Haeinsa Temple
Haeinsa, or Temple of the Reflection of the Calm Sea, is the most important Buddhist temple in Korea. It was first built in 802 and rebuilt in the 19th century after being burnt down in a fire in 1817. Fortunately, its most precious treasure, a copy of the Buddhist scriptures written on 81,258 woodblocks, survived the fire. In 1995, the scriptures were officially recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
Wat Arun
Wat Arun, also known as the Temple of Dawn, is located on the Thonburi bank of the Chao Phraya River. Wat Arun is one of the most famous and oldest landmarks in Bangkok (Thailand). The temple is a perfect representation of Mount Meru, the center of the universe in Buddhist doctrine. Wat Arun is most beautiful in the evening, when the sun gradually sets behind the temple.
Pha That Luang
Located in Vientiane, Pha That Luang (Laos Great Stupa) is one of the most important monuments in the land of a million elephants. This stupa has many floors, each level representing a Buddhist enlightenment. The lowest level is the material world, the highest level is the world of nothingness. The temple was destroyed by the Siamese invasion in 1828, then rebuilt by the French in 1931.
Jokhang
The Jokhang Temple in Lhasa is the most sacred site in Tibetan Buddhism, attracting thousands of pilgrims each year. It was built by King Songtsän Gampo in the 7th century at the height of his dynasty. The temple is a blend of Indian, Nepalese and Tang Chinese architectural styles and covers an area of 25,000 square meters. Jokhang was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000.
Todaiji Temple
Todaiji, located in Nara, is one of the most significant and famous Buddhist temples in Japan. It was built by Emperor Shomu in the 8th century as the head temple of Japan's Buddhist temples. Today, only a portion of Todaiji's original structure remains. The Daibutsuden Hall, built largely in 1709, houses the largest Buddha statue in Japan and is the largest wooden building in the world, although it is only two-thirds of its original size. Todaiji East Temple is listed by UNESCO as a "Historic Monument of the Nara Period".
Boudhanath
Located on the outskirts of Kathmandu, Nepal, Boudhanath is one of the largest stupas in the world. It is the center of Tibetan Buddhism in Nepal and many refugees from Tibet have settled here in the past few decades. The stupa is most famous for the Buddha eyes that can be seen on all four sides of the stupa. The current stupa is believed to date back to the 14th century, after the previous temple was destroyed by Mughal invaders.
Mahabodhi Temple
The Mahabodhi Temple is a Buddhist stupa in Bodh Gaya, India. The main complex contains a descendant of the original Bodhi tree under which Gautama Buddha attained enlightenment and is the holiest site in Buddhism. About 250 years after the Buddha attained enlightenment, Emperor Asoka built a temple on the spot. The present temple dates from the 5th to 6th centuries.
Shwedagon Pagoda
The golden Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon is the most sacred Buddhist temple in Burma. The origins of the Shwedagon are unclear but it is estimated that it was first built during the Bagan period, between the 6th and 10th centuries AD. The temple complex has 1,000 glittering, colorful towers but the center of attention is the main 99-meter-high tower, which is completely covered in gold. In the sunlight, the temple sparkles like a miniature sun.
Bagan Temple Complex
Bagan, located on the banks of the Ayerwaddy River, is home to a complex of Buddhist temples, stupas and ancient ruins of the world. Once the capital of many ancient dynasties of Burma, Bagan was built by the kings with many temples. During the peak of the kingdom (from 1000 to 1200 AD), the number of temples built reached about 4,400. In 1287, the kingdom fell to the Mongol Kublai Khan. Bagan was no longer the political center of Burma, but it continued to develop as a center of Buddhism in Asia. It can be said that Bagan is the sacred pride of the Myanmar people.
Borobudur
Located on the Indonesian island of Java, 40 km northwest of Yogyakarta, Borobudur is the largest and most famous Buddhist temple in the world. Borobudur was built from 2 million blocks of stone over a period of 75 years in the 8th and 9th centuries during the Sailendra kingdom. It was abandoned in the 14th century for mysterious reasons and lay hidden in the jungle under layers of volcanic ash for centuries. Borobudur was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991.
