Kinkaku-ji

Kyoto’s most iconic structure is a three-storey pavilion that literally dazzles visitors when the afternoon sun hits the gold leaf. It’s the centrepiece of the temple grounds of the Rokuon-ji, which was an aristocrat’s villa and then shogun’s retreat before becoming a Zen temple in 1422. The pavilion, its upper two floors are coated in gold leaf, appears to float upon the aptly named ‘Mirror Pond’, against a backdrop of verdant mountains. It’s the most modern of Kyoto’s star attractions, dating back only as far as 1955, after a monk set fire to the original structure.