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  • Heritage House is an 1895 Queen Anne-style Victorian home in Kanab, Utah, USA. Heritage House, built in 1894 for Henry Bowman by John Rider, has been painstakingly restored to its original splendor and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Kanab Heritage House reflects the prosperity of two of Kanab's early Mormon residents. Henry Bowman built it but lived there only two years before going on a mission. He sold the property to Thomas Chamberlain, who led the Mormons' United Order and cared for his six wives and 55 children. Directions: Go to the corner of East 100 South and South Main Street in Kanab; phone 435-644-3966; free tour in summer. Fact: Kanab is home of the USA's first all-woman town council, elected in 1911, with Mary Woolley Chamberlain as mayor.
    1303UT-4016.jpg
  • Petroglyphs of flute players in Shay Canyon on public BLM land, near Monticello, Utah, USA.
    1503SW-1341_Shay-Canyon-petroglyphs.jpg
  • Kivas for Puebloan religious rituals. Chetro Ketl was a massive stone building (Puebloan Great House) occupied from 950-1250s AD, now preserved at Chaco Culture National Historical Park, New Mexico, USA. This park hosts the densest and most exceptional concentration of pueblos in the American Southwest and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Chaco Canyon is in remote northwestern New Mexico, between Albuquerque and Farmington, USA. From 850 AD to 1250 AD, Chaco Canyon advanced then declined as a major center of culture for the Ancient Pueblo Peoples. Chacoans quarried sandstone blocks and hauled timber from great distances, assembling fifteen major complexes that remained the largest buildings in North America until the 1800s. Climate change may have led to its abandonment, beginning with a 50-year drought starting in 1130. This panorama was stitched from 7 overlapping photos.
    1403NM-0169-175pan_Chetro-Ketl_Chaco...jpg
  • Wood dragon sculpture. Kiyomizu-dera ("Pure Water Temple") is an independent Buddhist temple in eastern Kyoto, Japan. Otowa-san Kiyomizu-dera temple is part of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities) UNESCO World Heritage site. Kiyomizu-dera was founded on the site of the Otowa Waterfall in the early Heian period, in 780 by Sakanoue no Tamuramaro. Ordered by Tokugawa Iemitsu, its present buildings were built entirely without nails in 1633.
    1810JPN-8428.jpg
  • Horyuji Temple's five-story pagoda (32 meters or 122 feet high) is the oldest wooden building existing in the world. The wood used in the center pillar of the pagoda is estimated through a dendrochronological analysis to have been felled in 594. Horyuji Temple was founded in 607 by Prince Shotoku, an early promoter of Buddhism in Japan. Horyuji is one of the country's oldest temples and contains the world's oldest surviving wooden structures. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993. Horyu-ji is in Nara Prefecture, Japan.
    1810JPN-7245.jpg
  • Chureito Pagoda, Fujiyoshida city, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. This five storied pagoda overlooks Fujiyoshida City. In clear weather it offers iconic views combined with Mount Fuji in the distance. The pagoda is part of the Arakura Sengen Shrine and was built as a peace memorial in 1963, nearly 400 steps up the mountain from the shrine's main buildings.
    1810JPN-4483.jpg
  • The Sleeping Cat Carving (Nemurineko) protects the entrance gate to the grave of Lord Tokugawa Ieyasu. Toshogu Shrine is the final resting place of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate that ruled Japan for over 250 years until 1868. Ieyasu is enshrined at Toshogu as the deity Tosho Daigongen, "Great Deity of the East Shining Light". Initially a relatively simple mausoleum, Toshogu was enlarged into the spectacular complex seen today by Ieyasu's grandson Iemitsu during the first half of the 1600s. The lavishly decorated shrine complex consists of more than a dozen buildings set in a beautiful forest. Countless wood carvings and large amounts of gold leaf were used to decorate the buildings in a way not seen elsewhere in Japan. Toshogu contains both Shinto and Buddhist elements, as was common until the Meiji Period when Shinto was deliberately separated from Buddhism. Toshogu is part of Shrines and Temples of Nikko UNESCO World Heritage site.
    1810JPN-3569.jpg
  • Erected 4600 years ago, the Callanish Standing Stones are one of the most spectacular megalithic monuments in Scotland. The main site known as "Callanish I" forms a cross with a central stone circle erected circa 2900-2600 BC. More lines of stones were added by 2000 BC (the close of the Neolithic era), and it become a focus for rituals during the Bronze Age. From 1500-1000 BC, farmers emptied the burials and ploughed the area. After from 800 BC, peat accumulated 1.5 meters deep and buried the stones until removed in 1857. Visit this spectacular ancient site near the village of Callanish (Gaelic: Calanais), on the Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides (Western Isles), Scotland, United Kingdom, Europe. This image was stitched from several overlapping photos.
    17SC2-332-34-Pano_Scotland.jpg
  • In a large painting in St Giles' Cathedral, a Scottish unicorn paired with an English lion defines the coat of arms of James VI, as the first king of Great Britain and Ireland. What's with the unicorn? Unicorns were first depicted in 2600 BC in ancient seals of the Indus Valley Civilization and were mentioned by the ancient Greeks. In Celtic mythology the unicorn symbolized purity, innocence, masculinity and power. The proud, haughty unicorn was chosen as Scotland's national animal because it would rather die than be captured, just as Scots would fight to remain sovereign and unconquered. The unicorn was first used on the Scottish royal coat of arms by William I in the 1100s, and two unicorns supported the shield until 1603. When James VI became James I of England and Ireland in 1603, he replaced one unicorn with the national animal of England, the lion, to demonstrate unity. Believed to be the strongest of all animals, wild and untamed, the mythical unicorn could only be humbled by a virgin maiden. However, Scotland's unicorn in the coat of arms is always bounded by a golden chain, often shown around its neck and body, symbolizing the power of the Scottish kings, strong enough to tame a unicorn. Today, the version of the royal coat of arms used in Scotland emphasizes Scottish elements, placing the unicorn on the left and giving it a crown, whereas the version used in England and elsewhere places the unicorn on the right and gives English elements more prominence. The Scottish version uses the motto "Nemo me impune lacessit," meaning "No one wounds (touches) me with impunity." The English version says "Dieu et mon droit," meaning "God and my right," the motto of the Monarch of the United Kingdom. St Giles' Cathedral (High Kirk of Edinburgh) is the principal place of worship of the Church of Scotland in Edinburgh.
    17SC1-4398_Scotland.jpg
  • Fountains Abbey is one of the largest and best preserved ruined Cistercian monasteries in England. Visit it near Ripon and Aldfield, in North Yorkshire, England, UK, Europe. The adjacent Studley Royal Park features striking 1700s landscaping, gardens and canal. Founded in 1132, the abbey operated for 407 years becoming one of the wealthiest monasteries in England until its dissolution in 1539 under the order of Henry VIII. Studley Royal Park including the Ruins of Fountains Abbey is honored as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The abbey is a Grade I listed building owned by the National Trust. This image was stitched from multiple overlapping photos.
    17UK2-5632-42Pano.jpg
  • Statue of St Cuthbert ("Cuthbert of Farne" 2001) by Fenwick Lawson. Holy Island of Lindisfarne, Northumberland, England, United Kingdom, Europe. Holy Island history dates from the 500s AD as an important center of Celtic Christianity under Saints Aidan of Lindisfarne, Cuthbert, Eadfrith of Lindisfarne, and Eadberht of Lindisfarne. After Viking invasions and the Norman conquest of England, a priory was reestablished. A small castle was built on Holy Island in 1550.
    17UK2-5078.jpg
  • York Minster, built over 250 years 1220-1472 AD, is one of the finest medieval buildings in Europe. Also known as St Peter's, its full name is "Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of St Peter in York," located in England, United Kingdom, Europe. York Minster is the seat of the Archbishop of York, the second-highest office of the Church of England. "Minster" refers to churches established in the Anglo-Saxon period as missionary teaching churches, and now serves as an honorific title. York was founded by the Romans as Eboracum in 71 AD. As the center of the Church in the North, York Minster has played an important role in great national affairs, such as during the Reformation and Civil War.
    17UK2-1216_England.jpg
  • Pu'ukohola Heiau National Historic Site preserves an important Hawaiian temple on the Big Island of Hawaii, USA. Built to fulfill a historic prophecy, Puukohola Heiau is one of the last sacred structures built in the Hawaiian Islands before Christian influence. Kamehameha the Great (born in North Kohala) was advised by his kahuna (priest) to build Puukohola Heiau and dedicate it to the war god Kukailimoku (Ku) to help in his efforts to unite the Hawaiian Islands. The fortress-like heiau (sacred temple of the Hawaiian religion) was built overlooking the Kohala coast between 1790 and 1791. With help from European trade ships, warships, cannon, and military experience, King Kamehameha ultimately united the warring Hawaiian Islands in 1810. At the same time that George Washington was serving as the United States' first president, Kamehameha was using Puukohola Heiau to secure his mana or spiritual power to help unify the Hawaiian people. The massive structure (224 by 100 feet surrounded by walls 16-20 feet high) was built without mortar, using water-worn lava rocks believed to have been passed hand-by-hand in a human chain all the way from Pololu Valley, some 25 miles away. These lonely rocks on a dry desert hill mark an important era in Hawaiian history, just 28 miles north of Kona International Airport. Before it was made a state of the USA in 1959, Hawaii was previously an 1810 kingdom, 1893 protectorate, 1894 republic, and 1898 territory. This image was stitched from multiple overlapping images.
    1701HAW-3651-52-Pano.jpg
  • The Moon rises over Pu'ukohola Heiau National Historic Site, which preserves an important Hawaiian temple on the Big Island of Hawaii, USA. Built to fulfill a historic prophecy, Puukohola Heiau is one of the last sacred structures built in the Hawaiian Islands before Christian influence. Kamehameha the Great (born in North Kohala) was advised by his kahuna (priest) to build Puukohola Heiau and dedicate it to the war god Kukailimoku (Ku) to help in his efforts to unite the Hawaiian Islands. The fortress-like heiau (sacred temple of the Hawaiian religion) was built overlooking the Kohala coast between 1790 and 1791. With help from European trade ships, warships, cannon, and military experience, King Kamehameha ultimately united the warring Hawaiian Islands in 1810. At the same time that George Washington was serving as the United States' first president, Kamehameha was using Puukohola Heiau to secure his mana or spiritual power to help unify the Hawaiian people. The massive structure (224 by 100 feet surrounded by walls 16-20 feet high) was built without mortar, using water-worn lava rocks believed to have been passed hand-by-hand in a human chain all the way from Pololu Valley, some 25 miles away. These lonely rocks on a dry desert hill mark an important era in Hawaiian history, just 28 miles north of Kona International Airport.
    1701HAW-3649.jpg
  • The peaceful Byodo-In Temple reflects in a pond in Valley of the Temples Memorial Park, at 47-200 Kahekili Highway, Kaneohe, on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, USA. The Byodo-In Temple ("Temple of Equality") was built in 1968 to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of the first Japanese immigrants to Hawaii. This Hawaii State Landmark is a non-practicing Buddhist temple which welcomes people of all faiths. The beautiful grounds at the foot of the Ko'olau Mountains include a large reflecting pond stocked with Japanese koi carp, meditation niches, and small waterfalls. Byodo-In Temple in O'ahu is a half-scale replica of the original Byodo-in Temple built in 1053 in Uji, Japan (a UNESCO World Heritage Site).
    1701HAW-0290.jpg
  • Stone spiral. Eagle Cap Wilderness, Wallowa–Whitman National Forest, Wallowa Mountains, Columbia Plateau, northeastern Oregon, USA. Hike 7.3 miles from Two Pan Trailhead (5600 ft) up East Lostine River to camp at popular Mirror Lake (7606 ft). Day hike to Glacier Lake via Glacier Pass (6 miles round trip, 1200 ft gain). Backpack out 8.7 miles via Carper Pass, Minam Lake and West Fork Lostine. From September 11-13, 2016 Carol and I walked 22 miles in 3 days.
    1609WAL-311.jpg
  • The town of Pontresina is in Upper Engadine, in Graubünden (Grisons) canton, Switzerland, the Alps, Europe. The Swiss valley of Engadine translates as the "garden of the En (or Inn) River" (Engadin in German, Engiadina in Romansh, Engadina in Italian).
    16SWI-9567.jpg
  • Fiesch is a municipality in the district of Goms in the canton of Valais, Switzerland. The Alps, Europe.
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  • At Meglisalp is a 1904 mountain chapel (Kapelle Maria zum Schnee, "Holy Mother Mary of the Snow"). Berggasthaus Meglisalp can only be reached on foot in the heart of the Alpstein mountain chain in the Appenzell Alps, Switzerland, Europe. This authentic mountain hostelry, owned by the same family for five generations, dates from 1897. Meglisalp is a working family dairy farm.
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  • Adlerplatz is the heart of Appenzell village, in Switzerland, Europe. Appenzell's Roman Catholic St. Maurice (or Mauritius) parish church was built 1560–84. Metzibrücke bridge crosses Sitter river. Yellow shutters mark Hotel Cafe Adler. Most of the notable buildings in Appenzell were built in the 1500s. Appenzell Innerrhoden is Switzerland's most traditional and smallest-population canton (second smallest by area). This image was stitched from multiple overlapping photos.
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  • Allerheiligen Monastery's peaceful cloister surrounds an herb garden tended since the Middle Ages. Kloster Allerheiligen (All Saints Abbey) is a former Benedictine monastery in Schaffhausen, Switzerland, Europe. Completed in Romanesque style in 1103 (the oldest building in Schaffhausen), Münster Allerheiligen cathedral includes the Museum zu Allerheiligen.
    16SWI-0648.jpg
  • Picture medallions (1508-1516) decorate the net-like pattern of the original wood ceiling in the Abbot's Lower Chambers in the David Building. The medallions refer to the Physiologus, an early Christian (100-300s AD) book that described plants, stones and animals and allegories of salvation through Christ. St. George's Abbey (Kloster Sankt Georgen) was founded around 1007 as a Benedictine monastery in Stein am Rhein village, on the banks of the Rhine at the western end of Lake Constance. The fascinating Klostermuseum is one of Switzerland's most important historic buildings from the late Middle Ages and early Renaissance, built in the 1300s to 1500s.
    16SWI-0354.jpg
  • Shadowy door. St. George's Abbey (Kloster Sankt Georgen) was founded around 1007 as a Benedictine monastery in Stein am Rhein village, on the banks of the Rhine at the western end of Lake Constance. The fascinating Klostermuseum is one of Switzerland's most important historic buildings from the late Middle Ages and early Renaissance, built in the 1300s to 1500s.
    16SWI-0320.jpg
  • Sundial. St. George's Abbey (Kloster Sankt Georgen) was founded around 1007 as a Benedictine monastery in Stein am Rhein village, on the banks of the Rhine at the western end of Lake Constance. The fascinating Klostermuseum is one of Switzerland's most important historic buildings from the late Middle Ages and early Renaissance, built in the 1300s to 1500s.
    16SWI-0313.jpg
  • Sundial. St. George's Abbey (Kloster Sankt Georgen) was founded around 1007 as a Benedictine monastery in Stein am Rhein village, on the banks of the Rhine at the western end of Lake Constance. The fascinating Klostermuseum is one of Switzerland's most important historic buildings from the late Middle Ages and early Renaissance, built in the 1300s to 1500s.
    16SWI-0311.jpg
  • St. George's Abbey (Kloster Sankt Georgen) was founded around 1007 as a Benedictine monastery in Stein am Rhein village, on the banks of the Rhine at the western end of Lake Constance. The fascinating Klostermuseum is one of Switzerland's most important historic buildings from the late Middle Ages and early Renaissance, built in the 1300s to 1500s.
    16SWI-0304.jpg
  • Cloister. St. George's Abbey (Kloster Sankt Georgen) was founded around 1007 as a Benedictine monastery in Stein am Rhein village, on the banks of the Rhine at the western end of Lake Constance. The fascinating Klostermuseum is one of Switzerland's most important historic buildings from the late Middle Ages and early Renaissance, built in the 1300s to 1500s.
    16SWI-0283.jpg
  • Heddal stave church (stavkirke) is Norway's largest stave church. This triple nave stave church (which some call "a Gothic cathedral in wood") was built in the early 1200s and restored in 1849-1851 and the 1950s. Heddal stavkirke is in Notodden municipality, Telemark County, Norway. This image is a panorama stitched from 6 overlapping photos.
    11NOR-1687-88pan_Heddal-Stave-Church.jpg
  • The Salmon Wheel (1996) was the signature carved piece of artist Roger Purdue (1938 - 2014), a registered member of the Tsimshian tribe. The wood design features the five salmon species native to the Pacific Coast arranged on a spindle whorl in the artistic style of Pacific Northwest Native Americans. Purdue's mother Huldah was half Coastal Native, a member of the Tsimshian Tribe, from the Ketchikan area, Alaska. Photographed at a 2015 exhibit in Island County Historical Museum, 908 NW Alexander St, Coupeville, Whidbey Island, Washingotn, USA.
    1505WHI-185_Salmon-Wheel_Purdue.jpg
  • Saint Joseph's Church was dedicated in 1871 on East Commerce Street, in San Antonio, Texas, USA. The San Antonio River Walk (Paseo del Río) is a network of pedestrian walkways along the banks of the San Antonio River, one story beneath the streets of Downtown San Antonio, Texas, USA. The River Walk connects from the Alamo to Rivercenter Mall.
    1403TX-054_San-Antonio_Texas.jpg
  • Rays of setting sun backlight the Parish Church of St. Nicholas (Nikolauskirche; dedicated to San Nicolò; consecrated in 1507), in Winnebach (Prato Drava) village, Sesto Dolomites, South Tyrol, Italy, Europe. For cheaper lodging in Val Pusteria (Pustertal), try Winnebach (Prato alla Drava) village near the Austrian border, beneath the Sexten/Sesto Dolomites (Italian: Dolomiti di Sesto; German: Sextener Dolomiten), in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol (South Tyrol), Italy. Winnebach (Prato Drava) is in the comune (municipality) of Innichen/San Candido. The Dolomites are part of the Southern Limestone Alps, in Europe. UNESCO honored the Dolomites as a natural World Heritage Site in 2009.
    13ITA-30313_Winnebach_Prato-Drava_Pu...jpg
  • Madonna dell'Orto church was erected by the now-defunct Humiliati religious order in the mid 1300s in the sestiere of Cannaregio, Venice, in Italy, Europe. The brickwork bell tower was finished in 1503 with an onion dome in Eastern style, topped by a white marble statue of the Redeemer. The photo is taken from a hotel room in Antica Raffineria (www.anticaraffineria.it). Venice (Venezia) is the capital of Italy's Veneto region, named for the ancient Veneti people from the 900s BC. The romantic "City of Canals" stretches across 100+ small islands in the marshy Venetian Lagoon along the Adriatic Sea in northeast Italy. The Republic of Venice was a major maritime power during the Middle Ages and Renaissance, a staging area for the Crusades, and a major center of art and commerce (silk, grain and spice trade) from the 1200s to 1600s. The wealthy legacy of Venice stands today in a rich architecture combining Gothic, Byzantine, and Arab styles.
    13ITA-10077_Venice-Italy.jpg
  • The medieval Bled Castle (Slovene: Blejski grad, German: Burg Veldes) was built a little before 1011 AD on a cliff above Lake Bled, above the city of Bled, in what is now Slovenia, Europe. Bled Castle’s chapel was built in the 1500s and renovated around 1700 with illusionist frescoes. This panorama was stitched from 3 overlapping photos.
    13SLO-1310-12pan_Bled-Castle-Sloveni...jpg
  • Church of La Compania is built on Inca stone foundations in Plaza de Armas, the central square of Cuzco (Cusco or Qosqo), in Peru, South America. Cuzco was the site of the historic capital of the Inca Empire from the 1200s to 1532 and was honored on the World Heritage List in 1983 by UNESCO. Francisco Pizarro officially founded Spanish Cuzco in 1534. Cuzco is the longest continuously occupied city in the Americas and is built upon the foundations of the Incas at 3400 meters or 11,200 feet elevation.
    03PER-04-06-Cuzco-Church-of-La-Compa...jpg
  • St. Peter and Paul Catholic church in Bürglen, Uri, Switzerland, Europe. Swiss Via Alpina (National Route 1), Day 4: From Hotel Klausenpass, we hiked to Unterschachen (6.25 miles, 115 feet up, 3070 ft down). From Unterschachen, we rode the Postbus to Bürglen, where we walked from the William Tell Museum to Hotel Höfli in Altdorf (1.1 miles, 280 ft down).
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  • St. Peter and Paul Catholic church in Bürglen, Uri, Switzerland, Europe. Swiss Via Alpina (National Route 1), Day 4: From Hotel Klausenpass, we hiked to Unterschachen (6.25 miles, 115 feet up, 3070 ft down). From Unterschachen, we rode the Postbus to Bürglen, where we walked from the William Tell Museum to Hotel Höfli in Altdorf (1.1 miles, 280 ft down).
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  • Church in Mels, Switzerland, Europe.
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  • Notre Dame de la Gorge church in Les Contamines-Montjoie village, the Alps, France, Europe. Tour du Mont Blanc (TMB) trek Day 2: hike from Les Contamines-Montjoie via Col du Bonhomme to Les Chambres du Soleil in Les Chapieux hamlet, in Bourg-Saint-Maurice commune, France (11.4 miles with 4200 feet ascent, 3000 ft descent).
    22ALP-02804.jpg
  • TMB trek Day 1: Les Contamines-Montjoie village, France, Europe. Tour du Mont Blanc (TMB) trek Day 1: after taking a bus from Chamonix to Les Houches and riding the Téléphérique de Bellevue, we hiked via Col du Tricot to Hotel La Chemenaz in Les Contamines-Montjoie village (8 miles, 2100 feet ascent, 4000 ft descent).
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  • Sunset light backlights a flower at the National Shrine of St. Therese, 22 miles north of downtown Juneau, in Tongass National Forest, Alaska, USA. A stone causeway from shore reaches this natural-stone chapel nestled amid a tranquil wooded island. This ministry of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Juneau is dedicated to St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the patron saint of Alaska, missionaries, and the Diocese of Juneau. She wrote that what really mattered in life was not our great deeds, but our great love. This image was stitched from multiple overlapping photos.
    1906AKH-3907-14-Pano-Edit.jpg
  • National Shrine of St. Therese, 22 miles north of downtown Juneau, in Tongass National Forest, Alaska, USA. A stone causeway from shore reaches this natural-stone chapel nestled amid a tranquil wooded island. This ministry of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Juneau is dedicated to St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the patron saint of Alaska, missionaries, and the Diocese of Juneau. She wrote that what really mattered in life was not our great deeds, but our great love. This image was stitched from multiple overlapping photos.
    1906AKH-3892-p1-Pano.jpg
  • 1882 St. Paul's Anglican (Episcopal) Church, in Kitwanga or Gitwangak (or Gitwangax, "people of the place of rabbits" in the Gitxsan language), in British Columbia, Canada. Kitwanga is at the southern end of the scenic Stewart–Cassiar Highway (Highway 37, aka Dease Lake Highway or Stikine Highway, the northwesternmost highway in BC), just 4 km north of the Yellowhead Highway (Hwy 16). A long-standing village before contact, Kitwanga is within Gitwangak Indian Reserve No. 1.
    1906AKH-0772.jpg
  • 1882 St. Paul's Anglican (Episcopal) Church, in Kitwanga or Gitwangak (or Gitwangax, "people of the place of rabbits" in the Gitxsan language), in British Columbia, Canada. Kitwanga is at the southern end of the scenic Stewart–Cassiar Highway (Highway 37, aka Dease Lake Highway or Stikine Highway, the northwesternmost highway in BC), just 4 km north of the Yellowhead Highway (Hwy 16). A long-standing village before contact, Kitwanga is within Gitwangak Indian Reserve No. 1.
    1906AKH-0762.jpg
  • 1882 St. Paul's Anglican (Episcopal) Church, in Kitwanga or Gitwangak (or Gitwangax, "people of the place of rabbits" in the Gitxsan language), in British Columbia, Canada. Kitwanga is at the southern end of the scenic Stewart–Cassiar Highway (Highway 37, aka Dease Lake Highway or Stikine Highway, the northwesternmost highway in BC), just 4 km north of the Yellowhead Highway (Hwy 16). A long-standing village before contact, Kitwanga is within Gitwangak Indian Reserve No. 1.
    1906AKH-0764.jpg
  • The Church of St Saviour is an Anglican Church of Canada erected in 1869 and preserved in Barkerville Historic Town & Park, British Columbia, Canada. Historically the main town of the Cariboo Gold Rush, Barkerville is now the largest living-history museum in Western North America. The town was named after Billy Barker from Cambridgeshire, England, who struck gold here in 1861, and his claim became the richest and the most famous. This National Historic Site nestles in the Cariboo Mountains at elevation 1200m (4000ft), at the end of BC Highway 26, 80 kilometres (50 mi) east of Quesnel. Gold here was first discovered at Hills Bar in 1858, followed by other strikes in 1859 and 1860. Wide publication of these discoveries in 1861 began the Cariboo Gold Rush, which reached full swing by 1865 following strikes along Williams Creek. This image was stitched from multiple overlapping photos.
    1906AKH-0571-p1-Pano.jpg
  • An overview of Barkerville Historic Town & Park, British Columbia, Canada. The Church of St Saviour is an Anglican Church of Canada erected in 1869. Historically the main town of the Cariboo Gold Rush, Barkerville is now the largest living-history museum in Western North America. The town was named after Billy Barker from Cambridgeshire, England, who struck gold here in 1861, and his claim became the richest and the most famous. This National Historic Site nestles in the Cariboo Mountains at elevation 1200m (4000ft), at the end of BC Highway 26, 80 kilometres (50 mi) east of Quesnel. Gold here was first discovered at Hills Bar in 1858, followed by other strikes in 1859 and 1860. Wide publication of these discoveries in 1861 began the Cariboo Gold Rush, which reached full swing by 1865 following strikes along Williams Creek. This image was stitched from multiple overlapping photos.
    1906AKH-0268-p1-Pano.jpg
  • Russell lupin flowers bloom at the Church of the Good Shepherd, which was built in 1935 at Lake Tekapo, in the Canterbury region, South Island, New Zealand. These nonnative Russell lupin flowers were blooming in early January 2019. The plant's widespread diaspora began with David Douglas bringing the herbaceous lupine (Lupinus polyphyllus) from North America to Britain in the 1820s. In the early 1900s, George Russell, a horticulturist from York, UK, spent two decades breeding the Russell hybrids (Lupinus X russellii hort). First naturalized to New Zealand by local farmers wanting to beautify their landscape in the 1950s, Russell lupins have invaded large areas of roadsides, pastures, and riverbeds. This alien plant most threatens indigenous species in the braided river beds of Canterbury region. Russell lupin is classed as an invasive species in New Zealand, Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, Argentina, the Czech Republic, Finland, Lithuania, and Ukraine.
    1901NZ1-0309.jpg
  • Two women in kimonos consult smartphones under the three-storied Koyasu Pagoda which is lit at night. Kiyomizu-dera ("Pure Water Temple") is an independent Buddhist temple in eastern Kyoto, Japan. Otowa-san Kiyomizu-dera temple is part of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities) UNESCO World Heritage site. Kiyomizu-dera was founded on the site of the Otowa Waterfall in the early Heian period, in 780 by Sakanoue no Tamuramaro. Ordered by Tokugawa Iemitsu, its present buildings were built entirely without nails in 1633.
    1810JPN-8589.jpg
  • Three-storied Koyasu Pagoda. Kiyomizu-dera ("Pure Water Temple") is an independent Buddhist temple in eastern Kyoto, Japan. Otowa-san Kiyomizu-dera temple is part of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities) UNESCO World Heritage site. Kiyomizu-dera was founded on the site of the Otowa Waterfall in the early Heian period, in 780 by Sakanoue no Tamuramaro. Ordered by Tokugawa Iemitsu, its present buildings were built entirely without nails in 1633.
    1810JPN-8529.jpg
  • Three-storied Koyasu Pagoda. Kiyomizu-dera ("Pure Water Temple") is an independent Buddhist temple in eastern Kyoto, Japan. Otowa-san Kiyomizu-dera temple is part of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities) UNESCO World Heritage site. Kiyomizu-dera was founded on the site of the Otowa Waterfall in the early Heian period, in 780 by Sakanoue no Tamuramaro. Ordered by Tokugawa Iemitsu, its present buildings were built entirely without nails in 1633.
    1810JPN-8518.jpg
  • Three-storied Koyasu Pagoda and an array of wooden ema ("picture-horse") prayer plaques. Kiyomizu-dera ("Pure Water Temple") is an independent Buddhist temple in eastern Kyoto, Japan. Otowa-san Kiyomizu-dera temple is part of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities) UNESCO World Heritage site. Kiyomizu-dera was founded on the site of the Otowa Waterfall in the early Heian period, in 780 by Sakanoue no Tamuramaro. Ordered by Tokugawa Iemitsu, its present buildings were built entirely without nails in 1633. Ema ("picture-horse") are small wooden plaques, common to Japan, in which Shinto and Buddhist worshippers write prayers or wishes. The ema are left hanging up at the shrine, where the kami (spirits or gods) are believed to receive them. They often carry images or are shaped like animals, or symbols from the zodiac, Shinto, or the particular shrine or temple. In ancient times people would donate horses to the shrines for good favor; over time this was transferred to a wooden plaque with a picture of a horse. Once inscribed with a wish, Ema are hung at the shrine until they are ritually burned at special events, symbolic of the liberation of the wish from the writer.
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  • In Japan, Buddhist statues of Jizo (or respectfully Ojizo-sama) can sometimes be seen wearing tiny children's clothing or red bibs, or with toys, placed by grieving parents to protect their lost ones. Ojizo-sama is one of the most loved of Japanese divinities. His features are commonly made more baby-like to resemble the children he protects. His statues are a common sight along roadsides and graveyards. Traditionally, he is seen as the guardian of children, and in particular, children who died before their parents. Jizo has been worshipped as the guardian of the souls of mizuko, the souls of stillborn, miscarried or aborted fetuses ("water children"). Jizo is a Japanese version of Ksitigarbha (Sanskrit for "Earth Treasury", "Earth Store", "Earth Matrix" or "Earth Womb"), a bodhisattva revered in East Asian Buddhism. Ksitigarbha is usually depicted as a Buddhist monk with a halo around his shaved head. He carriesa staff to force open the gates of hell and a wish-fulfilling jewel to light up the darkness. Kiyomizu-dera ("Pure Water Temple") is an independent Buddhist temple in eastern Kyoto, Japan. Otowa-san Kiyomizu-dera temple is part of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities) UNESCO World Heritage site. Kiyomizu-dera was founded on the site of the Otowa Waterfall in the early Heian period, in 780 by Sakanoue no Tamuramaro. Ordered by Tokugawa Iemitsu, its present buildings were built entirely without nails in 1633.
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  • Three-storied Koyasu Pagoda. Kiyomizu-dera ("Pure Water Temple") is an independent Buddhist temple in eastern Kyoto, Japan. Otowa-san Kiyomizu-dera temple is part of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities) UNESCO World Heritage site. Kiyomizu-dera was founded on the site of the Otowa Waterfall in the early Heian period, in 780 by Sakanoue no Tamuramaro. Ordered by Tokugawa Iemitsu, its present buildings were built entirely without nails in 1633.
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  • Fall foliage colors reflect in Hojo Pond at Eikando (formally known as Zenrinji Temple), in Kyoto, Japan. Eikando belongs to the Jodo sect of Japanese Buddhism. It is found just north of the large temple complex of Nanzenji. A court noble of the Heian Period (710-1185) donated his villa to a priest, who converted it into a temple named Zenrinji ("temple in a calm grove"). At its founding, Zenrinji was part of the Shingon sect. In the 11th century, Zenrinji had a popular head priest named Eikan, after whom the temple is popularly named Eikando ("Eikan Hall").
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  • Fall foliage colors reflect in Hojo Pond at Eikando (formally known as Zenrinji Temple), in Kyoto, Japan. Eikando belongs to the Jodo sect of Japanese Buddhism. It is found just north of the large temple complex of Nanzenji. A court noble of the Heian Period (710-1185) donated his villa to a priest, who converted it into a temple named Zenrinji ("temple in a calm grove"). At its founding, Zenrinji was part of the Shingon sect. In the 11th century, Zenrinji had a popular head priest named Eikan, after whom the temple is popularly named Eikando ("Eikan Hall").
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  • Fall foliage colors reflect in Hojo Pond at Eikando (formally known as Zenrinji Temple), in Kyoto, Japan. Eikando belongs to the Jodo sect of Japanese Buddhism. It is found just north of the large temple complex of Nanzenji. A court noble of the Heian Period (710-1185) donated his villa to a priest, who converted it into a temple named Zenrinji ("temple in a calm grove"). At its founding, Zenrinji was part of the Shingon sect. In the 11th century, Zenrinji had a popular head priest named Eikan, after whom the temple is popularly named Eikando ("Eikan Hall").
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  • Fall foliage colors at Ginkaku-ji ("Temple of the Silver Pavilion"), officially named Jisho-ji ("Temple of Shining Mercy"). Ginkaku-ji is a Zen temple along Kyoto's eastern mountains (Higashiyama), in Japan. Despite its name, Silver Pavilion was never covered in silver, though silvery moon light reflecting off its former black lacquer may explain its name. In 1482, shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa built his retirement villa on the grounds of today's temple, modeling it after Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion), his grandfather's retirement villa at the base of Kyoto's northern mountains (Kitayama). The villa was converted into a Zen temple after Yoshimasa's death in 1490.
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  • Fall foliage colors at Ginkaku-ji ("Temple of the Silver Pavilion"), officially named Jisho-ji ("Temple of Shining Mercy"). Ginkaku-ji is a Zen temple along Kyoto's eastern mountains (Higashiyama), in Japan. Despite its name, Silver Pavilion was never covered in silver, though silvery moon light reflecting off its former black lacquer may explain its name. In 1482, shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa built his retirement villa on the grounds of today's temple, modeling it after Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion), his grandfather's retirement villa at the base of Kyoto's northern mountains (Kitayama). The villa was converted into a Zen temple after Yoshimasa's death in 1490. This image was stitched from multiple overlapping photos.
    1810JPN-8315-p1-Pano.jpg
  • Fall foliage colors at Ginkaku-ji ("Temple of the Silver Pavilion"), officially named Jisho-ji ("Temple of Shining Mercy"). Ginkaku-ji is a Zen temple along Kyoto's eastern mountains (Higashiyama), in Japan. Despite its name, Silver Pavilion was never covered in silver, though silvery moon light reflecting off its former black lacquer may explain its name. In 1482, shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa built his retirement villa on the grounds of today's temple, modeling it after Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion), his grandfather's retirement villa at the base of Kyoto's northern mountains (Kitayama). The villa was converted into a Zen temple after Yoshimasa's death in 1490.
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  • Fall foliage colors at Ginkaku-ji ("Temple of the Silver Pavilion"), officially named Jisho-ji ("Temple of Shining Mercy"). Ginkaku-ji is a Zen temple along Kyoto's eastern mountains (Higashiyama), in Japan. Despite its name, Silver Pavilion was never covered in silver, though silvery moon light reflecting off its former black lacquer may explain its name. In 1482, shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa built his retirement villa on the grounds of today's temple, modeling it after Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion), his grandfather's retirement villa at the base of Kyoto's northern mountains (Kitayama). The villa was converted into a Zen temple after Yoshimasa's death in 1490.
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  • Kimono-clad visitors at Fushimi Inari Taisha, Shinto shrine gate, Kyoto, Japan. Fushimi Inari Taisha is an important Shinto shrine in southern Kyoto, Japan. Bright vermilion Senbon Torii ("thousands of torii gates") straddle a network of trails behind its main buildings. The trails lead into the wooded forest of the sacred Mount Inari (233 meters). Fushimi Inari is the most important of several thousands of shrines dedicated to Inari, the Shinto god of rice. Foxes are thought to be Inari's messengers, honored in many statues. The shrine predates the capital's move to Kyoto in 794. The torii gates are donated by individuals and companies, as inscribed on the back of each gate. Prices for small to large gates run from 400,000 to over one million yen.
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  • At Fushimi Inari Taisha, a big Shinto shrine, thousands of vermilion Torii gates straddle trails, in Kyoto, Japan. Bright vermilion Senbon Torii ("thousands of torii gates") straddle a network of trails behind its main buildings. The trails lead into the wooded forest of the sacred Mount Inari (233 meters). Fushimi Inari is the most important of several thousands of shrines dedicated to Inari, the Shinto god of rice. Foxes are thought to be Inari's messengers, honored in many statues. The shrine predates the capital's move to Kyoto in 794. The torii gates are donated by individuals and companies, as inscribed on the back of each gate. Prices for small to large gates run from 400,000 to over one million yen.
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  • Kondo (Main Hall) at Horyuji Temple, Nara Prefecture, Japan. Horyu-ji Temple was founded in 607 by Prince Shotoku, an early promoter of Buddhism in Japan. The Kondo (Main Hall) was rebuilt in 1954 after a 1949 fire destroyed 80-85% of its wood. Horyuji Temple was founded in 607 by Prince Shotoku, an early promoter of Buddhism in Japan. Horyuji is one of the country's oldest temples and contains the world's oldest surviving wooden structures. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993.
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  • Horyuji Temple was founded in 607 by Prince Shotoku, an early promoter of Buddhism in Japan. Horyuji is one of the country's oldest temples and contains the world's oldest surviving wooden structures. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993. Horyu-ji is in Nara Prefecture, Japan.
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  • Dragon carving on the Kondo building, which was rebuilt in 1954 after a 1949 fire destroyed 80-85% of its wood. Horyuji Temple was founded in 607 by Prince Shotoku, an early promoter of Buddhism in Japan. Horyuji Temple was founded in 607 by Prince Shotoku, an early promoter of Buddhism in Japan. Horyuji is one of the country's oldest temples and contains the world's oldest surviving wooden structures. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993. Horyu-ji is in Nara Prefecture, Japan.
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  • Kondo (Main Hall). 5-story pagoda, world's oldest wooden building. Horyuji Temple, Nara Prefecture, Japan. Horyu-ji Temple was founded in 607 by Prince Shotoku, an early promoter of Buddhism in Japan. In the foreground is the Kondo (Main Hall), rebuilt in 1954 after a 1949 fire destroyed 80-85% of its wood. Horyuji Temple's five-story pagoda (32 meters or 122 feet high, seen in background) is the oldest wooden building existing in the world. The wood used in the center pillar of the pagoda is estimated through a dendrochronological analysis to have been felled in 594. Horyuji Temple was founded in 607 by Prince Shotoku, an early promoter of Buddhism in Japan. Horyuji is one of the country's oldest temples and contains the world's oldest surviving wooden structures. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993.
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  • Horyuji Temple's five-story pagoda (32 meters or 122 feet high) is the world's oldest wooden building. Nara Prefecture, Japan. The wood used in the center pillar of the pagoda is estimated through a dendrochronological analysis to have been felled in 594. At left is the Kondo (Main Hall), which was rebuilt in 1954 after a 1949 fire destroyed 80-85% of its wood. Horyu-ji Temple was founded in 607 by Prince Shotoku, an early promoter of Buddhism in Japan. Horyuji is one of Japan's oldest temples and contains the world's oldest surviving wooden structures. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993. This image was stitched from multiple overlapping photos.
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  • Sun bursts through fall foliage colors by a red Japanese lantern.   Kurama-dera, Buddhist temple, Kurama, Kyoto-fu, Japan. Kurama-dera is a peaceful Buddhist temple along the steep wooded mountainside above the rural town of Kurama, in the northern mountains of Kyoto City (Kyoto-fu). A cablecar takes you halfway up the mountain.  In September 2018, a typhoon snapped trees and extensively damaged the grounds of Kurama Temple. During our visit in November, the cablecar was required to reach walking trails to the main hall; and the steep 1-hour hiking trail between Kurama and Kibune was closed until further notice.
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  • Red Japanese lanterns line steps up to Kurama-dera. Kurama-dera is a peaceful Buddhist temple along the steep wooded mountainside above the rural town of Kurama, in the northern mountains of Kyoto City (Kyoto-fu), Japan. A cablecar takes you halfway up the mountain.  In September 2018, a typhoon snapped trees and extensively damaged the grounds of Kurama Temple. During our visit in November, the cablecar was required to reach walking trails to the main hall; and the steep 1-hour hiking trail between Kurama and Kibune was closed until further notice.
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  • Kyoto Imperial Palace (Kyoto Gosho) was the residence of Japan's Imperial Family until 1868, when the emperor and capital were moved from Kyoto to Tokyo. Kyoto Gosho is within spacious Kyoto Imperial Park (Kyoto Gyoen National Garden) which also encompasses Sento Imperial Palace. The current Imperial Palace was reconstructed in 1855 after it had burnt down and moved around town repeatedly over the centuries. The complex is enclosed by long walls and has several gates, halls and gardens. The enthronement ceremonies of Emperors Taisho and Showa were held in the palace's main hall. Tokyo Imperial Palace is now used for enthronement ceremonies. The palace grounds (but not the buildings) can now be entered and explored without joining a tour and without any prior arrangements.
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  • A wall reflects in the moat around Nijo Castle (Nijo-jo) in Kyoto, Japan. Nijo Castle (Nijo-jo) was built in 1603 as the Kyoto residence of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the Edo Period (1603-1867). His grandson Iemitsu completed the castle's palace buildings 23 years later and further expanded the castle by adding a five-story castle keep. After the Tokugawa Shogunate fell in 1867, Nijo Castle was used as an imperial palace for a while before being donated to the city and opened to the public as a historic site. Its palace buildings are some of the best surviving examples of castle palace architecture of Japan's feudal era, and the castle was designated a UNESCO world heritage site in 1994.
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  • Stone steps & walls. Nijo Castle (Nijo-jo) was built in 1603 as the Kyoto residence of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the Edo Period (1603-1867). His grandson Iemitsu completed the castle's palace buildings 23 years later and further expanded the castle by adding a five-story castle keep. After the Tokugawa Shogunate fell in 1867, Nijo Castle was used as an imperial palace for a while before being donated to the city and opened to the public as a historic site. Its palace buildings are some of the best surviving examples of castle palace architecture of Japan's feudal era, and the castle was designated a UNESCO world heritage site in 1994.
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  • Japanese pond. Nijo Castle (Nijo-jo) was built in 1603 as the Kyoto residence of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the Edo Period (1603-1867). His grandson Iemitsu completed the castle's palace buildings 23 years later and further expanded the castle by adding a five-story castle keep. After the Tokugawa Shogunate fell in 1867, Nijo Castle was used as an imperial palace for a while before being donated to the city and opened to the public as a historic site. Its palace buildings are some of the best surviving examples of castle palace architecture of Japan's feudal era, and the castle was designated a UNESCO world heritage site in 1994. This image was stitched from multiple overlapping photos.
    1810JPN-6665-p1-Pano.jpg
  • Moat. Nijo Castle (Nijo-jo) was built in 1603 as the Kyoto residence of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the Edo Period (1603-1867). His grandson Iemitsu completed the castle's palace buildings 23 years later and further expanded the castle by adding a five-story castle keep. After the Tokugawa Shogunate fell in 1867, Nijo Castle was used as an imperial palace for a while before being donated to the city and opened to the public as a historic site. Its palace buildings are some of the best surviving examples of castle palace architecture of Japan's feudal era, and the castle was designated a UNESCO world heritage site in 1994.
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  • Nijo Castle (Nijo-jo) was built in 1603 as the Kyoto residence of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the Edo Period (1603-1867). His grandson Iemitsu completed the castle's palace buildings 23 years later and further expanded the castle by adding a five-story castle keep. After the Tokugawa Shogunate fell in 1867, Nijo Castle was used as an imperial palace for a while before being donated to the city and opened to the public as a historic site. Its palace buildings are some of the best surviving examples of castle palace architecture of Japan's feudal era, and the castle was designated a UNESCO world heritage site in 1994.
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  • Nijo Castle (Nijo-jo) was built in 1603 as the Kyoto residence of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the Edo Period (1603-1867). His grandson Iemitsu completed the castle's palace buildings 23 years later and further expanded the castle by adding a five-story castle keep. After the Tokugawa Shogunate fell in 1867, Nijo Castle was used as an imperial palace for a while before being donated to the city and opened to the public as a historic site. Its palace buildings are some of the best surviving examples of castle palace architecture of Japan's feudal era, and the castle was designated a UNESCO world heritage site in 1994.
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  • Ornate bird carving. Nijo Castle (Nijo-jo) was built in 1603 as the Kyoto residence of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the Edo Period (1603-1867). His grandson Iemitsu completed the castle's palace buildings 23 years later and further expanded the castle by adding a five-story castle keep. After the Tokugawa Shogunate fell in 1867, Nijo Castle was used as an imperial palace for a while before being donated to the city and opened to the public as a historic site. Its palace buildings are some of the best surviving examples of castle palace architecture of Japan's feudal era, and the castle was designated a UNESCO world heritage site in 1994.
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  • Entrance of Nijo Castle (Nijo-jo), built in 1603 as the Kyoto residence of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the Edo Period (1603-1867). His grandson Iemitsu completed the castle's palace buildings 23 years later and further expanded the castle by adding a five-story castle keep. After the Tokugawa Shogunate fell in 1867, Nijo Castle was used as an imperial palace for a while before being donated to the city and opened to the public as a historic site. Its palace buildings are some of the best surviving examples of castle palace architecture of Japan's feudal era, and the castle was designated a UNESCO world heritage site in 1994.
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  • Zenkyoan boar shrine in Kyoto, Japan. This image was stitched from multiple overlapping photos.
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  • Zenkyoan boar shrine in Kyoto, Japan.
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  • Zenkyoan boar shrine in Kyoto, Japan.
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  • Carved marble rock bull at Kitano Tenmangu Shrine, Kyoto, Japan. Kitano Tenmangu Shrine is dedicated to Sugawara Michizane, a scholar and politician who was unfairly exiled by his political rivals. A number of disasters were attributed to Michizane's vengeful spirit after his death in exile, and these shrines were built to appease him. Kyoto, Japan.
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  • Kitano Tenmangu Shrine is dedicated to Sugawara Michizane, a scholar and politician who was unfairly exiled by his political rivals. A number of disasters were attributed to Michizane's vengeful spirit after his death in exile, and these shrines were built to appease him. Kyoto, Japan. The decorative white round empty liquor barrels at Japanese shrines are kazaridaru, shrine offerings from Japan's nihonshu makers. In Japanese, the word sake ("liquor", also pronounced shu) can refer to any alcoholic drink, while the beverage called "sake" in English is usually termed nihonshu ("Japanese liquor" or Japanese rice wine). In traditional Japanese culture, nihonshu is believed to connect people directly to the gods, as in Shinto ceremonies at weddings, during New Year celebrations and at many festivals. In modern times the kazaridaru are usually offered empty, with the nihonshu maker also providing one bottle of their best rice wine as part of the offering. The offering is a form of prayer for bountiful harvests of rice, and also honours the shrine’s local deity. The kanji on the decorative barrels indicate the maker's name and location.
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  • Kitano Tenmangu Shrine is dedicated to Sugawara Michizane, a scholar and politician who was unfairly exiled by his political rivals. A number of disasters were attributed to Michizane's vengeful spirit after his death in exile, and these shrines were built to appease him. Kyoto, Japan.
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  • Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion) is a Zen temple whose top two floors are covered in gold leaf, in Kyoto, Japan. Formally known as Rokuonji, the temple was the retirement villa of the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, and according to his will it became a Zen temple of the Rinzai sect after his death in 1408. Kinkakuji was the inspiration for the similarly named Ginkakuji (Silver Pavilion), built by Yoshimitsu's grandson, Ashikaga Yoshimasa, on the other side of the city a few decades later. Kinkakuji overlooks a large pond. It has burned down numerous times throughout its history including twice during the Onin War, a civil war that destroyed much of Kyoto; and once again more recently in 1950 when it was set on fire by a fanatic monk. The present structure was rebuilt in 1955. The first floor is built in the Shinden style used for palace buildings during the Heian Period. The second floor is built in the Bukke style used in samurai residences, with its exterior completely covered in gold leaf. The third and uppermost floor is built in the style of a Chinese Zen Hall, is gilded inside and out, and is capped with a golden phoenix.
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  • Seiganto-ji (Temple of the Blue Waves) is a Tendai Buddhist temple within the Kumano Sanzan shrine complex, in Nachikatsuura, on the Kii Peninsula, on the island of Honshu, Japan. Don't miss the iconic view of thundering Nachi-no-Taki waterfall (133 m, Japan's tallest) paired with Seiganto-ji pagoda. According to a legend, it was founded (near a previous nature worship site) by the priest Ragyo Shonin, a monk from India. Seiganto-ji is part of the Kumano Sanzan shrine complex and is one of the few jingu-ji still in existence after the separation of Shinto and Buddhism forced by the Japanese government during the Meiji restoration. Seiganto-ji is is stop #1 on Kansai Kannon Pilgrimage, and is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site listed as the "Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range". Access: by bus from Nachi Station (20 min) or Kii-Katsuura Station (30 min). Ask driver to stop at base of the Daimonzaka trail ("Daimonzaka" stop); or at the entrance to Nachi Waterfall ("Taki-mae"); or at the bus terminus 10 minutes climb below Nachi Shrine ("Nachi-san"). Cars can park at Seigantoji Temple. I recommend this scenic, short walk (3.5 km with 265 meters gain): starting from Daimon-zaka bus stop, ascend a stone-paved path, humbled by massive evergreens, up to the gates of Nachi Taisha shrine, descend to Seiganto-ji pagoda, then to the falls, just below Taki-mae bus stop.
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  • Seiganto-ji (Temple of the Blue Waves) is a Tendai Buddhist temple within the Kumano Sanzan shrine complex, in Nachikatsuura, on the Kii Peninsula, on the island of Honshu, Japan. Don't miss the iconic view of thundering Nachi-no-Taki waterfall (133 m, Japan's tallest) paired with Seiganto-ji pagoda. According to a legend, it was founded (near a previous nature worship site) by the priest Ragyo Shonin, a monk from India. Seiganto-ji is part of the Kumano Sanzan shrine complex and is one of the few jingu-ji still in existence after the separation of Shinto and Buddhism forced by the Japanese government during the Meiji restoration. Seiganto-ji is is stop #1 on Kansai Kannon Pilgrimage, and is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site listed as the "Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range". Access: by bus from Nachi Station (20 min) or Kii-Katsuura Station (30 min). Ask driver to stop at base of the Daimonzaka trail ("Daimonzaka" stop); or at the entrance to Nachi Waterfall ("Taki-mae"); or at the bus terminus 10 minutes climb below Nachi Shrine ("Nachi-san"). Cars can park at Seigantoji Temple. I recommend this scenic, short walk (3.5 km with 265 meters gain): starting from Daimon-zaka bus stop, ascend a stone-paved path, humbled by massive evergreens, up to the gates of Nachi Taisha shrine, descend to Seiganto-ji pagoda, then to the falls, just below Taki-mae bus stop.
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  • One of many buildings at Kumano Nachi Taisha shrine, in Nachikatsuura, Higashimuro District, Wakayama Prefecture, on the Kii Peninsula, Honshu, Japan. Kumano Nachi Taisha shrine was built in homage to Nachi-no-Taki waterfall's kami (spirit god). Don't miss the iconic view of thundering Nachi-no-Taki waterfall (133 m, Japan's tallest) paired with Seiganto-ji pagoda. Kumano Nachi Taisha shrine fuses Buddhist and Shinto influences along the 1000+ year pilgrimage routes of Kumano Kodo. For most of their history, the Buddhist Seiganto-ji and Shinto Kumano Nachi Taisha shrine functioned as one religious institution. The "Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range" form an impressive entry on UNESCO's List of World Heritage Sites. Access: by bus from Nachi Station (20 min) or Kii-Katsuura Station (30 min). Ask driver to stop at base of the Daimonzaka trail ("Daimonzaka" stop); or at the entrance to Nachi Waterfall ("Taki-mae"); or at the bus terminus 10 minutes climb below Nachi Shrine ("Nachi-san"). Cars can park at Seigantoji Temple. I recommend this remarkably scenic, short walk (3.5 km with 265 meters gain): starting from Daimon-zaka bus stop, ascend a stone-paved path, humbled by massive evergreens, up to the gates of Nachi Taisha shrine, descend to Seiganto-ji pagoda, then to the falls, just below Taki-mae bus stop.
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  • Dragons are a common motif in the fountains or chozuya provided in temples and shrines for cleansing the hands and mouths of worshipers before prayer. Kumano Nachi Taisha shrine was built in homage to Nachi-no-Taki waterfall's kami (spirit god). Don't miss the iconic view of thundering Nachi-no-Taki waterfall (133 m, Japan's tallest) paired with Seiganto-ji pagoda, in Nachikatsuura, Higashimuro District, Wakayama Prefecture, on the Kii Peninsula, Honshu, Japan. Kumano Nachi Taisha shrine fuses Buddhist and Shinto influences along the 1000+ year pilgrimage routes of Kumano Kodo. For most of their history, the Buddhist Seiganto-ji and Shinto Kumano Nachi Taisha shrine functioned as one religious institution. The "Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range" form an impressive entry on UNESCO's List of World Heritage Sites. Access: by bus from Nachi Station (20 min) or Kii-Katsuura Station (30 min). Ask driver to stop at base of the Daimonzaka trail ("Daimonzaka" stop); or at the entrance to Nachi Waterfall ("Taki-mae"); or at the bus terminus 10 minutes climb below Nachi Shrine ("Nachi-san"). Cars can park at Seigantoji Temple. I recommend this remarkably scenic, short walk (3.5 km with 265 meters gain): starting from Daimon-zaka bus stop, ascend a stone-paved path, humbled by massive evergreens, up to the gates of Nachi Taisha shrine, descend to Seiganto-ji pagoda, then to the falls, just below Taki-mae bus stop.
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  • Ancient trees on a Kumano Kodo pilgrimage route. Kumano Nachi Taisha shrine was built in homage to Nachi-no-Taki waterfall's kami (spirit god). Don't miss the iconic view of thundering Nachi-no-Taki waterfall (133m, Japan's tallest) paired with Seigantoji pagoda, in Nachikatsuura, Higashimuro District, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. Kumano Nachi Taisha shrine fuses Buddhist and Shinto influences along the 1000+ year pilgrimage routes of Kumano Kodo. The "Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range" form an impressive entry on UNESCO's List of World Heritage Sites. Access: by bus from Nachi Station (20 min) or Kii-Katsuura Station (30 min). Ask driver to stop at base of the Daimonzaka trail ("Daimonzaka" stop); or at the entrance to Nachi Waterfall ("Taki-mae"); or at the bus terminus 10 minutes climb below Nachi Shrine ("Nachi-san"). Cars can park at Seigantoji Temple. I recommend this remarkably scenic, short walk (3.5 km with 265 meters gain): starting from Daimon-zaka bus stop, ascend a stone-paved path, humbled by massive evergreens, up to the gates of Nachi Taisha shrine; then descend to the falls, at Taki-mae bus stop.
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  • Chureito Pagoda, Fujiyoshida city, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. This five storied pagoda overlooks Fujiyoshida City. In clear weather it offers iconic views combined with Mount Fuji in the distance. The pagoda is part of the Arakura Sengen Shrine and was built as a peace memorial in 1963, nearly 400 steps up the mountain from the shrine's main buildings.
    1810JPN-4523.jpg
  • Chureito Pagoda, Fujiyoshida city, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. This five storied pagoda overlooks Fujiyoshida City. In clear weather it offers iconic views combined with Mount Fuji in the distance. The pagoda is part of the Arakura Sengen Shrine and was built as a peace memorial in 1963, nearly 400 steps up the mountain from the shrine's main buildings.
    1810JPN-4465.jpg
  • See Mount Fuji (3776.24 m or 12,389 ft), the highest mountain in Japan, from Arakura Sengen Shrine in Fujiyoshida city, Yamanashi Prefecture, Honshu. This dormant stratovolcano last erupted in 1707–1708. Mount Fuji lies about 100 kilometers (60 mi) south-west of Tokyo, visible on a clear day. Its symmetrical cone is snow-capped for about 5 months a year. Mount Fuji is one of Japan's "Three Holy Mountains" (Sanreizan). UNESCO recognizes 25 sites of cultural interest nearby.
    1810JPC1-399.jpg
  • Toshogu Shrine is the final resting place of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate that ruled Japan for over 250 years until 1868. Ieyasu is enshrined at Toshogu as the deity Tosho Daigongen, "Great Deity of the East Shining Light". Initially a relatively simple mausoleum, Toshogu was enlarged into the spectacular complex seen today by Ieyasu's grandson Iemitsu during the first half of the 1600s. The lavishly decorated shrine complex consists of more than a dozen buildings set in a beautiful forest. Countless wood carvings and large amounts of gold leaf were used to decorate the buildings in a way not seen elsewhere in Japan. Toshogu contains both Shinto and Buddhist elements, as was common until the Meiji Period when Shinto was deliberately separated from Buddhism. Toshogu is part of Shrines and Temples of Nikko UNESCO World Heritage site.
    1810JPN-3734.jpg
  • Toshogu Shrine is the final resting place of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate that ruled Japan for over 250 years until 1868. Ieyasu is enshrined at Toshogu as the deity Tosho Daigongen, "Great Deity of the East Shining Light". Initially a relatively simple mausoleum, Toshogu was enlarged into the spectacular complex seen today by Ieyasu's grandson Iemitsu during the first half of the 1600s. The lavishly decorated shrine complex consists of more than a dozen buildings set in a beautiful forest. Countless wood carvings and large amounts of gold leaf were used to decorate the buildings in a way not seen elsewhere in Japan. Toshogu contains both Shinto and Buddhist elements, as was common until the Meiji Period when Shinto was deliberately separated from Buddhism. Toshogu is part of Shrines and Temples of Nikko UNESCO World Heritage site.
    1810JPN-3727.jpg
  • Toshogu Shrine is the final resting place of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate that ruled Japan for over 250 years until 1868. Ieyasu is enshrined at Toshogu as the deity Tosho Daigongen, "Great Deity of the East Shining Light". Initially a relatively simple mausoleum, Toshogu was enlarged into the spectacular complex seen today by Ieyasu's grandson Iemitsu during the first half of the 1600s. The lavishly decorated shrine complex consists of more than a dozen buildings set in a beautiful forest. Countless wood carvings and large amounts of gold leaf were used to decorate the buildings in a way not seen elsewhere in Japan. Toshogu contains both Shinto and Buddhist elements, as was common until the Meiji Period when Shinto was deliberately separated from Buddhism. Toshogu is part of Shrines and Temples of Nikko UNESCO World Heritage site.
    1810JPN-3707.jpg
  • Toshogu Shrine is the final resting place of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate that ruled Japan for over 250 years until 1868. Ieyasu is enshrined at Toshogu as the deity Tosho Daigongen, "Great Deity of the East Shining Light". Initially a relatively simple mausoleum, Toshogu was enlarged into the spectacular complex seen today by Ieyasu's grandson Iemitsu during the first half of the 1600s. The lavishly decorated shrine complex consists of more than a dozen buildings set in a beautiful forest. Countless wood carvings and large amounts of gold leaf were used to decorate the buildings in a way not seen elsewhere in Japan. Toshogu contains both Shinto and Buddhist elements, as was common until the Meiji Period when Shinto was deliberately separated from Buddhism. Toshogu is part of Shrines and Temples of Nikko UNESCO World Heritage site.
    1810JPN-3701.jpg
  • Toshogu Shrine is the final resting place of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate that ruled Japan for over 250 years until 1868. Ieyasu is enshrined at Toshogu as the deity Tosho Daigongen, "Great Deity of the East Shining Light". Initially a relatively simple mausoleum, Toshogu was enlarged into the spectacular complex seen today by Ieyasu's grandson Iemitsu during the first half of the 1600s. The lavishly decorated shrine complex consists of more than a dozen buildings set in a beautiful forest. Countless wood carvings and large amounts of gold leaf were used to decorate the buildings in a way not seen elsewhere in Japan. Toshogu contains both Shinto and Buddhist elements, as was common until the Meiji Period when Shinto was deliberately separated from Buddhism. Toshogu is part of Shrines and Temples of Nikko UNESCO World Heritage site.
    1810JPN-3684.jpg
  • Toshogu Shrine is the final resting place of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate that ruled Japan for over 250 years until 1868. Ieyasu is enshrined at Toshogu as the deity Tosho Daigongen, "Great Deity of the East Shining Light". Initially a relatively simple mausoleum, Toshogu was enlarged into the spectacular complex seen today by Ieyasu's grandson Iemitsu during the first half of the 1600s. The lavishly decorated shrine complex consists of more than a dozen buildings set in a beautiful forest. Countless wood carvings and large amounts of gold leaf were used to decorate the buildings in a way not seen elsewhere in Japan. Toshogu contains both Shinto and Buddhist elements, as was common until the Meiji Period when Shinto was deliberately separated from Buddhism. Toshogu is part of Shrines and Temples of Nikko UNESCO World Heritage site.
    1810JPN-3619.jpg
  • Carvings on Yomeimon Gate, one of Japan's most intricately decorated structures. Toshogu Shrine is the final resting place of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate that ruled Japan for over 250 years until 1868. Ieyasu is enshrined at Toshogu as the deity Tosho Daigongen, "Great Deity of the East Shining Light". Initially a relatively simple mausoleum, Toshogu was enlarged into the spectacular complex seen today by Ieyasu's grandson Iemitsu during the first half of the 1600s. The lavishly decorated shrine complex consists of more than a dozen buildings set in a beautiful forest. Countless wood carvings and large amounts of gold leaf were used to decorate the buildings in a way not seen elsewhere in Japan. Toshogu contains both Shinto and Buddhist elements, as was common until the Meiji Period when Shinto was deliberately separated from Buddhism. Toshogu is part of Shrines and Temples of Nikko UNESCO World Heritage site.
    1810JPN-3616.jpg
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