Arashiyama is a wonderful place and is located just west of Kyoto and next to Sagano. Arashiyama is perhaps most famous for it’s bamboo groves. Sagano bamboo groves are found behind Tenryuji Temple and along the trail to the Okochi Sanso. It is something you should consider seeing if you want to get out of...
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Weather in Zhangjiajie (Wulingyuan) National Park during our trip was bad for photographing anything except rivers, waterfalls and forest. So we spent a great deal of time hiking, walking and photographing in the forests and along magnificent Golden Whip Stream. Golden Whip Stream (Jinbian Stream) is famous for its pristine water, its verdant mountains, its...
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The Longsheng Rice Terraces are located in Longsheng County, about 100 km (2 hours drive) from Guilin, Guangxi, China. The most popular are Ping An Rice Terrace and Jinkeng Rice Terrace. The terraced fields are built along the slope winding from the riverside up to the mountain top, the highest part being 880 m in...
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Shot this bronze statue of Jikokuten at Hase-dera Temple, Kamakura, Japan. Jikokuten literally means “Guardian of the Nation”. Jikokuten is the Keeper of the Kingdom, the Upholder of the Country, the Protector of the World. Jikokuten usually carries a sword in right hand, with closed left hand resting on hip; sometimes shown holding a stringed...
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Hase-dera (known more formally as Kaikozan Jishoin Hase-dera) is one of the great Buddhist temples in the city of Kamakura in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, famous for housing a massive wooden statue of Kannon. The temple is the fourth of the 33 stations of the Bando Sanjusankasho pilgrimage circuit dedicated to the goddess Benzaiten. The temple...
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Himeji Castle, also called Hakurojo or Shirasagijo (“White Heron Castle”) due to its white outer walls and it is widely considered Japan’s most spectacular castle. Unlike many other Japanese castles, Himeji Castle was never destroyed in wars, earthquakes or fires and survives in its original form. It is the best preserved castle in all of...
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Okayama Castle, also known as “Crow Castle” (U-jo) due to its black exterior, was built in 1597 in the style of the Azuchi-Momoyama Period. It is located in the Okayama city on the Asahi River, which was used as a moat, and next to the famous Korankuen Garden. The original castle was destroyed on June...
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Korakuen (Koraku-en) Garden is one of Japan’s official Three Great Gardens (along with Kanazawa’s Kenrokuen and Mito’s Kairakuen) and hence Okayama’s number one attraction. The name means “Garden of Pleasure After”, a reference to a famous Confucian quote stating that a wise ruler must attend to his subjects’ needs first and only then attend to...
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Hiroshima is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chugoku region of western Honshu, the largest island of Japan. When the first atomic bomb was dropped over Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, the city became known worldwide for this unenviable distinction. The destructive power of the bomb was tremendous and obliterated...
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The Kintai-kyo or “Brocade Sash Bridge”, has been Iwakuni’s most distinguished landmark and a subject of admiration for hundreds of years. The 210m long bridge spans the Nishiki river and was originally built in 1673 under daimyo Kikkawa Hiroyoshi, without using a single nail. It was swept away by floods caused by Typhoon Kezia in...
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