A menacing Niō, guardian of Buddha, at Niomon Gate, entrance to lower complex of Daigo-ji Buddhist temple, Kyoto, Japan.

A menacing Niō, guardian of Buddha, at Niomon Gate, the entrance to the lower complex of Daigo-ji Buddhist temple, in Kyoto, Honshu island, Japan. Niō are two wrathful and muscular guardians of the Buddha standing as statues at the entrance of many Buddhist temples. They are dharmapala (Buddhist dharma protector) manifestations of the bodhisattva Vajrapāṇi, the oldest and most powerful of the Mahayana Buddhist pantheon. Daigo-ji Buddhist temple is one of Kyoto's seventeen UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

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Contained in galleries: JAPAN 2024 favorites, 2024 Oct: JAPAN all, Kyoto, Highlights 2024

A menacing Niō, guardian of Buddha, at Niomon Gate, the entrance to the lower complex of Daigo-ji Buddhist temple, in Kyoto, Honshu island, Japan. Niō are two wrathful and muscular guardians of the Buddha standing as statues at the entrance of many Buddhist temples. They are dharmapala (Buddhist dharma protector) manifestations of the bodhisattva Vajrapāṇi, the oldest and most powerful of the Mahayana Buddhist pantheon. Daigo-ji Buddhist temple is one of Kyoto's seventeen UNESCO World Heritage Sites.