Sanjūsangen-dō is a  Buddhist temple of the Tendai sect in Kyoto, Japan. Its official name Rengeō-in means 'hall of the Lotus King', in reference to the 1,001 statues of Kannon it houses.

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Kannon (Chinese: Guānyīn) is the Sino-Japanese name for Avalokitêśvara and literally means 'watchful listening', 'one who sees / hears all'. Originally male in form, Kannon is now often portrayed as female in China, Japan and other East Asian countries.  
 

Sanjūsangen-dō was founded in 1164 by the cloistered Emperor Go-Shirakawa, a promoter of Buddhism and peace and a pious devotee to Kannon, as well as by Taira no Kiyomory, the leader of the Tara samurai clan and de facto civil ruler of Heian (Kyoto) at that time. The complex, built in Go-Shirakawa's vast compound, originally included several buildings: the hondō (main hall), a five-storied pagoda, a Kannon hall, and a hall dedicated to the 'Four Heavenly Kings' or 'Guardians of the Four Directions'. All of these structures were destroyed in a fire in 1249. What we see today, is the reconstruction of the original hondō, which was completed in 1266. 

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Sanjūsangen-dō translates as 'hall with thirty-three bays'. The hall is 118 m long and 18 m wide. 33 bays are created by 34 columns that support the imposing wooden structure. These 33 bays symbolise the 33 forms that, as described in the Lotus Sutra, Kannon can assume when aiding sentient beings. 

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In the centre of the hall sits Jūichimen-Senju-Kannon, the 11-headed, 1,000-armed Kannon, on a lotus blossom pedestal with 7 rows of petals. Arranged around this central image, in 10 rows of 50 on each side, stand 1,000 smaller statues of this manifestation of the bosatsu (bodhisattva).

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It is believed that, eons ago, Kannon vowed to work unceasingly until all sentient beings could be released from samsāra. Soon, however, Kannon recognises that no matter how many beings s/he saves, countless more beings still need her/his assistance. This realisation causes Kannon such distress that her/his head splits into pieces. Amida (Amitābha) Buddha, of whom Kannon is considered an emanation, then gives her/him eleven heads to better witness the world’s suffering. Kannon is now better able to see and understand the cries of the world, but when s/he reaches out to assist all those in need, the bosatsu's two arms are overwhelmed and split into pieces. Again, Amida Buddha comes to the rescue: this time by giving Kannon 1,000 arms. Consequently, each statue has 11 small heads on its crown and 20 pairs of arms. Since each of the 40 arms save 25 worlds, figuratively 1,000 arms are represented.    

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The statues were created in the yosegi style: each figure is composed of hollow wooden blocks that were put together, first roughly and then finely carved, smoothened, lacquered, and finally covered with gold leaf. The oldest images were made by Tankei, the most distinguished sculptor of the period, between 1251 and 1254. 

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The principal statue of Kannon is guarded by the 28 Nijūbachi Bushū as well as by Fūjin (God of Wind) and Raijin (God of Thunder). The 28 Nijūbachi Bushū, the spirits of deified wisdom, beauty, prosperity, merit, etc., protect those who believe in Jūichimen-Senju-Kannon. 

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