通天橋

About this photo

This photo shows Tsuten Bridge and the trees that fill the valley at Tofukuji in Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto. It appears in Kyoto Meishocho (Album of Famous Places in Kyoto), published by the Kyoto City Council in 1907 (Meiji 40).

When this album came out, Tofukuji had not yet rebuilt after a great fire. In December 1881, a fire that broke out by accident at night destroyed the Buddha Hall, the Dharma Hall (hatto), the principal image of Shaka, and more. Work on a main hall serving as both Buddha Hall and Dharma Hall began in 1917 and was completed in 1934. The Sanmon gate, built in 1425, escaped the fire. It is the oldest surviving main gate of a Zen temple.

The Sanmon is a National Treasure. Three bridges cross the valley in the temple grounds, Tsuten Bridge, Gaun Bridge, and Engetsu Bridge, known as the "Three Famous Bridges of Tofukuji." Another highlight is the Tsuten maple, whose leaves split into three points at the tip and which is said to have been brought from Song China.

Glossary