Portal:Architecture/Selected article/2007-8

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Tōdai-ji (東大寺), the Eastern Great Temple, is a Buddhist temple in the city of Nara, Japan. Its Great Buddha Hall, reputedly the largest wooden building in the world, houses a colossal statue of the Buddha Vairocana, known in Japanese simply as the Daibutsu. The temple also serves as the Japanese headquarters of the Kegon school of Buddhism. Sika deer, regarded as messengers of the gods in the Shinto religion, roam the grounds freely.

During the Tempyō period, the population suffered from disasters and epidemics. In 743, Emperor Shōmu issued a law which stated that the people should make a Buddha to protect themselves. He believed Buddha's power could help the people. 420,000 people contributed and 2,180,000 people worked to build it. (more…)