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Ryōan Temple
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Japanese:
Ryōan-ji
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Ryōan Temple

temple, Kyōto, Japan
Also known as: Ryōan-ji
Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
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History

Ryōan Temple, Japanese Buddhist temple in Kyōto, famous for its abstract meditation garden (c. 1500). An area approximately 30 by 70 ft (10 by 20 m) is covered with raked gravel and set with 15 stones divided into five unequal groups. The pattern of the design may be interpreted as rocky islets in a sea, but the garden’s appeal lies essentially in the charm of its relationships and the arrangement of rocks such that all 15 are not visible from any single vantage point.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Kathleen Kuiper.