Vahramashen Church

Name : Vahramashen Church

Location : Near the fortress of Amberd on the slopes of Mount Aragats in the Aragatsotn province of Armenia.

Description : Vahramashen Church also known as the Church of Amberd is an 11th century Armenian church. The fortress stands on a rocky cape formed by the rivers Ambert and Arkashen. Later, the fortress and its surroundings belonged to the Pahlavouni princes. The latter were a powerful family in the X century. Ambert was conquered by the Mongols in 1236 and destroyed by fire. It was never rebuilt.

Hovhannavank Monastery

Name : Hovhannavank Monastery

Location : Hovhannavank is an Armenian Apostolic Church monastery located in the village of Ohanavan in the Aragatsotn Province of Armenia. It is situated atop a steep gorge carved by the Kasagh river.

Description : The monastery's title originates from the combination of the name Hovhan (Armenian for Jonah) and the word “vank,” which in Armenian means “monastery.” The monastery was dedicated to John the Baptist, whom Armenians venerate as their patron-saint. The monastery stands on the edge of the Qasakh River Canyon, and its territory is adjacent to the village of Ohanavan.

The oldest part of the monastery is the single nave basilica of St. Karapet (i.e. Holy Forerunner, John the Baptist) that was founded at the beginning of the fourth century by St. Gregory the Enlightener, who baptized Armenia into the world’s first Christian nation. The wooden roof of the early church was replaced in 554 AD with a thatch cover, and the basilica itself underwent profound renovation between 1652 and 1734.

The centerpiece of the monastery is the Cathedral built between 1216 and 1221 through the donation of Prince Vache Vachutian. The Cathedral has a cruciform floor plan, with two story sacristies in each of the four extensions of the church. The dome has an umbrella-shaped roof, which is unique to Armenian churches.

Website : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hovhannavank_Monastery

Saghmosavank Monastery

Name : Saghmosavank Monastery

Location : It is located in the village of Saghmosavan in the Aragatsotn Province of Armenia

Description : The Saghmosavank Monastery is a 13th century Armenian monastic complex located in the village of Saghmosavan. Like the Hovhannavank Monastery which is five kilometers north, Saghmosavank is situated atop the precipitous gorge carved by the Kasagh river. Their silhouettes dominate the adjacent villages and rise sharp against the background of the mountains crowned by Mount Aragats.

The main temples of the monasteries erected by Prince Vache Vachutyan - the Church of Zion in Saghmosavank (1215) and the Church of Karapet in Hovhannavank (1216-1221) belong to the same type of cross-winged domed structure with two-floor annexes in all the corners of the building. Subcupola space predominates in the interiors of both churches, which is reflected in the exterior shapes of these structures.

Website : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saghmosavank_Monastery

Khor Virap

Name : Khor Virap

Location : Its location, near the closest point to Mount Ararat within Armenian borders, offers a spectacular view of the mountain, the national symbol of Armenia.

Description : The main church, St. Astvatsatsin, dates from the end of the 17th century. The smaller St. Gevorg Chapel was originally constructed in 642 by Catholicos Nerses III the Builder, but has been repeatedly rebuilt. St. Gevorg was built over the pit of imprisonment of Saint Gregory the Illuminator. This prison pit is where Saint Gregory the Illuminator was imprisoned for 13 years before curing King Trdat III of a disease. As reverence for Saint Gregory's act of healing and kindness, the King converted Armenia into the first officially Christian nation in the world in the year 301.

Website : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khor_Virap

Mt. Nantai San, Japan

Name : Mt. Nantai San, Japan

Location : Above beautiful lake Chuzenji and the ancient temple-studded town of Nikko is the sacred mountain of Nantai San in Japan

Description : Also known as Kurokiyama and Futaarasan, the 2484 meter peak has been a place of Shinto pilgrimage since at least the 4th century AD. Local legends tell of a powerful mountain spirit that assisted hermits and monks in spiritual realization, and by the 8th century Nantai San was a favored site for Buddhist practitioners on solitary retreats.

Besides finding the place highly conducive for the practice of meditation, people receive telepathic and visionary information which indicate that Nantai San had an energy field that would "awaken, stimulate, and amplify the capacity of human creativity".

Time to visit : The particular energy field is highly concentrated during the time of August 1-7 when many thousands of pilgrims climb the mountain from behind the Chugushi shrine.

Website : http://www.sacredsites.com/asia/japan/nantai_san.html

Guoqing Temple

Name : Guoqing Temple

Location : Tiantai Mountain, Zhejiang province, China

Significance : This mountain temple is the site where indigenous Chinese Buddhism branched away from Buddhist teachings and doctrine commonly found in India. From there, the Tiantai sect of Buddhism spread to both Korea and Japan during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). The tall brick Guoqing Pagoda built at the temple in the year 597 is still standing, making it one of the oldest surviving brick pagodas in China (after the 40 m tall Chinese Songyue Pagoda built in 523 AD).

Description : It is a Buddhist temple originally built in 598 AD during the Sui Dynasty, and renovated during the reign of the Yongzheng Emperor (r. 1722-1735 AD) of the Qing Dynasty. It is located roughly 220 km from the city of Hangzhou. It was the initial site for the creation of the Tiantai Mahayana Buddhist sect, founded by Zhiyi (538-597 AD). The temple covers a square surface area of some 23000 square m (75440 ft squared). The temple features 600 rooms in a total of 14 different halls, including the Grand Hall of Sakyamuni, the Hall of Five Hundred Arhats, the Hall of Monk Jigong, etc. The exterior of the temple features Chinese pagodas such as the Sui Pagoda, the Seven Buddha Pagoda, and the Memorial Pagoda of Monk Yi Xing (683-727 AD).