📜 Content
The Danzhou Kannon Temple is said to have originated in the 4th year of the Yōrō era (720) when the hermit Hōdō visited the area and enshrined a Kannon statue over eight feet tall in a grass hut. Later, during the mid-Heian period, in the first year of the Engi era (961), the renowned monk Kūya, known for his dancing and chanting of the Buddha's name, built a seven-hall temple complex. It became the center of Kannon worship in the Tanba region and reached its peak. During the Kamakura period, it entered a golden age, supported by the shogun Hojo Tokiyori and Hojo Sadatoki, and developed into a temple with over 25 affiliated temples.
Hydrangeas were planted under the vow of offering countless lanterns and flowers during the opening of the secret Buddha, the "Eleven-Faced Thousand-Hand Thousand-Eye Kannon." The local climate is suitable for hydrangeas to thrive, and during the blooming season, around 100 varieties of approximately 10,000 hydrangea plants bloom in a stunning display. The soft whites, blues, and the splendid purples and pinks of the colorful hydrangeas create a scene in the temple grounds that is as beautiful as a "Pure Land" of flowers.
