Caitlin McKeon, The Itsukushima Shrine (September theme: Water)

I captured this picture while on holiday in Hiroshima, Japan. The structure is a Torii Gate located at the Itsukushima Shrine which has stood tall since 1168. It is considered to be a gate from the mundane to the sacred. The Torii gate was built on water to seperate it from the island, as the island itself is considered a God. Purity is important when it comes to the gate, as no births or deaths are allowed on the nearby island shrine.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.