Byodo-in Monastery Garden

This was the garden of a monastery, dedicated to the worship of Buddha Amida (Amitabha), and designed to recreate paradise on earth. It is a Pure Land garden, probably made when the Buddhist temple was built in 1052. The water, a treasure pond, relates to garden pavilions connected by roofed corridors. It is assumed there was a bridge to an island. The architecture shows a strong Chinese influence. The garden character is typical of the Heian Period (the garden was begun in 998, before the Amida hall was built).