Kyoto is one of the oldest municipalities in Japan, having been chosen in 794 as the new seat of Japan’s imperial court by Emperor Kanmu. The original city, named Heian-kyō, was arranged in accordance with traditional Chinese feng shui following the model of the ancient Chinese capital of Chang’an/Luoyang. The emperors of Japan ruled from Kyoto in the following 11 centuries, until 1869. The capital was relocated from Kyoto to Tokyo after the Meiji Restoration, and the modern municipality of Kyoto was established in 1889.
The city was spared from large-scale destruction during World War II and as a result, its prewar cultural heritage has mostly been preserved. Today Kyoto is considered the cultural capital of Japan and is a major tourist destination. It is home to numerous Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines, palaces and gardens, some of which have been designated collectively as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.