Kanzeonji Temple

Kanzeonji (観世音寺) is a historic temple in Dazaifu, built in 746 during the Nara Period to honor an emperor's mother. It was Kyushu's most important temple when Dazaifu was the region's administrative center. Although many buildings were lost over time, the main hall, lecture hall, and bell tower still stand. The bell tower holds the oldest bell in Japan. The temple's Treasure Hall showcases impressive wooden Buddhist statues. Nearby, the Kaidanin Hall once served as a Buddhist ordination site and remains a key historical landmark.