Kyoto is renowned for its dry landscape gardens, known as 'kare-sansui'. These gardens feature carefully raked sand or gravel representing water, along with rock formations that symbolize mountains. The concept of kare-sansui originated in Japan and is a major aspect of Japanese Zen Buddhism, emphasizing simplicity and the beauty of nature. Kyoto has numerous historically significant kare-sansui gardens, many of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.