Heijō Palace facts for kids
The Heijō Palace (Heijō-kyū (平城宮)) was the home of the emperor and the main government center in Heijō-kyō. This city is known as Nara today. It was the capital of Japan for most of the Nara period, from 710 to 794 AD. The palace was built in the north-central part of the city. Its design was inspired by ancient Chinese capital cities.
The palace was a very large, rectangular area surrounded by walls. This area was called the daidairi ((大内裏)). Inside, there were many buildings for ceremonies and government work. This included offices for different government groups. Within the daidairi was another walled area called the Inner Palace (Dairi). This was where the emperor and his family lived. It also had special buildings for official events linked to the emperor.
The main purpose of the palace was to show Japan's new way of governing. Japan had adopted a strong central government system from China in the 7th century. The palace was designed to be a grand place for the emperor to live. It was also where important state business happened and big ceremonies were held.
After the capital moved to Heian-kyō (now Kyoto), the palace buildings were either moved or slowly fell apart. Many were destroyed by fires or other disasters. The land became farmland, and almost nothing was left above ground. However, people still knew where it had been. Digging to find old remains started in the 1970s. Large parts of the palace have been rebuilt since the 2000s. These new parts are based on old writings and what archaeologists found.
In 1998, the palace ruins and the area around them became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is part of the "Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara" group.
Contents
- History of the Palace
- Palace Structures
- Palace Museum
- Getting There
- See also
History of the Palace
.jpg)
In 707 AD, Empress Genmei decided to move the capital. The old capital was Fujiwara-kyo, near Asuka. The new capital would be on the northern edge of the Nara basin. In 710 AD, the new capital, called Heijō, was officially opened. However, the palace itself took longer to finish. The city was also sometimes called Nara at that time.
The design of the city and the palace was mostly based on Chang'an. This was the capital of China during the Tang dynasty. Chang'an, like many old East Asian cities, followed rules of geomancy. This system helped decide the grid pattern of streets. It also said that special shrines or temples should be placed in certain directions to protect the city. The city of Heijō was about 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) from east to west. It was about 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) from north to south.
Because of these rules, the palace was built at the northern end of the city. It was at the end of Suzaku Street, the main road running north-south through the city. Suzaku Street ended at the Suzaku Gate. All the other palace buildings were located north of this gate. The most important buildings in the palace were the Daigoku-den, where government meetings happened. The Chōdō-in was for formal ceremonies. The Dairi was the emperor's home. There were also offices for many government groups.
The Nara period lasted for 75 years, from 710 to 784 AD. During this time, Emperor Shōmu moved the capital to other places for a few years. This happened between 740 and 745 AD. Around this time, the palace buildings and government offices changed a lot. Later in the Nara period, a new audience hall was built in the eastern part of the palace. It was south of the emperor's home. This is called the latter audience hall. Many buildings in the emperor's home and the government offices were replaced or fixed many times. This was likely due to changes in how the government worked, not just repairs.
When the capital moved to Heian-kyō (now Kyoto), the Heijō Palace was simply left empty. Over hundreds of years, weather and time slowly destroyed the buildings. By the late 1100s, almost nothing was left above ground. But the parts underground were saved. Modern archaeologists later found them.
The palace site was named a Special Historical Site in 1952. Since 1959, archaeologists have been working to dig up and study the area. The Suzaku Gate and East Palace Garden were rebuilt and opened to the public in 1998. The Takenaka Corporation helped a lot with this rebuilding.
In 2010, the Heijō Palace was the main place for the Heijo Relocation 1300 Year Festival. The First Great Hall (First Daigokuden (第一次大極殿)) was rebuilt for this special event. Many other events were held across Nara Prefecture to celebrate the 1300th anniversary.
Palace Structures
Suzaku Gate: Main Entrance
The main entrance to the capital city was through the Rajō Gate (Rajōmon (羅城門)). From there, the main road, Suzaku Avenue, was about 75 meters (246 feet) wide. It stretched north for about 3.7 kilometers (2.3 miles) to the Suzaku Gate (Suzakumon (朱雀門)). The name "Suzaku" comes from a Chinese mythical bird. This bird was believed to protect the south. The palace was surrounded by large earthen walls and had twelve gates. The Suzaku Gate was the biggest and main entrance. The open area in front of it was part of the main avenue. The Nijo Oji (Nijō-Ōji (二条大路)), a second large street, was about 37 meters (121 feet) wide. It ran east-west in front of the gate.
The Suzaku Gate was about 10 meters (33 feet) deep, 25 meters (82 feet) wide, and 22 meters (72 feet) high. It was built on a raised platform. The gate likely had two stories and was much larger than the other palace gates. The open space in front was used for important events, like New Year celebrations. It was rebuilt in 1998.
Second Street and Mibu Gate
The Second Street was a major road that ran east-west along the southern edge of the palace. It was about 35 meters (115 feet) wide. Only Suzaku Avenue was wider. The Suzaku Gate, the Mibu Gate to its east, and the Wakainukai Gate to its west all opened onto this street.
Later in the Nara period, the Great Hall of State and its surrounding buildings moved to the eastern part of the palace. The Mibu Gate then became the main entrance to the palace.
The area just south of Second Street had state offices and homes outside the palace. This shows it was an important area, almost as important as the palace itself.
Greater Palace: The Daidairi
The daidairi was a large, walled rectangle. It stretched from north to south between the first and second main east-west roads. It also went from west to east between the north-south roads.
The three most important buildings inside the Greater Palace were the Official Compound (Chōdō-in (朝堂院)) and the Inner Palace (Dairi (内裏)).
Chōdō-in: Official Compound
The Chōdō-in was a walled, rectangular area. It was located directly north of the Suzaku Gate, in the middle of the Greater Palace's southern wall. Its design was based on Chinese models and building styles. Old palaces from earlier capitals also had this type of building complex. Its design stayed very similar from the 7th century onwards.
Former Audience Hall: Daigokuden
The Great Hall of State (Daigokuden (大極殿)) was the most important government building in the palace. It faced south and was at the northern end of the compound. It was the largest building, measuring about 44 meters (144 feet) wide and 20 meters (66 feet) deep. It was also 27 meters (89 feet) tall. People believe the hall had two stories, a Chinese-style roof, and an open front without doors.
We don't have exact pictures or plans of how the audience hall looked. To rebuild it, experts looked at the remains of the building at Kuni-kyō. They also studied other buildings from the Nara period, like the main hall of Hōryū-ji temple. Drawings of the Heian Palace audience hall were also used.
The rebuilding started in 2001 and finished in 2010. Japanese cypress wood was used for the reconstruction. The building's pillars and beams were painted bright red. The walls were white, and the roof had ceramic tiles. Inside, the upper part of the hall was painted with symbols of the Chinese zodiac. These included the Tiger, the Horse, and the Ox. The ceiling had floral patterns. A famous painter named Atsushi Uemura created these paintings based on Nara period designs.
Takamikura: The Emperor's Throne
In the middle of the audience hall was the emperor's throne, called the Takamikura (高御座). This throne was a very important symbol of the emperor's power. For big state events, like the enthronement or New Year's Day ceremonies, the emperor would sit on this throne. Important nobles would line up in the courtyard south of the hall to show their respect.
We don't have records of how the Nara period Takamikura was built or designed. So, experts studied old writings and historical items to create the rebuilt model. They also looked at the throne in the Kyoto Imperial Palace, which dates from the Taishō era. Details for the design and patterns came from treasures found in the Shōsōin storage house.
Office of Foods
This area, located north of the Great Hall of State, is believed to have been the Office of Foods. This office stored food (not including rice, which was paid as tax). It was in charge of preparing meals for state parties and ceremonies held at the palace.
Around a large well, which had its own roof, were several buildings used as offices and storage rooms. Many eating tools were found here. The first inscribed wooden tablet found at the palace site was discovered in 1961. It was in a rubbish pit belonging to this office.
Latter Audience Hall
The latter audience hall was built after the capital moved back to Nara from Shigaraki.
Even in the Meiji era, people could still see traces of the platforms for the latter audience hall and the eastern state halls. This helped Sekino Tadashi, an architecture historian, discover the site. A local gardener, Tanada Kajuro, worked to protect the site.
The area north of the latter audience hall is where the emperor lived.
Imperial Domicile: Emperor's Home
The emperor and empress lived, worked, and met visitors in the imperial domicile section. It was surrounded by a covered walkway. An earthen wall divided it lengthwise. The Office of the Court Ladies was also located here.
Inside the imperial domicile was a stone-paved area with a large well. Remains of this well were found in 1973. The well was lined with a solid cedar tube, carved from a log 1.7 meters (5.6 feet) wide. The water from this well was likely only for the emperor and empress. The site was later covered up again. The wall was rebuilt with new materials as an outdoor exhibit.
Office of the Imperial Household
To the east of the imperial domicile was what is believed to be the Office of the Imperial Household (Kunai-shō (宮内省)). It was surrounded by an earthen wall. This wall was 90 meters (295 feet) long from north to south and 50 meters (164 feet) wide from east to west. Six buildings stood in this area. The main building had a tiled roof, while the others had roofs made of cypress bark.
These buildings were rebuilt using Nara period construction methods. This was based on what archaeologists found during their digs.
East Palace Garden
In 1967, archaeologists found the remains of a large garden in the southeast corner of the palace. This garden was named "East Palace Garden" (Tōin Teien). This is because the area next to it is thought to be where the East Palace once stood.
The garden covered an area of about 100 by 80 meters (328 by 262 feet). Several buildings were located around a winding pond. Near this site, Empress Shōtoku had the "Jewelled Hall of the East Palace" built. Banquets and parties were held there.
The excavations showed that the garden was first built in a Chinese style from the early Nara period. Later, it was changed to a Japanese style from the late Nara period. The garden was rebuilt in 1998.
Palace Museum
The Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties has been studying and digging at the site since 1959. The Nara Palace Site Museum shows what they have found. It has galleries about the palace and its offices, old items, and archaeological science. It also hosts special exhibitions.
Getting There
It takes about 15 to 20 minutes to walk to Heijō Palace from Yamato-Saidaiji Station. From May to August 2010, a free shuttle bus ran between Yamato-Saidaiji Station, JR Nara Station, and Heijō Palace every 10 to 15 minutes.
See also
- Kyūseki Teien, a garden built around the same time
- Heian Palace
- List of Special Places of Scenic Beauty, Special Historic Sites and Special Natural Monuments
