Ginkaku-ji, the "Temple of the Silver Pavilion," is a Buddhist temple in Kyoto built in 1474. The intention was to cover it in silver, but in 1467, construction was halted, and the silver covering never placed on the pavilion. The temple features wooded grounds covered with a variety of mosses, a Japanese garden and a pile of sand said to symbolize Mount Fuji.--

Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion Temple) was originally built in 1397 to serve as a retirement villa. The entire pavilion except the basement floor is covered with pure gold leaf. The pavilion's function is to house relics of Buddha. On the roof of the pavilion is a golden "Chinese phoenix". The pond near the Golden Pavilion is called Mirror Pond with many islands and stones on the pond that represent the Buddhist creation story.