1. Kiyomizu Temple 清水寺
Kiyomizu-dera is a buddhist temple in eastern Kyoto. It is also part of the UNESCO World Heritage site. It is a temple that is no single nail used in the entire structure. It takes its name from the waterfall within the complex, which runs off the nearby hills. So, here comes the name.. Kiyomizu means clear water or pure water.
On the second day, we took bus 100 to get to Kiyomizu-dera and the bus dropped us at the Kiyomizu-michi bus stop. We followed the sign board at the bus stop to get to our destination. The location is not that hard to find actually..
Instead, it was a long walk to get there.... And due to Kiyomizu-dera is located halfway up the Otowa Moutain, we were walking uphill all the time~
While walking, we spotted this beautiful building. See how fast daddy ready under the tree and waited for me to take photo~ Yes! most of the time I was the photographer during our Japan trip~ ^^
After this, continued walking up hill....
Although it was a long walk, but we were enjoyed with the beautiful scenery along the way...
Spotted this map at the road side... Still a long way to get to the Kiyomizu-dera.. I also noticed that there are quite a few temple around the Kiyomizu-dera..
When we walked until here, there are more and more shop lots.. I knew that we almost get there...
Beautiful souvenirs in one of the shop...
Finally, we can see the temple! See how busy is the street in front of the temple...
A cute couple buying the Japanese ABC at one of the shop...
Found a small little umbrella at one of the souvenir shop. Wondering this umbrella can be used to cover which part of body on rainy day..
A restaurant that offer free green tea with snacks.. Feel thirsty after a long walk? Let's have a nice chill green tea at this restaurant...
Here we are at the Kiyomizu-dera... See.. my brother spotted someone special~
A Japanese monk! A scene where we can only see in tv~ >.<
Another photo of us in front of the deva gate and the pagoda...
Yea... I felt bad after taking this pic.. It just that I always see pretty girls in Japanese traditional costume. But no offence... She is just adorable in this costume with the spec that she's wearing...
Spotted the Kyoto Tower...
Here we are at the main entrance of the Kiyomizu-dera... While waiting for daddy to get the entrance tickets, we saw a lot of people queuing up again... Went closer, we realised that they were queuing up for the holy water that comes out from the head of the dragon..
So, my brother went and had a try~ He said that it is really cooling, especially under this hot weather...
Got the tickets! It costs 300Yen / person. Except during spring and fall season, it will be costs 400Yen / person and it will only be opened at 630pm until 930pm.. For normal days, it opens at 6am until 6pm...
Once entered, we got thru a hallway with the beautiful antique chandeliers to the main hall of the Kiyomizu-dera...
Due to Kiyomizu-dera is one of the "must-go" tourism spot in Kyoto, so we saw a lot of tourists here instead of the locals who come here for prayer...
A small stall that selling the prayer thingy.. They have a lot of different types for different wishes.. Even the white guy also followed their culture and bought one...
A board that hanging a lot of wishes from different people who are from around the world... Saw one that is written in Chinese.. I think its everybody's wish.. Secretly pray to God that her wish and our wishes can come true.. ^^
Besides the main hall in the Kiyomizu-dera, one of the shrine that is famous for people who come here for the wishes of love is the Jishu Shrine which dedicated Okuninushi, the God of love and "good matches"
In this shrine, it has a pair of "love stones" that places around 6meters apart. People who wish to search for their love can try to walk between with their eyes close and those who success in reaching the other stone with eyes close implies that he/she will find the love / true love. One can be assisted in the crossing, but this is taken to mean that an intermediary will be needed in the love life.
After read the board, I quickly asked my brother who is still single to give it a try... :p
Spotted a girl who came here for love....
Few different views of the Kiyomizu-dera.. I believe that it will be looked nicer at night...
Kyoto city view
Here we climbed up to the Koyasu Pagoda which stands among the trees in the far end of the temple grounds...
People believed that a visit to this pagoda is said to bring about an easy and safe childbirth..
Due to the tiredness of climbing up and down the hills, I was refused to go up this pagoda at first. But my brother is the one who keep dragging me up to this pagoda because he claimed that we came so far to here and now gave up to see just because of this few steps, isn't it wasted? Thus, we went up together. And now after I did my research, realised that a visit to this pagoda can bring an easy and safe childbirth. So, if I manage to give birth smoothly and safely in the future, is it means that my brother has some contribution to it as well? :p Anyway, tried to take an unique shot of this pagoda.. But failed ^^"
Liked I said, we did a lot of walking.... It is real big in Kiyomizu-dera.. Worth a visit~
Here we are the last stop of the Kiyomizu-dera - the Otowa Waterfall. The waterfall's water is divided into three streams. Each stream's water is said to have the wish granting power and it has its own different benefit, namely to cause longevity, success at school and a fortune love life. Visitors can use a cup that attached to the long pole to drink from it. However, drinking from all these three streams is considered greedy. So, which one will you be choosing? Longevity? success at school? or a fortune love life?
2. Kinkakuji 金阁寺
After visiting the Kiyomizu-dera, we decided to go the Golden Pavilion. It is a zen temple in northern Kyoto whose top two floors are completely covered in gold leaf.
But too bad... when we reached there, it was already 5pm and the temple is already closed... So, we can only get to take some photo at the outside compound..
Yea.... I know that it's super duper wrong~ But what we were thinking that we came here so far and now it already closed. If we didn't even try then just go back like this. We will be super duper regret >.< So, we chose to sneak it in from the back door~ Who's know~ There was a guard standing there and keep looking at us... ^^" So, we only get to shoot one of the small building (God knows what building is that?!?! ) then we had to follow other people to walk out.... Sigh.. At least we tried~
Maybe next time~ I believe that this Golden Pavilion is really nice... But too bad we spent too long time at the Kiyomizu-dera...
3. Shijo Kawaramachi Street 四条通
Since we were not so lucky, we decided to go to the Shijo Kawaramachi Street to do some shopping before we headed back to hotel. It is a shopping area that located at the centre of the Kyoto. Shijo means the forth street of the Heian-kyo 平安京, the ancient capital.
A machine that selling ice cream located in front of the bus stop.. A real good idea for the ice cream manufacturer..
We took bus number 12 to get to the Shijo Kawaramachi...
Spotted Japanese learning to drive..
Spotted a saloon named "The Guest Villa".. What an confusing name.. A villa? or a saloon?
What are these tall buildings at the roadside? These are the things that used for the Gion Matsuri. One of the most happening and famous festival in Japan. It is the festival of Yasaka Shrine. And they will be carried this "building" for a procession of floats which is called Yamaboko Junko. It will be held on the July 17th each year.
And here we are at the Shijo Street.... Did quite a lot of shopping here before we took our dinner and headed back to hotel...
The Kyoto Tower... Shot it at the Kyoto bus station. Never knows that it was so near to our hotel until I put my head up to the sky then I saw it~
After two days of sight-seeing in Kyoto, I prefer Kyoto more than Osaka. Definitely will back to Kyoto again. Too many things to see at here... It definitely need few more days here to see the beauty of Kyoto~
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