Nanzenji in Autumn

One of my favourite temples in Kyoto...probably because the main grounds are free! Hahaha...I am such a cheapskates. Nanzenji is a Zen temple, one of the most important Zen temples in Japan. It was an imperial villa when it was first constructed in 1264 but later became a temple in 1291.



The bare sakura tree against the vibrant maple tree. The building in the background in the temple's main gate, the Sanmon (side view). I think my next project is to go there next spring and take the same view again, with the sakura tree in full bloom and the maple tree bare. The temple has a lot of subtemples which you have to pay go in and I have yet to step foot inside any of them.....wait...I think I did, last autumn.



I love this tree. The leaves were in the midst of the colour changing process and the sun was just shining directly on it. Love the blend of the red, yellow, green and orange.



The branches of the maple tree, casting a shadow on the moss covered grounds. I like this kind of maple tree where the branches spread like a carpet to the ground. They are beautiful to look at.



This temple has a water aqueduct which is a part of the Lake Biwa's canal and it dates back to the year 1890. You can walk along the aqueduct, which I have yet to do.



This is the "It" tree on the temple grounds as the sun was shining on it, highlighting the brilliant orange leaves. You can see the crowd gathering around it, trying to take pics of the leaves and of themselves with the tree. I had already had my shot and was quite content to take pics of the trees from a less crowded area.



Who is the star?? This lovely dog was taken by its owner to Nanzenji as a part of the owner's photography project. He was trying to take pics of his dog against the temple backgrounds. But the dog was so adorable, so many ppl stopped to pet it, take pics of it, including this one girl whose hands you see in the pic. She was playing with the dog for so long and he/she thoroughly enjoyed it though I think the owner was a bit annoyed because he was setting up the dog for some shots only to be interrupted by us, the public.



The ginko trees on the temple grounds weren't as popular as the maple trees. But I love their golden hue against the green mossy grounds.



Phone cameras are all the rage here in Japan as nearly every handphone has its own camera functions. So instead of whipping out a fancy, sleek digicamera, they might just whip out a fancy, sleek cameraphone!



The light was beginning to fade when we found this delightful corner. Too bad. But the bridge, the ginko and maple trees all made for a beautiful scene.



Close up of the ginko leaves strewn ground against the backdrop of the "It" tree with the crowd still there, frantically taking pictures of the tree before the sun dips beneath the horizon.



Another close up of the It tree leaves.



And finally, I will end the post with a curtain of red maple leaves.