Ryoanji Temple

Buddhist temples

龍安寺

Ryoanji Temple is a Zen temple located in northwest Kyoto, Japan. It belongs to the Myōshin-ji school of the Rinzai branch of Zen Buddhism. The Ryōan-ji garden is considered one of the finest surviving examples of kare-sansui, a refined type of Japanese Zen temple garden design featuring large rock formations arranged amidst smooth pebbles raked into linear patterns for meditation. Both the temple and its gardens are listed as Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto and as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.