.: E V O _ N o v a :.: Kyoto Study Tour

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Kyoto Study Tour

October 23th, 2009 :: Kyoto Study Tour

Yesterday I went to Kyoto in the Kyoto Study Tour of the AYF program. We leaved the insitute at around 7.45 a.m. First destination was Kinkakuji Temple (金閣寺).

Kinkakuji or the Golden Pavillion is one of Japan's best known sights. The original building was constructed in 1397 as retirement villa for the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu. It was converted into a Zen temple after Yoshimitsu's death in 1408. The present building dates from 1955 as the pavillion was burnt by a fanatic monk in 1950. The monk's story is fictionalized in Mishima Yukio's novel "Kinkakuji".　

P'Su Su & Lien

Ticket to enter Kinkakuji

Me, Huong, and Lien

Phen, our professional photographer

The leaves changed the color into red in the autumn

Kinkakuji Temple

Nanzni, Houng, P'Su Su, Andrien, and Tonu

Ulfah, Karen, Tonu, Siew Fang, Phone, Nooi, and P'Su Su

Me, Phen, Lien, Tonu, Ulfah, and Huong

Then, we went to the restaurant to have lunch together.

Our Lunch

Tonu, Lien, me, Nazzni, and Anggri

Siew Fang and Big

After that, we enjoyed the experience of making Japanese sweet at Kanshundou (かんしゅんどう), the Japanese-style sweet store.

The sweet we learned to make is called Wagashi (和菓子). Wagashi are traditional Japanese confections that evolved into an art form in the ancient Imperial capital, Kyoto. The character pronounced "wa" denoted things Japanese, while the characters for "gashi", an alliteration of kashi, have come to mean confections. Wagashi represents the essence of Japanese culture, and continues to be vital force in Japanese life. Wagashi are made from vegetable-based ingredients such as Azuki beans, rice, Kanten (a fiber-rich gelatin made from seaweed), etc.

This is my Wagashi, I made by myself !!

Next, we went to Kiyomizudera (清水寺) or the Pure Water Temple. Kiyomizudera is one of the most celebrated temples of Japan. It was founded in 780 and remains associated with the Hosso sect, one of the oldest sects within Japanese Buddhism. In 1994, Kiyomizudera Temple was added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Kiyomizudera stands in the wooded hills of eastern Kyoto and offers visitors a nice view over the city from its famous wooden terrace. Below the terrace, there is the spring water, which gives the temple name and which is said to have therapeutic properties.