Kinkaku-ji (金閣寺, literally “Temple of the Golden Pavilion”), officially named Rokuon-ji (鹿苑寺, lit. ’Deer Garden Temple’), is a Zen Buddhist temple in Kyoto.
One of the most popular buildings in Kyoto, it is designated as a National Special Historic Site, a National Special Landscape and is one of 17 locations making up the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto which are World Heritage Sites.
The site of Kinkaku-ji was originally a villa belonging to a powerful statesman. It was purchased by shōgun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu; After Ashikaga’s death, the site was converted into a Zen temple by his son, according to Ashikaga’s wishes.
On 2 July 1950, at 2:30 am, the pavilion was burned down by a 22-year-old mentally disturbed monk. A fictionalized version of story is at the center of Yukio Mishima’s famous 1956 book The Temple of the Golden Pavilion.
The present pavilion structure dates from 1955, when it was rebuilt.
The pavilion has three stories, and is12.5 meters (40 feet) in height. The top two stories of the pavilion are covered with pure gold leaf. The pavilion functions as a shariden (舎利殿), housing relics of the Buddha (Buddha’s Ashes).
The first floor is rendered in shinden-zukuri style, reminiscent of the residential style of the 11th century Heian imperial aristocracy. The second floor is built in the style of warrior aristocrats and contains a Buddha Hall and a shrine dedicated to the goddess of mercy, Kannon. The third floor is built in traditional Chinese chán style. The roof is in a thatched pyramid with shingles, topped with a bronze hōō (phoenix) ornament.
The pavilion extends over a pond, called Kyōko-chi (鏡湖池, Mirror Pond), that reflects the building. The pond contains 10 smaller islands. The Zen typology is seen through the rock composition; the bridges and plants are arranged in a specific way to represent famous places in Chinese and Japanese literature