Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion temple), a Zen temple in northern Kyoto. Its two top floors are covered with gold leaf. Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu of Muromachi Shogunate founded it as a cottage on Kitayama Hill. In 1419, After his death,his son transformed it to a Zen temple. It is one of UNESCO World Heritage Site as displayed at the entrance
Kinkakuji is an impressive structure built overlooking a large pond and is the only building left of Yoshimitsu's former retirement complex. It was burned down numerous times in its history including twice during the Onin War, a civil war that destroyed much of Kyoto; and once again more recently in 1950 when it was set on fire by a fanatic monk. The present structure was rebuilt in 1955.
Kinkakuji can be accessed from Kyoto Station by direct Kyoto City Bus number 101 or 205 in about 40 minutes and for 230 yen. Its open from 9.00am to 5.00pm and there are no closed holidays. Therefore, it is better to visit it early in the morning, maybe around 8:45am to avoid being in a rush of tourists. There is a halal restaurant near the temple that also offers vegetraian food.
Admission fees: 400 JPY for adults, 300 JPY for junior high school students.
Parking fees: 1,000 JPY an hour for a car, and 500 JPY an hour for a taxi.