Episode 230 - Harmony of Nature & Man

These photos were taken at the Humble Administrator's Garden in Suzhou.  

Comparing it with the Tenryu-ji Garden of Japan, I observe the following major stylistic differences:  complexity vs. simplicity; realism vs. abstractism;   implicit human input vs. explicit human input;  harmony of nature & man vs. nature according to the perception of man.

Episode 229 - Where Beauty Remains

Some photos taken at Arashiyama during the recent journey.

It has been more than 10 years since my last visit to Arashiyama.  This time:  no sakura, no red maple, no snow ........   but beauty remains.

Episode 228 - Garden at Tenryū-ji

These pictures were taken at the Garden of Tenryu-ji.  Tenryu-ji is a Zen Buddhism monastery.  Like most Kyoto monasteries, it has a beautiful garden inside.  With a simplicity design, the Tenryu-ji Garden is an abstract representation of nature from a religious perceptive  Human input is intentionally explicit.

I would usually include this Garden in my itinerary should I visit the Saga Arashiyama District.   Reason? The photos above speak. 

We used to enter the Garden through the North Gate of Tenryu-ji after taking a walk in the Saga Bamboo Groves.

It was a sunny day and the temperature was around 23 degree C.  People sitting leisurely on the wooden bench of the Main Hall watching the exquisitely craved / designed garden and listening to the songs of the swallows.

What a wonderful day!

Episode 227 - Swallow at Tenryū-ji

 

These photos were taken by me during our visit to Tenryu-ji at Kyoto.  

The swallows built a number of nests under the roof of the Main Hall of the temple. 

This swallow was not afraid of me and let me take as many close up photos of it as I like.   

Before this, I never had a chance to be so close to a swallow.  I did not even know that swallows have colourful feathers and that they sing!

Episode 226 - My Dear Deer

These photos were taken at Nara near the Kasuga Grand Shrine.

We have been to Nara for many times but the lovely deer remain an attraction that reminds us to revisit the city again and again.

The Nara Deer are set loose and they are allowed to wander in the area without interruption.  If you wish to feed them, you can buy some dry biscuits in the shops and stalls nearby.  The deer are crazy about these biscuits.  They will chase after you once they notice that you have a pack of biscuits in your hand.

One thing made me curious:  I did not see any deer took liberty to eat the biscuits at the stalls even if the biscuits were unattended to.

Episode 225 - Sakura chaser

 

[Enryaku-ji and Mount Hiei]

My family visited Kyoto during the Easter holiday.

The sakura blooming season in downtown Kansai district ends in around mid April every year.  We were late for the season.  In order to view full blooming sakura, we took a journey to Mount Hiei where the sakura blooming season starts in late April due to the cooler weather there.

Apart from the Sakura, a "must visit" for this journey was Enryaku-ji.

The Enryaku-ji is a famous Tendai Monastery in Japan. It has been declared as an UNESCO World Heritage Site - "Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyotot Uji and Otsu Cities)".  

The Monastery comprises of a group of buildings clustered around three large districts at the top of Mount Hiei.  Don't take it as an ordinary temple in downtown Kyoto.  The scale of Enryaku-ji may well be beyond your imagination. 

The route to Mount Hiei was a little bit complicated - but not amounting to a challenge for experienced travellers, of course.