Heian Shrine is only about 130 years old—what?!

In a city full of thousand-year-old temples, Heian Shrine stands out—for being surprisingly new. It was built in 1895, to commemorate the 1,100th anniversary of Kyoto becoming the capital (then called Heian-kyo). The shrine is a 2/3-scale replica of the original Heian Palace, which no longer exists. It honors the first and last emperors of the Heian period, and was meant to revive Kyoto’s cultural pride after the capital moved to Tokyo. So while it looks ancient, Heian Shrine is actually a modern tribute to Kyoto’s glorious past.