Structures of Japan and the Americas

Throughout the history of our world there have been many different types of structures.
Structures serve many purposes, such as a dwelling place for people. People can dwell inside of a
structure because structures usually consist of walls and a roof. This keeps anyone inside of these
structures nice and dry in times of rain. There are many different types of structures throughout
history that left significant marks. Two works of architecture that appealed to me was the temple
the Phoenix Hall at the Byodo and the Castillo with Chacmool at Chichn Itz, Mexico. They are
both such beautiful pieces of architecture that I wanted to research more about it.
The Phoenix Hall at the Byodo is known to be one of the most beautiful temples of Pure
Land Buddhism. Its located southeast of Kyoto by the Uji River and was built in 1053 c. It was
known to originally be the summer retreat of dominant aristocrat which is now converted into a
temple combined with a beautiful garden. The color and intensity of light in the columns gives
the temple a sense of airiness and energy. The positive energy and light surrounding the structure
seems as if its the palace of Amida in the Western Paradise. What interested me the most about
this breathtaking structure was the artificial pond near the temple which was purposely created in
the shape of the Sanskrit letter A which represented the holy symbol for Amida.
The Castillo with Chacmool at Chichn Itz, Yucatn, Mexico is one of the visible and
massive structures at the 6 mile site. This symbolic sculpture was built from the 9th-13th century.
It stands at nine-levels in the center of the plaza with four staircases leading up to the top which
is also known to be a temple. At the base of each staircase there are feathered serpent heads
placed so that during the spring and fall when the sun rises it casts a serpent body shadow on the
staircase and castle which is known as Castillo in Spanish. There are also figures at the
structure called chacmools which were made to represent fallen warriors and were used to accept
sacrificial offerings. Another reason I chose this powerful structure was because when I went on
a family vacation at the age of 8 to Cancun, Mexico I actually visited this site so it brought back
many memories. I never had an interest in tourism and exploring until my visit to the Chichn
Itz. It was one of the most beautiful and massive sites Ive ever been to which will always be a
memorable vacation for me and my family.