Remain site of Muryou-kouin

Summary

Hidehira, the third Fujiwara lord, commissioned this Muryoukou-in Temple, and is also called Shin-Midou (new hall). It said to be modeled on the Houou-do (Phoenix Hall) of Byoudo-in Temple in Uji, and they are resembles both the facing direction and the landscapes. However,  this building is far larger than the famous predecessor in the scale of length and width. Furthermore, it has a middle island in the pond, and laid Sen (a paving tile) in front of the center hall, showing some difference form the one in Uji.
It is presumed to have the board roofing or cypress-bark roofing since there have been no discovery of any clay roof tiles.
The garden represented Gokuraku-Jodo, Amida Buddha’s Pure Land, with manifestation of Jodo-Mandara,  a diagram of Buddhist Pure Land on earth. The pond represented Houchi-e, the middle island represented a part of Sanson-e, as the ideal image of Mandara Universe.

Therefore, the pond is likened to Shichiho-ike Pond which contained Hachi-Kudokusui (water of eight good elements) in Gokuraku-Paradise, and the bridge is likened to the Kosei-Bashi Bridge which saves all good men and women according to the Buddhist teaching.
Also, Mt. Tabashine-yama is compared to Mt. Asahi-yama in Uji, and Nekogabuchi river is compared to Uji river in Kyoto, and the  earthwork is likened to Tsukiyama (artificial hill) along the river.
This garden is the representative example of Jodo-Pure Land-Garden as same as the Kanjizaio-in Garden in Motsu-ji.