February 19, 2011

Subtle and Transient



One day after the snowfall,  there were many puddles near the five-story pagoda of Kofuku-ji Temple, Nara.  As the five-story pagoda was lit up, its reflection dimly appeared on some puddles. Scarcely people noticed  the subtle and trancient beauty of the reflection.

This pagoda is the symbol of Nara and the second tallest  at 50 meters in Japan.  In spite of their height, no five-story pagodas have been reported to have collapsed in earthquakes. The pagodas were built flexibly. During the earthquakes, each floor moves independently. Some shake from left to right and others shake right to left  as if the pagodas performed a snake dance. The flexibility of the pagodas help absorb and spread out the fierce energy of the earthquakes. Don't you think it is amazing  the ancient builders had already known this earthquake-suppression technology? Today's modern high-rise buildings are built based on the same technology used in the ancient pagodas!



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31 comments:

  1. wow! the first pic is fantastic! love the way you play with the lights

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  2. FA-BU-LOUS! in the first, hard to find the fence between reality and reflection! great!

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  3. Magnifique ! La tour est belle, mais le reflet est extraordinaire !

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  4. What terrific captures! I do love those night shots! Unique and very creative! Hope you have a wonderful weekend! Enjoy!

    Sylvia

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  5. Beautiful shots! I love night reflections!

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  6. Nice capture of the temporary lovely reflection.

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  7. I love the combination of light and shadow and reflection in your photo, and interesting facts too.
    Beyond the Lone Islands

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  8. Breathtaking photos of the five-story pagoda at night! When I lived in Nara, seeing the five-story pagoda was one of my favorite things! Are these puddles made after the snow thawing???
    Have a wonderful weekend.
    Yoshi

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  9. Très jolies, ces reflets dans les flaques d'eau. Bravo

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  10. Sometimes that which is fleeting and must be enjoyed in the moment stays in our hearts and minds the longest. I'm grateful for the mirrored beauty in your photo. It's so difficult to take reflective shots at night - yours are magnificent, showing both patterns of light and textures.

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  11. Hello, snowwhite.

    Beautiful scenery.
    Thank you for your visit.

    Have a good weekend.
    ruma

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  12. Great shot as usual, and this style is definitely one of yours, I've found.

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  13. Whooa ... awesome reflections. shadows and reflections look real at all.
    very great shots.
    素晴らしい。

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  14. It's true. It's amazing how smart they were the builders of antiquity and how well they did things. They are also beautiful.
    By the way, I am Mila, the wife of Jose and take care to make an entry every Friday. Sometimes I put pictures of me and sometimes not.
    A greeting from Spain.
    Manoleritina.
    Mila.

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  15. Look forward to your series of fantastic "subtle reflecions." What's next?

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  16. I'm a huge fan of night shot, but this was is really special to me ; this partial reflection of the pagode is simply amazing !

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  17. The patchwork of puddle reflections is remarkable, especially given the low light situation.

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  18. Thanks you for stopping to visit! I like your photographs of the reflections of the beautiful pagoda in the water. It is also amazing to learn how the architects of those buildings knew how to make them earthquake proof. People sometimes think we are smarter than those who have gone before. These are probably the same people who rush by and miss the beauty all around them.

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  19. great night shots and reflections too!

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  20. How excellently these images express "subtle and transcient"! Every time I encounter your photos, I gasp in amazement.
    How many times I have to say so from now.
    I truly thank you for sharing the pictures.

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  21. 雪をかぶったお寺もきっと見事なのでしょうね。奈良はいつかゆっくり散策してみたいです。

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  22. Thanks for your kind comments. This night, Blue Illumination Festival was held at Nara Park. So many people walked through Kofuku-ji Temple grounds. I had to stop and wait for a long time to catch the entire reflection. I'm very glad if you feel something in its transient image.

    Yoshi, yes, thanks to snow thawing, I could encounter this image. Me,too, the pagoda is my favorite .

    Barb, yes, very true, even though it is the
    shortest, it is the moment of happiness which
    will stay in my heart the longest. It took me more than one and half hours to take satisfactory photos.

    haricot, this is my favorite world!

    ジャスミン茶、your Japanese is lovely!

    Mila, nice to meet you!

    stardust, I have encountered subtle reflections by chance. If I'm lucky enough, there will be another subtle reflecion.

    Tsuki, I know, your name shows it. Me too!

    Leenie, I agree with you 100%!! To be humble is important.

    cosmos, thank you a lot, I was just lucky.

    Masahiko,雪に覆われた寺院の屋根は墨絵の風情があります。 今奈良は梅、桜、藤 と鮮やかな季節にはいりつつあります。

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Thanks a lot for visiting my blog and leaving warm messages. I will visit your site soon. keiko

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