Yoshimine-dera

As a Tendai Buddhist temple situated on the mountainside in Nishikyo, Kyoto, Yoshimine‑dera traces its history back to 1029 when the monk Gensan from Enryaku‑ji carved an eleven‑faced Kannon statue and built a small chapel here. Over the centuries the temple gained imperial patronage, receiving additional buildings and another Kannon statue and becoming the 20th temple on the Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage. Though much of the complex was destroyed during the 15th‑century Ōnin War, it was rebuilt in the Edo period. Today Yoshimine‑dera is known for its terraced grounds with numerous halls, its famous “Gliding Dragon” pine tree trained to grow horizontally, and seasonal flowers such as hydrangeas and autumn maples.