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The Golden Pavilion is reflected in a
tranquil pond, a planned effect, so
that the reflection produces a second
pavilion.
In 1950, a disturbed Buddhist temple novice burned the 14th-century pavilion to its foundations. Seduced by its beauty, and apparently unable to control his covetousness, he torched the building. Within five years, however, the Golden Pavilion rose again. On the new roof, appropriately, perches a phoenix.
The pavilion was originally built as a retirement villa for the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, who, after withdrawing from public life, exercised power in the background by installing his ten-year-old son as shogun.
Interested in the artistic life, he collected Sung Chinese artwork, staged traditional Noh plays, and practiced Zen and the tea ceremony. He also played host at boating parties on the pavilion's pond. When he died, his retirement villa was converted into a temple, in accordance with his wishes.
The much-admired pavilion rises in three stories, each having a different architectural style and reflecting a different aspect of the shogun who built it. The first floor is a residential palace, complete with a covered dock for the shogun's pleasure boat; the second is a Buddhist prayer hall or samurai house; and the third is a small Zen temple with sliding doors and bell-shaped windows.
Set on pillars, the Golden Pavilion extends over the pond, a popular design of the Shinden style during the Heian period of Japanese history. A person approaching sees two pavilions, as the water reflects the image. On the exterior of the graceful building, a layer of shimmering gold leaf creates an unforgettable picture.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Jerry Camarillo Dunn, Jr., has worked with the National Geographic Society for more than 20 years, starting as a staff editor, writer, and columnist at Traveler magazine, then writing travel guides. His latest work is National Geographic Traveler: San Francisco. Dunn’s Smithsonian Guide to Historic America: The Rocky Mountain States has sold more than 100,000 copies. His travel pieces appear in newspapers such as the Chicago Tribune and The Boston Globe. Jerry Dunn's stories have won three Lowell Thomas Awards from the Society of American Travel Writers -- the highest honor in the field. He also wrote and hosted a pilot episode for a travel show produced by WGBH, Boston's public television station.
