Ryouan-ji, Kyoto

Ryouan-ji (The Temple of the Dragon at Peace) is a Zen temple located in northwest Kyoto. It belongs to the Myōshin-ji school of the Rinzai branch of Zen Buddhism.  Ryōan-ji garden is considered to be one of the finest surviving examples of kare-sansui (dry landscape garden); a refined type of Japanese Zen temple garden design generally featuring distinctive larger rock formations arranged amidst a sweep of smooth pebbles raked into linear patterns to help facilitate meditation. The temple and its gardens are listed as one of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.