The Bright Red Castle of Ryukyu Kingdom
600 years ago, three kingdoms on this island were fighting each other, Chuzan, Hokuzan, mad Nanzan. Sho Hashi, the King of Chuzan, won. The Ryukyu Kingdom was made in 1429. The people of Ryukyu crossed the sea to China, Japan, Korea, and Southwest Asia, trading Awamori, Ryukyu lacquer ware, and Ryukyu cuisine with many countries. In this way, Ryukyu became a very wealthy kingdom. However, in 1609, the Satuma clan from Japan invaded Ryukyu. Although Ryukyu fell to Satsuma, they continued their trade with the other countries. When the King of Ryukyu changed, they sent word to the Emporor of China. To congratulate the new King, the Emperor of China sent his messenger, Sapposhi, the Ryukyu Kingdom created all kinds of cultural entertainments. The interaction with China lasted nearly three centuries even though Satsuma was in charge. In 1879, when Meiji Era had come, the Ryukyu Kingdom became Okinawa Prefecture. The King could not live in Shurijo Castle anymore. But for the people of Okinawa, Shurijo Castle will forever be there for them in their hearts. In 1945, Japan and the United States of America fought a battle on Okinawa. During the battle, Shurijo Castle was completely destroyed. Grand gates and beautiful stone walls were destroyed as well. Even though the castle and towns were destroyed, the people kept the spirit of the Ryukyu that was created at the Castle. Then in 1992, through efforts of many people Shurijo Castle was restored in its original bright red splendor. There are many places on this island that tell of the history of Ryukyu Kingdom. In 2000, ruins of Shurijo Castle and the other historical sites became World Heritage Sites.
Due to the recent fire, Shuri Castle is temporary closed. I am changing the logging requirement as follows: To receive credit for this virtual, post a picture of yourself (the inclusion of your face is not required) or your GPS device in front of the Shurei-mon gate with your log. Look at the additioal waypoints for coordinates. There is 24 hours access
Open Hours
Apr. to Jun. (8:30 to 19:00) Last entry:18:30
Jul. to Sep. (8:30 to 20:00) Last entry:19:30
Oct. to Nov. (8:30 to 19:00) Last entry:18:30
Dec. to Mar. (8:30 to 18:00) Last entry:17:30
Closed
The Park is closed on the first Wednesday and Thursday of July, every year.
****No purchase necessary to access GZ****
Virtual Reward - 2017/2018
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between August 24, 2017 and August 24, 2018. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards on the Geocaching Blog.
October 31, 2019: Shurijo Castle burns to the ground. News article