Todai-ji's Great Buddha Hall

Tōdai-ji in Nara is one of Japan’s best-known Buddhist temple complexes. Its origins lie in Kinshō-ji, founded in 728, while the Great Buddha and the original hall were built in the eighth century. The complex has burned and been rebuilt more than once: the present Great Buddha Hall was completed and dedicated in 1709. It retains a traditional wooden style but is smaller than earlier versions. Thus the current building has stood for about three centuries, not nearly thirteen.