Heijō-kyō
Heijō-kyō (Japanese: 平城京, also known as Heizei-kyō) was twice the ancient Imperial capital of Japan from 710 to 784. It was where Nara is today.[1]
History[change | change source]
In 710, Empress Gemmei moved the Imperial capital from Fujiwara-kyō which is about 18 km south.[1]
Timeline[change | change source]
- 707 (Keiun 4): Emperor Mommu orders construction of a new capital city, but the work is not complete before his death.[2]
- 710 (Wadō 3, 3rd month): Empress Gemmei moves from Fujiwara-kyō to Heijō-kyō. The palace of the empress was named Nara-no-miya.[3]
- 784 (Enryaku 3): Capital is moved briefly to Nagaoka
- 794 (Enryaku 13): Capital was moved to Heian-kyō and the palace was named Heian no Miya.[4]
- November 17, 794 (Enryaku 13, 21st day of the 10th month): The emperor traveled by carriage from Nara to Heian-kyō in a grand procession.[5] This marks the end of the Nara period and the beginning of the Heian period in Japanese history.
Architecture[change | change source]
The Heijō Palace[6] and some of the Buddhist temples at Heijō-kyō are named together as a UNESCO World Heritage Site,[7] including
- Daian-ji (大安寺)
- Yakushi-ji (薬師寺)[6]
- Kōfuku-ji (興福寺)[6]
- Gangō-ji (元興寺)[6]
- Suzakumon (朱雀門, reconstruction)
- Saidai-ji (西大寺)
- Tōdai-ji (東大寺)[6]
- Daikokuden (大極殿, reconstruction)
Related pages[change | change source]
References[change | change source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2002). "Heijō-kyō" in Japan Encyclopedia, pp. 304-305.
- ↑ Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). Annales des empereurs du Japon, p. 64.
- ↑ Brown, Delmer. (1979). Gukanshō, p. 270.
- ↑ Brown, p. 277.
- ↑ Brown, p. 279.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Naracity Tourist Association, World Heritage Archived 2012-01-12 at the Wayback Machine; retrieved 2011-12-8.
- ↑ UNESCO, "Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara"; retrieved 2012-4-19.
Other websites[change | change source]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Heijō-kyō.
- Jô-Bô System of Heijô-Kyô Archived 2011-11-12 at the Wayback Machine
- Nara (Heijô-kyô) — The Capital of Japan in the 8th Century Archived 2013-07-04 at the Wayback Machine
