The key to every great monument is a long buildup.

Man, this better be good...

Ah.

To many, Kinkaku-ji is the number-one attraction in Kyoto. A gold-covered temple, each floor representing a different historical architectural style, sitting atop a mirror-like pond. It was constructed as a sort of retirement palace in the late 1300s by the shogun Yoshimitsu, but was converted to a Buddhist temple after his death, in accordance with his will.

Don't you think it kinda looks like a miniature in this shot? Weird, huh.		Yup. Pretty stunning from any angle.

In 1950, the whole of Japan was shocked when a young monk burnt the building to the ground, an event later fictionalized by famed poet Yukio Mishima. It was, needless to say, quickly rebuilt. The pamphlets kinda skip over this part, for some reason.

The golden pavilion is only one of the site's attractions. As you wander around the winding pathways, you'll encounter a tiny island featuring an even tinier pagoda. This is the Hakuja-no-tsuka, or "mound of the white snake." It pays tribute to the serpent guardian of the temple waters.

You can see four Buddhas carved into the base of the stone.

A magnificent tea garden lies just beyond that, and visitors are encouraged to sit and enjoy some frothy green tea, which was just what I needed on a cold December afternoon.

Do you even need to ask how good the tea was?