Japan Kyoto Ryōan-ji

The essence of a zen garden next to a beautiful temple

Ryōan-ji, the “Temple of the Dragon at Peace” is a stunning temple in a city of beautful temples. The complex features multiple adorable zen gardens. The most famous is “karesansui” or “dry landscape rock garden” it is basically the essence of a zen garden. Built to incite meditation, it exhales a calmness rarely felt. The complexity is in the reduction. The empty spaces are not empty - they are structured and aligned with the overall temple structure.

Find a comfortable spot, take some time and let the “karesansui” work it’s magic.

Resfreshed and engerized, head to the beautiful tea house and it’s garden - a more conventional but similar jaw-dropping beautiful treasure of this UNESCO World Heritage Site.