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The above photo shows the Temple of the Golden Pavilion (Kinkaku-ji). It is one of the buildings in the Deer Garden Temple (Rokuon-ji) which is located in Kyoto, Japan.
Originally built in 1397 as a retirement villa by the Shogun Ashigaga Toshimitsu, the Shogun’s son had the Golden Pavilion converted into a temple after the death of his father in 1408.
The Golden Pavilion was recognised as a National Monument by American Bombers, and was subsequently saved from destruction. It is, therefore, somewhat ironic that it was destroyed by arson in 1950. Even more ironic was that the arsonist was a mentally disturbed student monk.
Fortunately, an exact reproduction of the Golden Pavilion was built in its place, and was completed in 1955.
The view of the pavilion, from the shore of the lake that surrounds it, is meant to represent a scene from the Buddhist Western Practice. To that end, every part of the garden is placed and tended to blend seamlessly together into a beautiful and serene place to be enjoyed by any visitor.
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