À propos de ce lieu: Horyu-ji
Horyu-ji, fondé en 607 par le prince Shotoku, contient les plus anciennes structures en bois du monde. Le complexe Sai-in, incluant le kondo et la pagode à cinq étages, survit depuis la fin du VIIe/début VIIIe siècle. Parmi les premiers sites UNESCO du Japon (1993), trésor de l'art bouddhique.
Points forts
- Kondo (Main Hall) — built in the 7th century, the world's oldest wooden building, enshrining the Shaka Triad (a National Treasure); admire the entasis columns
- Five-Story Pagoda — 31.5 m tall, the world's oldest pagoda; the proportional balance from the first to fifth tiers is exquisite
- Yumedono (Hall of Dreams) and To-in Precinct — built in 739 as an octagonal hall, with the secret Guze Kannon, said to be a life-sized image of Prince Shotoku
- Chumon (Central Gate) — the main gate to the Sai-in Precinct, with entasis columns and two Niou (Vajra Warrior) guardians
- Kudara Kannon (National Treasure) — enshrined in the Daihozoin, a 2.1 m wooden Asuka-period image with a uniquely elongated form
