One of Kyoto's most rewarding temples sprawls across expansive grounds where massive gates, moss-covered subtemples, and a photogenic aqueduct from the Meiji era create a layered timeline of Japanese history. Climb the enormous San-mon gate for commanding views over the city, then find the Hojo's Leaping Tiger Garden — a classic Zen dry-landscape composition that rewards patient contemplation. The red-brick aqueduct, carrying Lake Biwa water through the temple grounds, is an unexpectedly beautiful collision of industrial infrastructure and sacred architecture.