A New Capital for Japan
Heian-kyo became the first truly Japanese city. Today it is called Kyoto. Like Nara, Heian-kyo was laid out in a checkerboard pattern like the Chinese city of Chang’an. Built on a grand scale, the walled city was lovely and elegant. It was set in forested hills, amid streams, waterfalls, and lakes. It had wide, tree-lined streets. Shrines and temples blended with the area’s natural beauty.
Heian-kyo’s crisscrossing streets were modeled after those of Chang’an, but the city’s architecture was Japanese. In the center of the city were palaces and government offices. Wealthy Heian families lived in mansions surrounded by beautiful gardens with artificial lakes. The grounds of each home covered three to four acres and were enclosed by a white stone wall.
Inside the mansions, large rooms were divided by screens or curtains and connected with open-air covered hallways. Simplicity was considered beautiful, so there were few objects on the wood floors other than straw mats and cushions. The Japanese did not use chairs.
Daily life was very formal, and correct manners were extremely important. For example, a Heian lady sat behind a portable screen. The screen hid her from view while she talked and took part in life around the house. An unmarried lady would permit her suitor to see past the screen only after a romance had become serious.
Heian-kyo’s crisscrossing streets were modeled after those of Chang’an, but the city’s architecture was Japanese. In the center of the city were palaces and government offices. Wealthy Heian families lived in mansions surrounded by beautiful gardens with artificial lakes. The grounds of each home covered three to four acres and were enclosed by a white stone wall.
Inside the mansions, large rooms were divided by screens or curtains and connected with open-air covered hallways. Simplicity was considered beautiful, so there were few objects on the wood floors other than straw mats and cushions. The Japanese did not use chairs.
Daily life was very formal, and correct manners were extremely important. For example, a Heian lady sat behind a portable screen. The screen hid her from view while she talked and took part in life around the house. An unmarried lady would permit her suitor to see past the screen only after a romance had become serious.
Room 1 Questions
1. What will you do about the screen? Why?
2. Quickly sketch and label a drawing to illustrate an important idea about how wealthy families lived in Heian-kyo.
2. Quickly sketch and label a drawing to illustrate an important idea about how wealthy families lived in Heian-kyo.
