The Central Gate
Name of Building
The Central Gate
Chumon
中門
Town or City, Country where the building was originally established
Nara, Japan
Date the building was designed and/or first built
Built: 747-752
Rebuilt: 1714 (Current)
Culturally Specific Time Period
Nara Period (710 to 794)
Geo-Location
34.68798069633401, 135.83987453407747
Materials
Painted wood, metal
Architectural Type
Religious
Formal Style
Edo Period Architecture
Building Description
A wooden 5 bay gate, like the Great South Gate, but smaller in size. The wood is painted red and white. A newer reconstruction. The gates remain close for most of the year, visitors have to use corridors to the sides of the gate to enter and exit. This southern gate serves as the main entrance into the Great Buddha Hall inner sanctuary.
Image source
Image 1: Chumon_of_Todaiji_Temple.JPG (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chumon_of_Todaiji_Temple.JPG)
Creative Commons or other copyright information
Image 1: Creative Commons
Student First and Last Name
Waldemar Barrios
Citation
“The Central Gate,” World Architecture, accessed June 28, 2026, https://worldarchitecture.artinterp2.org/items/show/186.
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