The Michelin Guide's review
So much has been written about this garden that it is easy to overlook the Buddhist temple for which it was created, the Ryoan-ji, temple of the "peaceful dragon", which was founded in 1473. The rectangular garden is surrounded by three clay walls. Fifteen moss-covered rocks lie on an expanse of carefully raked white gravel in an endlessly enigmatic composition. What better way to take the first step on the path to Enlightenment?