Niomon gate of Kiyomizu,dera,Kyoto,Japan

Kiyomizu-dera on the eastern hills of Kyoto is traditionally said to have been founded in 778, and in 1994 became part of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto on the World Heritage List. The Niomon gate is one of its most imposing: a two-storey irimoya-roofed gatehouse whose upturned eaves shelter paired Nio guardian statues, one mouth open and one closed. Nearby, the famous Kiyomizu Stage cantilevers over the cliff on 139 zelkova pillars joined without a single nail - together with the gate, a masterpiece of Japanese timber construction.