Ginkaku-ji, the Silver Pavillion, is similar to Kinkaku-ji in many ways. It was built by the Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa as a retirement villa, and he requested that it be converted to a Zen temple after his death. Originally, it was covered in lacquer that gave it a silvery appearance, thus earning it the nickname "Silver Pavillion." As the devoutly Zen Shogun retired into this villa, admiring the beauty of the temple, the Onin War was escalating and Kyoto was being razed to the ground. Ginkaku-ji became a center of contemporary culture, and the grounds contain half a dozen other temple buildings, a moss garden, and a unique dry sand garden.
Websites: http://www.sacred-destinations.com/japan/kyoto-ginkakuji, http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3907.html
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