Ryoan-ji Temple

At the luxury hotel in Alicante Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa we keep enjoying spring as we like it: travelling around the Asian continent. Today we want to take you to Japan to discover one of its most fantastic temples: Ryoanji Temple.

Ryoanji Temple is a Zen temple located in northwest Kyoto, close to another famous temple in Japan, Kinkakuji Temple. The temple and its gardens are listed as one of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto.

It was built as an aristocratic residence in the late 700s during Heian period, and in 1450, it was transformed into a Zen Buddhist Temple.

One of Ryoanji´s main attractions is its karesansui, which is also one of the most famous Japanese rock gardens. Both its date of construction and its designer are unknown, although it is thought it was built in the late 15th century.

This garden consists of a rectangular plot of pebbles, with 15 rocks laid out on patches of moss surrounded by white gravel and three earthen walls. It is located in front of the main building.

There are many different theories on the garden’s meaning. For many years, it was said that this Japanese rock garden represented a tiger carrying cubs across a pond. But a recent theory argues that the stones are hiding the figure of a tree. It is said that our subconscious is able to see the tree without even noticing, that´s why its so relaxing watching the garden.

Ryoanji Temple also includes a large pond, Kyoyo-chi pond, which dates back to the Heian period, and features a small shrine. The best time of the year to contemplate it is autumn.

If you are planning a relaxing getaway, our 5 stars resort in the Mediterranean Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa is your destination. Don´t hesitate to visit our Thai Spa to enjoy one of our Asian treatments or taking part in one of our activities, courtesy of the hotel, which are perfect for a relaxation session. What are you waiting for? Come see us!