Golden Temple - Final View

A final view now of The Golden Temple as we leave to visit still more sights of Kyoto. In this one we can see the colour changes happening as Autumn sets in, and I believe in a few months time this lovely building will be covered in snow. Very hard to believe as the previous day was well into the 30's in temperature.

Another Shrine

I spotted this little collection in the garden grounds of the Golden Temple.  I think it may be a small shrine, dedicated to family. Visitors would throw coins, presumably to give hope to all families.

An Iris

This lonely iris was in bloom by the edge of the lake around the Golden Temple. I am not sure about in Japan, but I have irises in my garden in Sydney that bloom in spring. It was autumn while we were there. There were lots of them growing around the edges of the lake, but this is the only one that I saw in flower.

A Garden View

Another view of the lake and garden in the grounds of the Golden Temple. I am not sure what the bird is, it could be a crane but I don't think his neck is long enough. He looks quite at home here surveying his kingdom.

An Old Pine

This pine tree was in the grounds of the Golden Temple. We were told the age of it, but my memory escapes me. What I do remember is that it was in the hundreds of years in age. Note the use of bamboo again, this time it is used as a structure to support the bottom limb of the old pine tree.

Golden Temple Grounds Pt 2

A view of the lake surrounding the Golden Temple. Once again those stunning hand pruned pine trees, the garden lights, and the old Japanese maple in the foreground. Just to the left we can see the colours of the leaves turning, and lined along the waters edge, believe it or not, are irises. ! am not sure if they have been strategically planted or are growing wild.

Golden Temple Grounds

Unfortunately we were not offered the chance to go inside this temple, and I am not sure it was even open to the public. We did however get to have a little wander around the grounds which were traditional in style.

Golden Temple Pt 3

A different vie of the temple for you today. If you look closely you will see the phoenix shining on the very top. I must say that I love the reflections of this building in the surrounding lake.

The Golden Temple Pt 2

 Just another shot of The Golden Temple, a closer view than yesterday. This Temple is formally named Rokuon-ji Temple, but is commonly called  Kinkaku-ji Temple ( The Golden Pavillion). In it's past, it was used as an official guest house by Emperors and other nobility. Gold foil on lacquer covers the upper two floors.

The Golden Temple

The Golden Temple is another Buddhist temple in Kyoto, Japan. It's history dates back to the late 1300's when it became the property of a retiring Shogun. As per his will, the complex was turned into a Buddhist temple. Along with many of the old buildings in Japan, this one also succumbed to fire many times, and the current building was constructed in 1955. The top two levels are completely covered in gold leaf!