The Chionin Temple is the main temple of one of the most popular Japanese Buddhist sects, the Jodo sect. This massive temple is located in Higashiyama district of Kyoto and a number of structures here have been declared Important Cultural Properties of Japan.

As you reach the temple you will see the Sanmon Gate, the largest wooden gate in Japan that was built in the 17^th century. The gate is 79 feet tall and 164 feet wide and has a balcony that is closed to the public. Enter the Miedo Hall, the main hall that has a statue of the priest Honen, the founder of the Jodo sect (the temple started out as the humble abode of Honen). Walk across to the Amida Hall to see the statue of Amida Buddha there. The Amida Buddha, incidentally, is the most important of all Buddhas in the Jodo sect. Visit the Seishido Hall, which was built in 1530 and is considered the oldest building in the Chionin Temple. Explore the mausoleum here that contains the ashes of Honen. Go on to view the Dai-shoro, a huge bell that was the largest in the world between the 17^th and 19^th centuries. Other sights to see at the Chionin Temple include a traditional Japanese Garden, the Hojo Garden, the Yuzen Garden with its own rock and pond gardens, the Kyo-zo, which is the storage place for sculptures, the Kuri or temple kitchen, the Chokushi-mon or the gate for Imperial messengers, and also the Uguisu-bari (bush warbler birds), a corridor that sounds like a singing bird when you walk on it.