The Heijo Palace was the original Imperial Palace after moving to the Heijō-kyō in 710-784. The architectural blueprint was based on the Chinese Tang Dynasty Capital of Chang-an. Very little remains of the original palace, but there are artifacts, galleries, and excavation sites displayed for visitors to view and get a better idea of how the ancient Japanese lived within the palace. The palace is enclosed within walls and consisted of a large rectangle, which included many administrative and ceremonial buildings. The Suzaku Gate is the main entrance to the Imperial Palace, which was reconstructed in 1998. It measures 25 meters in width, 10 meters in depth, and with 22 meters in height, making it bigger than any entrance in the area. The Imperial Audience Hall is the largest reconstructed building in the palace measuring 44 meters in width, 20 meters in depth, and 27 meters in height. Construction was based on archaeological data and studies based on existing buildings during the Nara Period, began in 2001 and finished in 2010.
