Golden Pavilion (Kinkaku-ji) The gold leaf coating is approximately 0.5 micrometers (μm) thick.

Copyright „Arrival of the Birds „ by The Cinematic Orchestra Tragic and Curious History The 1950 Arson: The structure you see today is a 1955 reconstruction. In 1950, a 22-year-old novice monk named Hayashi Yoken set the temple on fire. He was reportedly obsessed with its beauty and saw it as an "enemy" to his own troubled existence. Literary Inspiration: This event inspired Yukio Mishima’s famous psychological novel, The Temple of the Golden Pavilion. Survival of the Phoenix: The bronze phoenix statue that currently sits on the roof is an original relic; it survived the 1950 fire because it had been removed for repairs just before the arson. Wikipedia Wikipedia +7 Architecture and Gold Three Styles in One: Each floor is built in a different architectural style: 1st Floor: Shinden-zukuri (palace style of the Heian aristocracy). 2nd Floor: Buke-zukuri (samurai residence style). 3rd Floor: Karayo (Chinese Zen temple style), which is gilded inside and out. Five Times Thicker: During the 1987 restoration, the gold leaf applied was five times thicker (0.5 micrometers) than the original coating to ensure it would last longer. The "Silver" Twin: It has a "sister" temple in Kyoto called Ginkaku-ji (Silver Pavilion). While the Golden Pavilion is covered in gold, the Silver Pavilion was never actually covered in silver. kyoto-kinkaku.com kyoto-kinkaku.com +8 The Grounds and Gardens The "Mirror" Pond: The temple stands over Kyoko-chi (Mirror Pond), designed to reflect the building perfectly. It contains 10 small islands representing Japanese mythology. The 600-Year-Old "Land Boat" Pine: A famous pine tree on the grounds, Rikushu-no-Matsu, is shaped like a sailing boat. It was originally a bonsai tree planted by the Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu over 600 years ago.