The Golden Pavilion vs The Silver Pavilion: Which Do You Prefer?
These 2 temples in Kyoto highlight the difference between Japanese and Western concepts of beauty
Beside Mt. Fuji, the most recognizable symbol of Japan has to be Kinkaku-ji 金閣寺, the Temple of the Golden Pavilion. No trip to Japan is complete without a visit to the site in Kyoto, attracting millions of tourists each year. Countless numbers of Twitter and Instagram profiles are adorned with a shot of this photogenic temple.
And yet, if you ask most Japanese people, they’ll say Ginkaku-ji, the Silver Pavilion, is far more beautiful.
Looking at the two photos, the beauty of the Golden Pavilion is clear. The Silver Pavilion? It looks plain. It’s not even silver.
But that look of simplicity embodied in the Silver Pavilion is the perfect example of the Japanese concept of beauty which can be so different from Western ideals.
Kinkaku-ji: The Golden Pavilion
Kinkaku-ji is a Buddhist temple on the northwest side of Kyoto belonging to the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism…
