Tenryuji, The Incredible Monster Forehead
 

Next end, Tenryuji, "the incredible monster temple." This temple complex is significant in all respects: in area, the size and amount of structures, and the degree of the gardens; in reality it's the biggest temple in the Arashiyama area. Some photos. This can be a big dry rock garden at the front end of the main building. Such gardens were created for yoga practice, but until you could disregard the big crowds around you best of luck with that one! http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...ckGardenSM.jpg This is actually the popular Sougen Pond round the back-side of the main temple building. You may stay here and take pleasure in the view so long as you want. The garden and lake are in the bottom of Mt. Ogura and were made out of a method termed shakkei, meaning "borrowed scenery." This method aims to include the landscape in to the yard itself so that the view is just a landscape. This yard is a superb example. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...ujiPond2SM.jpg A roof in the dying light of sunset. Such moments abound in Kyoto! http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...ujiRoof2SM.jpg The mountainside across the straight back fringe of the temple grounds includes a good grove of moso, Phyllostachys pubescens. That bamboo was delivered to Japan generations ago from China without doubt for practical reasons - it's consumed, used for making tools and projects, and was also typically used in building. It's a variety, therefore it makes an unhealthy choice for your yard, until you have lots of room. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...TenryujiSM.jpg Finally, I've to show a few pictures to you of dwarfed red pines that graced the temple grounds. The variety is Pinus densiflora, a typical tree throughout Japan that's an intense colonizer of dried slopes after disruption, for instance landslides and fires. These forehead individuals are maintained below 20 feet by constant pruning, while they could increase to over one hundred feet in nature. I liked their red trunks within the calm sunshine right before sunset. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...TenryujiSM.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...neTenryuji.jpg