11 Most Beautiful Buddhist Temples Around the World (2 of 6)

Seiganto-ji, Japan

Located in Wakayama Prefecture, this Tendai Buddhist temple is also known as the Temple of the Blue Waves. It is the first of 33 temples on the Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage route. It is said to have been founded by an Indian monk who traversed there in the Fourth Century A.D. In 2004 it was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Peace Pagoda, Sri Lanka

The Peace Pagoda is the most recently built Buddhist holy site on this list, having been built by Nipponzan Myohoji (Japanese monks who are adherents to a new Buddhist religious movement) in 2005. It is one of four such pagodas in Sri Lanka, and provides unforgettable glimpses of Galle Bay and the Indian Ocean.