Arashiyama Bamboo Forest

Hozu/Oi River

Arashiyama has the distinction as being both a Historic Site and Place of Scenic Beauty. It shares its name with the mountain that creates a lovely setting to this popular destination. Sakura or cherry blossoms in the spring, the red and golden colors of autumn leaves and snow on the slopes of Arashiyama in winter enhance the beauty of the landscape through the changing seasons.

Bamboo Forest

The Bamboo Forest is one of the main attractions in Arashiyama. Walking along its trails lined with soaring bamboo stalks can be a magical experience especially when light streams through the dense bamboo foliage. These bamboos are harvested at maturity and used to make various products like boxes and utensils.

Nonomiya Shrine

The Nonomiya Shrine inside the grove is an intimate space. Surrounded by the bamboo grove, it is conducive to meditation. But only for a brief moment. It can get crowded in the forest.

Togetsu-kyo Bridge

The Hozu River flows to Arashiyama from the mountains near Kameoka northwest of Kyoto and then becomes the Oi River as it continues its journey to Arashiyama until it reaches Togetsu-kyo Bridge where it is renamed Katsura River. Confusing? You bet! This iconic bridge which is also called Moon Crossing Bridge, has been part of the local culture for 400 years. It was reconstructed in 1934 after centuries of wear and concrete columns now reinforce the bridge. Only the parapet is made of wood. Togetsukyo reminds me of the paintings and prints of bridges by Hiroshige in the mid 19th century.

Tributary of the Katsura River

To get to Arashiyama, take the Hankyu train from Osaka Umeda Station bound for Kawaramachi and transfer at Katsura Station to the local train bound for Arashiyama. Arashiyama is only 7 minutes from Katsura. The one way fare is 400 yen. From the train station in Arashiyama, walk to the river and cross the iconic Togetsu-kyo Bridge to the city center. Follow the signs to the Bamboo Forest. Schedule your visit on a weekday and either early in the morning or late afternoon to avoid the crowds. It’s difficult to enjoy a walk in the woods when the trail is full of people taking selfies. There is no entrance fee to the Bamboo Forest.

*****

Images by TravelswithCharie

The Art of Carlos Botong Francisco - Progress of Medicine in the Philippines

Pre-colonial period Pag-unlad ng Panggagamot sa Pilipinas (The Progress of Medicine in the Philippines) is a group of four large-scale paintings depicting healing practices in the Philippines from pre-colonial times to the modern period. Carlos Botong Francisco was commissioned in 1953 by Dr. Agerico Sison who was then the director of Philippine General Hospital (PGH) together with Dr. Eduardo Quisumbing of the National Museum, Dr. Florentino Herrera, Jr. and Dr. Constantino Manahan. These oil on canvas paintings measure 2.92 meters in height and 2.76 meters in width (9.71 ft x 8.92 ft) and were displayed at the main entrance hall of PGH for over five decades. Owing to its location, the artworks were in a state of "severe deterioration" at the beginning of the 21st century from exposure to heat, humidity, dirt, dust, smoke, insect stains, grime, termites and an oxidized synthetic resin used in an earlier restoration. These canvases were restored three times, the last was...

Timbulan ng Laya at Diwang Dakila

Timbulan ng Laya at Diwang Dakila, Carlos Botong Francisco, 1968, oil on canvas In 1963, Mayor Antonio Villegas wrote a report, Building a Better Manila, where he indicated in detail his accomplishments on his first year as Mayor of Manila and his vision for the future of the city. Villegas aspired for a prosperous Manila by providing its residents access to health, family and housing services, opportunities for education and employment and improved infrastructure for water and road systems. *Notice the hands at the top of the painting. These hands symbolize the protective reach of God over the city of Manila. Central Panel On either side of the seal of Manila are the former mayors of the city. At the bottom are the city’s old seals. Seal of Manila adopted in 1965 under Mayor Antonio Villegas Timbulan ng Laya (Beacon of Freedom) at Diwang Dakila (Noble Spirit) are written on the seal. A sunburst with 15 rays cast light across the canvas. Below the sun, in red, is the Baybayin let...

Masaganang Ani by Vicente Silva Manansala

Masaganang Ani (Bountiful Harvest), oil on canvas, 1962 The International Rice Institute of the Philippines (IRRI) was founded in the Philippines in 1960 by the Ford and Rockefeller foundations with the support of the Philippines government. The goal of IRRI is “to improve livelihoods, abolish poverty, hunger and malnutrition among those who depend on rice based agri-food systems”. Their headquarters is in Los Baños, Laguna. These two Manansala large scale paintings were commissioned by IRRI in 1962 to depict Filipino life, labor and leisure activities. The paintings were hung on the walls of the dining room and cafeteria at its headquarters. These weren’t ideal places to hang the canvasses because the smoke from the kitchen and the cleaning solutions used by the staff threatened the paintings. They are now on loan to the National Museum of the Philippines which declared these two masterpieces as National Cultural Treasures. In Masaganang Ani, Manansala chose themes celebrating th...

TravelswithCharie

Search This Blog