This is the Sanjusangendo in Kyoto (the spiritual
capital of Japan).
It is over a football field in length (390 feet, to
be exact) and houses
1,001 images of Kannon, the feminine manifestation
of
Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva (Japanese,
bosatsu)
of compassion.
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In the middle of the
temple is this seated
Kannon. On either side of her are 500 standing Kannons, each about four feet tall. All of the statues are carved from cyprus wood, and date to the 13th century CE.
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Though carved by a school of artists from the same
model, each of the statues is
different from the rest. A common belief is
that any Japanese person should
be able to find his or her face on one of these statues.