In 1457, Rennyo was appointed as the eighth chief abbot of Hongan-ji, on the outskirts of Kyoto Under Rennyo's leadership, Hongan-ji began to expand the teachings of Shinran's Pure Land Buddhist even to areas beyond the capital. However, the rapid growth of Hongan-ji was met with hostility by the orthodox Tendai sect based at Enryaku-ji on Mount Hiei, and in 1465, Hongan-ji was destroyed by militant monks from Enryaku-ji and, and Rennyo was forced to flee from Kyoto. In 1471, he re-established Hongaki-ji at the small village of Yoshizaki on the border of Echizen Province with Kaga Province. His rectory, known as the Yoshizaki-gobō was the location from which he sent out many letters explaining the teachings of his version of the Pure Land faith, known as the Ikkō-shū, in colloquial Japanese, and was the location at which he reformed the ritual practices of the sect. It was also from this location that he implemented his vision of reforming society by creating a semi-theocratic republic, in which the traditional feudal landlords were replaced by communal landholding by lay followers of the sect, and led by the priesthood. The town of Yoshizaki had residences for both priests and lay followers and provided lodgings and other services, and rapidly attracted large numbers of pilgrims mainly from the northern provinces as far away as Dewa and Ōshū. However, Rennyo's success at Yoshizaki, drew hostility from the traditional political authorities. The Yoshizaki-gobō burned down in 1474 and again in 1475. After this, Rennyo left Yoshizaki and returned to Kyoto.