Sanjusangendo Temple

Sanjusangendo Temple or Rengeo-in is a Buddhist temple in Kyoto. It is famous for its 1001 statues of Kannon, the bodhisattva of mercy - one main statue in the center and 500 human-sized statues each on both of its sides. The number of Kannon statues is said to correlate to the temple's spiritual strength, and crafting them represented a major effort to subdue human ignorance and the resultant suffering. The rows of finely crafted statues is a truly impressive sight, but picture taking inside the hall is restricted out of respect for Kannon - after all, these statues are believed to be real beings with spiritual powers.