The second life of Hiroshima's origami cranes

Thousands of paper cranes being burnt during a ceremony at Daisho-in Buddhist temple on the island of Miyajima, near Hiroshima. For a decade, Daisho-in Buddhist temple has held ritual burnings of the millions of origami cranes sent to the city each year, intended to honour the sentiments folded into each of the miniature paper birds. Photo: AFP

At a hillside temple, a monk in saffron robes blows a refrain on a conch and begins chanting prayers as thousands of origami cranes donated to Hiroshima burn.

For a decade, the Daisho-in Buddhist temple on Miyajima island, facing Hiroshima, has held ritual burnings of the millions of origami cranes sent to the city each year.