My visit to Kyoto the old capital of Japan Essays -

Muflah Al Qahtan: Professor: Camil Alexander English 1301 My visit to Kyoto the old capital of Japan Introduction Tourism and Traveling in General are deemed as good experiences that people seem to seek. As a person interested in Travelling that combines good scenery with history, there weren`t many destinations in mind however, my decision in the end was to visit Kyoto in Japan. Out of the various cities in Japan, Kyoto is known for its captivating scenery, historical temples, amazing illuminations and lively festivals. The old capital of japan captivates visitors by its deep history that goes back to over 1200 years when it was first established under the name of Heinan-kyo, Heinan-kyo was a political center where the Emperor, Nobles, officers and Soldiers worked. It was A natural medley of willows and cherry blossoms weave themselves into brocade, the Heian-kyo" as described in a poetic verse that describes the city at that time. While Kyoto is no longer the Capital, the architecture and the history left within the city keeps it a famous tourism destination and captivates the attention of a lot of people in the world. My visit to the amazing Temples within Kyoto During my visit to Kyoto, the ancient architecture of the temples was amazing to see, the Golden pavilion being the most captivating building of all. You get to see a gold, glided temple built near a pond surrounded by a garden full of trees. In the garden, you can see a small rainbow forming from the mini-waterfall as water streamed down to hit a bunch of slightly dangerous looking rocks. Outside the Garden and just before the exit you get to enjoy tea in a traditional Japanese area sitting on the ground surrounded by nature. Beside the amazing architecture used in the Golden Pavilion, a similarly build temple exists within the city, being modeled after the Golden Pavilion the temple got the name of The Silver Pavilion, outside the building of the Silver Pavilion a lovely garden exists where leaves fall on a slope of mossy grass and the wind creates a refreshing breeze the tickles the skin and refreshes the mind. The Silver Pavilion differs from its presider the golden Pavilion in that it`s build upon a slope and beside the mossy garden a sand garden exists where pure white sand can be seen decorating the place. Another amazing place within my trip was the pure Water Temple, the illuminations of the temple being a magnificent sight for the eyes to see. You feel dazed as you see the light dancing and illuminating on the kouyou leaves surrounding the temple, creating an astonishing harmony of colors. The trees surrounding the temple illuminating with light create a very good atmosphere for taking pictures and the sloped streets of the Higashiama district just outside the temple give off a traditional vibe, with tons of wooden shops and building to buy souvenirs and local food, a bunch of which were really delicious including Ramen, steamed buns, cotton candy and Takoyaki. The Inari shrine The Inari shrine was another important place within the Trip located on the top of a mountain, with its huge gate and innovative design the shrine is a well-known tourist destination, on the way to the shrine you get to see the Tori`s which are gates built by the people with the beliefs that a gate built in that shrine will bring prosperity to the owner`s business. Walking inside all the Gates seemed surreal and the view from halfway across the hike looked more than incredible, while the trip up does mesmerize you and you get to enjoy yourself, after a day full of walking, the trip down might be more painful than enjoyable. Gardens and Natural scenery The final and the most important place within the trip was the Arashiyama which is located in the western outskirts of Kyoto, the Arashiyamas scenery are splendid with the garden in tenryu-ji temple being the most beautiful thing you could ever see truly befitting the description given to it by The UNESCO as The most beautiful garden in the world. The Bamboo Grooves within the garden were idyllic and the magical feeling you get while walking along a path surrounded by neatly organized Bamboo sticks