Heijō-kyō
thumb|Groundplan of Heijō-kyō thumb|Closer map of the major sites of Heijō-kyō was the Capital of Japan during most of the Nara period, from 710 to 740 and again from 745 to 784. The imperial palace is a listed UNESCO World Heritage Site together with other places in the city of Nara (cf. Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara).
Key facts
- Ancient site.name
- Heijo-kyō
- Ancient site.native_name
- 平城京
- Ancient site.image
- 220325 One-thousandth scale model of Heijo Kyo.jpg
- Ancient site.caption
- 1/1000 scale model of Heijō-kyō
- Ancient site.map_type
- Japan Nara Prefecture#Japan
- Ancient site.map_alt
- Location in Japan
- Ancient site.relief
- 1
- Ancient site.map_caption
- Heijo-kyō
- Ancient site.map_size
- 270px
- Ancient site.location
- Nara, Nara Prefecture, Japan
- Ancient site.region
- Kansai region
- Ancient site.type
- settlement trace
Article
6 sectionsContents
- Heijō-kyō Suzaku-ōji
- Architecture
- 1,300th anniversary
- See also
- References
- External links
thumb|Groundplan of Heijō-kyō thumb|Closer map of the major sites of Heijō-kyō was the Capital of Japan during most of the Nara period, from 710 to 740 and again from 745 to 784. The imperial palace is a listed UNESCO World Heritage Site together with other places in the city of Nara (cf. Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara).
Empress Genmei ordered the Imperial capital moved from Fujiwara-kyō to Heijō-kyō in 708, and the move to Heijō-kyō was complete in 710. Heijō-kyō was modeled after Chang'an, the capital of Tang-dynasty China, although Heijō-kyō lacked walls. In the city, merchants and traders from China, Korea, and India introduced various foreign cultures to Heijō-kyō through the Silk Road. As a result, Heijō-kyō flourished as Japan's first international and political capital, with a peak population of between 50,000 and 100,000. The overall form of the city was an irregular rectangle, and the area of the city was more than 25 km2.