elite Aristocrats series)

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Find out more about Byodo-in Temple.

Takako Sakamoto @takako.sakamoto

I was born in and grew up in Tokushima prefecture, and have lived in many places since then: Nishinomiya, Kyoto, Nara, Mie, Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Chiba, Fukuoka and Fukui. I am currently living in Yokohama City. All the places I lived, all the places I visited, I have loved dearly. The histor...