At the mouth of an inlet at Miyajima is the famous Great Torii, the floating gate to Itsukushima Shrine. The original torii was built in 1168. The current version – number eight – dates from 1875. The free-standing, vermillion O-Torii Gate is 55 feet tall, weighs 60 tons and is constructed from cedar and camphor. Some of these trees are over 500 years old. At low tide, you can walk out to admire this national treasure but the exposed seabed is muddy. At high tide, boat rides are available to sail around the six pillars.
