Very beautiful. It was.
I've seen recently a KBS2 documentary on this gate (from 2006), so it saddened me the thought that this beautiful 600-years gate is no more. It has burnt down in 2008. Probably it was on purpose. In every country, and in every time there are few madmen who want to be remembered.
Theophilus of Alexandria in 391 had the great Library of Alexandria destroyed. Nazis, who burnt thousands of books and destroyed historical buildings. Hayashi Yoken, who on July 2, 1950, at 2:30 am burnt down the Kinkakuji and commited suicide. Muslim radicals, who destroyed buddhist caves with hundred-years old ststues. And now this.
Here is the link to torrent with this short movie:
The restoration was supposed to take 2, 3 years and cost over 20 billion won. Presiden Lee Myung Bak proposed public funding of the restoration.
