Have you ever heard Golden Temple in your life? Again, it's a temple made by GOLD!

Yeah.............

It's Rokuon-ji Temple aka the Golden Pavilion at Kyoto, Japan!

Rokuon-ji Temple, is included in World Heritage list in Japan that only can be classified by UNESCO

Golden Pavilion in Autumn

Rokuon - ji Temple was originally built as a villa by Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, who had taken possession of a mountain villa of Saionji Temple in 1397. It was converted into a temple after Yoshimitsu's death. Officially named Rokuonji Temple, this temple is famous both in Japan and abroad as a symbol of Kitayama culture. The Kinkaku, or "Golden Pavilion," was built as the Shariden. Covered with gold, the image of the pavilion, which stands at the edge of Kyokochi pond, is reflected in the water. Major repair work performed in 1987 has further enhanced its brilliance.

Golden Pavilion in winter

Since the fire in 1950, the Golden Pavilion shines beautifully with its newly recovered gold leaves. While many people prefer the sober Golden Pavilion with its faded color, others say that the godliness is beautiful. Before the incendiary fire in 1950, there were no gold leaves which covered the Golden Pavilion. The gold leaves, which must have shone when it was first built, gradually faded off, leaving a refined appearance. It is said to have looked just like the Ginkaku-ji temple today. Before the reconstruction, visitors mainly came to see the gardens and never took pictures of the shining Golden Pavilion as they do today. They went up into the building, which we are not allowed to do today, and looked out over the gardens. There were passageways upstairs where one could see the panoramic view of the Ashihara-jima island, Kusenhakkai-seki rock, Yodomari-ishi rock, Akamatsu-ishi rock, Hatakeyama-ishi rock, Tsuru-jima island, Kame-jima island and the Yonaki-ishi rock from up there.

Three floors of the Golden Pavilion:
The first floor of the Golden Pavilion, a three story building which faces the mirror pond, is called "Hosui-in". This building, which was built in the palace style, was used for meetings and entertainment.

Chôondô
(Golden Pavilion 2nd floor)

The second floor is called "Chouon-dou", built in the Samurai style, and enshrines the Kannon.

Golden Pavilion Third Floor

The third floor is called "Kutsukyocho", built in the Zen-temple style, and enshrines the Buddha.

The Golden Phoenix (Top Floor)

The Golden Pavilion harmonizes these three different styles marvelously. The Hogyo style roof is covered by thin wood dust called Kokera-buki, and on top of the roof, shines a golden Chinese phoenix. The second and third floor are covered with gold leaves. It is considered as a harmonious mixture of the Heian noble, Samurai, and Buddhist cultures. The mixture of Japanese, Indian, and Chinese styles known at that time, there exists an original architectural beauty. The Golden Pavilion is the oldest of all the many-storied buildings of which the third story can still be used.

There are many ingenious devices in the structure of the Golden Pavilion. For example, the Golden Pavilion retains a bright image by making the pillars and structures of the building slender, and giving the roof, made from Japanese cypress covered by thin wood dust, a gentle slope. Also, four pillars in the South instead of six, emphasizes the wide and open verandah. There are no roofs between the first and second floor, but the Golden Pavilion still manages its proportion by the surrounding verandah, and the gold leaves which cover only the second floor. There is also a slope change due to the rectangular shaped first floor compared to the square shaped third floor, making the ridge of the roof not 45 degrees.

However, the building is still very well-balance, and this shows how this building has such a rare but brilliant design.