Kyoto was built in 794 on the model of the capitals of ancient China. It was the imperial capital of Japan from its founding until the mid-19th century. The city was the heart of aristocratic society clustered around the imperial court during the four centuries of the Heian period (794-1192). Kyoto was the centre of Japanese culture for more than 1,000 years, illustrating the development of Japanese wooden architecture - especially religious architecture - and the art of Japanese gardens, which influenced garden architecture around the world.