Kinkakuji Temple (Golden Pavilion) in Kyoto, Japan. Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion Temple) is the common nickname of the Rokuonji (Deer Garden Temple) Zen temple in Kyoto, Japan. The best known feature of the temple complex is the Golden Pavilion (kinka-ku) situated picturesquely in its garden. In accordance with the Shinden style of the Heian period, it stands at the edge of a lake. The three-story pavilion extends over the pond and is reflected in the calm waters, an image designed to suggest an existence somewhere between heaven and earth.
The temple was oiginally built in 1397 as a retirement villa for Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu. His son converted the building into a Zen temple. It was destroyed by fire several times during the Onin War. The current building only dates to 1955. The ancient original was burned to the ground in 1950 by a disgruntled priest. Today Kinkakuji is one of the most well-known temple in Japan.
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