Many travelers to the Higashiyama area of Kyoto usually visit the Kiyomizu Stage again after visiting the must-see Kiyomizu-dera Temple on a group tour for the first time. This is the travel experience of many people. Afterwards, everyone will go down Qingshui Zaka and stroll to Sannenzaka and Ninnenzaka to appreciate the unique stone street style. In the process, you might as well continue moving forward, passing through the one-year slope, turn to the Ningning Road, visit Kodaiji Temple and Entoku-in Temple in sequence, and finally arrive at the familiar Maruyama Park and Yasaka Shrine. This route is not only full of Kyoto’s history and culture, but also a visual and spiritual feast.
How to get to Kodaiji Temple in Kyoto?
The transportation to Kodaiji Temple is very convenient. You only need to take the bus that passes the "Higashiyama Yasui" stop. From JR Kyoto Station, you can take the city bus route 206; from Hankyu Kawaramachi Station, you can take the city bus route 207. After getting off at "Higashiyama Yasui" station, you can leisurely walk through the stone path and enjoy the unique quiet lanes of Kyoto along the way. It takes about 5 minutes to walk to the lively Kodaiji Temple.
This time, Wendy and Anya's trip to Kodaiji Temple did not go north from Kiyomizudera Temple. Instead, after visiting Zhenyudang Temple and Kinjie Guangmingji Temple during the day, they chose to take the bus south along Higashi Ojidori Street at night. Along the way, they could enjoy the magnificent maples in the Higashiyama area. scene. The nighttime lighting events at Kodaiji Temple and Seiren-in Temple are each unique, making them perfect places to enjoy maple leaves. Although the two places are not far apart, we specially arranged two nights to visit these two night scenes.
※ Map of the worship case in the territory of Caotai Temple
Basic information about Kodaiji Temple in Kyoto
Kodaiji Temple (こうだいじ) was built in 1606. It was originally established to pray for the death of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. The construction work was initiated by Hideyoshi's first wife Nene (Kodaiin). As time went by, Kodaiji Temple also became her residence and cemetery in her later years, so the road ahead was named Ningning Road (ねねの道). Although Kodaiji Temple suffered a fire, many precious buildings and gardens are still preserved, including Kaishan Hall, Spirit House, Abbot Garden, Umbrella Pavilion, Shigu Pavilion and Moon Viewing Platform, etc., which are still of high ornamental value.
Kaotai Temple is built on the mountain. It is a popular spot for cherry blossom viewing in spring and maple viewing in autumn. Especially during the red leaf season in autumn, the lighting decoration at night is a major feature of Kodai Temple. This is our first visit to Kaotai Temple, and we chose to buy a joint visit to Kaotai Temple, Zhang Art Museum and Ende-in Temple. If you purchase the ticket for the Kodai Temple separately, it will still come with the ticket for the Palm Art Museum. Since we planned to spend the whole night on Ningning Road, we directly chose to visit the joint tour in order to more fully experience this charming attraction.
Light and shadow show in the Abbot’s Garden of Kodaiji Temple
The night lighting of Kaotai Temple is quite famous, especially the light and shadow show in the abbot's garden, which is a must-see. Wendy happened to have a cold at that time, and she was too lazy to take off her shoes to enter the abbot's building, but she almost missed it. Before leaving, everyone Still need to do more homework. In addition, with the advancement of technology, light and shadow shows are becoming increasingly sophisticated and the themes are new. The 2015D light and shadow show of One Hundred Ghosts at Night was launched in XNUMX. Just watching the video is quite amazing. I wonder what tricks they will have this year!
▲ In 2015, the Hyakki Yakou XNUMXD light and shadow projection show.
Conclusion
Kodaiji Temple is located in the core area of Higashiyama Shrine. The landscape inside the temple is vast and diverse, making it a perfect ending point for a day trip. Higashiyama Sando consists of three main sightseeing trails: the Ningning Road, the Shinyuki Road, and the Wisdom Road. These paths are connected in series with each other, and there are a continuous series of special attractions along the way. From north to south, they cover Chion-in Temple, Maruyama Park, Yasaka Shrine, At well-known landmarks such as Yuande-yuan and Shijie Path, you can enjoy a wealth of food and entertainment options here.
For travelers who don’t like to study transportation or are busy rushing to visit attractions, the entire Higashiyama Sando area is an ideal one-day itinerary. You only need to take the bus back and forth twice, and there is no need to buy a Kyoto Bus one-day pass because this area is not far from Kyoto Station. If there are more than three people in your party, taking a taxi is also a convenient option, which is very suitable for first-time independent travelers to consider including it in their itinerary.
Source: Gaotai Temple's official website
Kyoto Kodaiji Temple
- Address: No. 526, Shimokawaramachi, Kodaiji Temple, Higashiyama District, Kyoto City
- Phone: +81 75-561-9966
- Opening hours: 09:00-17:30
- Ticket price for visiting:
.Caotai Temple Worship Scroll (including Palm Art Museum): 600 yen/person for adults, 250 yen/person for middle and high school students
.Joint worship volume (Kaodai Temple, Zhang Art Museum, Yuantokuin Temple): 900 yen/person - Official website: http://www.kodaiji.com/
