2 min readPhoto Essays
Views: 5Stone, moss and time
Stone lanterns in mist, a Buddha slowly turning green, a temple yard under snow. An essay on how Japanese sacred places let time show on their surfaces.
#temples
1 min readJapan
Views: 0Shrines and temples in Japanese daily life
Japan has two great religious landscapes, Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples, and many people move between them without contradiction. A gallery of gates, lanterns and quiet details from that shared world.
2 min readPhoto Essays
Views: 0Temple festivals and painted faces in Taiwan
Painted faces, firecrackers, dragons on the roof. A short essay on Taiwan's temple festivals, where religion is loud, public and shared by the whole neighbourhood.
1 min readPlaces
Views: 0Temples and Buddhas of Taiwan
Giant golden statues, carved and gilded eaves and fresh flowers on the altar: the many layers of Taiwan's temple culture.
2 min readLife
Views: 1Temple festivals and the goddess of the sea
Taiwan's folk temples are loud, colourful and close to everyday life. An introduction to temple festivals, processions and Mazu, the sea goddess.
2 min readJapan
Views: 0Kōyasan: the mountain monastery town
High in the forested mountains of Wakayama, Kōyasan is a small town made largely of temples. Founded by the monk Kūkai in the early 9th century, it remains the centre of Shingon Buddhism.
1 min readPeople
Views: 0Temple festival performers in Taiwan
Painted faces and ornate headdresses at a temple festival, with the lanterns, carved roofs and offerings that surround them.
2 min readPhoto Essays
Views: 0The many Buddhas of Taiwan
Giant golden statues above the trees, carved eaves, flowers on an altar. Notes on how religion fills the landscape of Taiwan, from the monumental to the everyday.
1 min readPlaces
Views: 0Kyoto: the Golden Pavilion and Ryōan-ji
Two Zen temples in northern Kyoto, one covered in gold leaf, one known for restraint, and the moss and stone that surround them.
2 min readJapan
Views: 0Kyoto: layers of a former imperial capital
For more than a thousand years Kyoto was where Japan's emperors lived. The city today is a set of layers: a grid plan from the 8th century, temples from many eras, and an ordinary modern city in between.
3 min readTaiwan
Views: 0Tainan, the old capital
Taiwan's oldest city was its capital for more than two centuries. Today it is known for temples on almost every street, slow afternoons and food that leans a little sweet.
2 min readTravel
Views: 0Temples and shrines in Kyoto: a short guide to etiquette
Kyoto has Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines side by side, and each has its own small customs. Knowing a few of them makes a visit calmer for everyone.