Shikina-en
The gardens of Shikina-en (識名園?) are located on a small hill to the south of Shuri Castle in Naha, Okinawa.[1] The gardens were laid out in 1799 to embellish one of the residences of the Shō family, rulers of the Ryūkyū Kingdom; they were used for the reception of an envoy from China the following year.[2][3] The residence and its gardens are also known as Shichina-nū-Udūn (シチナヌウドゥン?) or Southern Gardens (南苑?), as opposed to the Eastern Gardens (東苑?) or Uchayaudūn (御茶屋御殿?), laid out on a small hill east of Shuri Castle in 1677.[4]
The stroll garden features a pond with two small islands; a Chinese-style hexagonal pavilion; other pavilions with red tiles, the use of which was reserved for the upper classes; Chinese-style arched bridges; and seasonal plantings of plum, wisteria, and bellflower.[4][5] This blend of Japanese and Chinese design and features has been acclaimed as "uniquely Ryukyuan" by UNESCO and advisory body ICOMOS.[5][6]
The gardens were completely destroyed during the Battle of Okinawa.[2] Restoration began in 1975 and took around twenty years, at a cost of some eight hundred million yen.[2]
First designated for protection in 1941 in accordance with the 1919 Law, in 1976 the gardens were once again designated a Place of Scenic Beauty; in 2000 they were redesignated a Special Place of Scenic Beauty and included within the inscription of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu.[2][6][7] The gardens stretch over an area of 4.2 ha and the UNESCO nomination includes a buffer zone of a further 84.2 ha.[8]
See also
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Shikinaen. |
- List of Historic Sites of Japan (Okinawa)
- List of Important Cultural Properties of Japan (Okinawa: structures)
- List of Special Places of Scenic Beauty, Special Historic Sites and Special Natural Monuments
- World Heritage Sites in Japan
- Fukushūen
References
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Bibliography
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External links
- Introduction to Shikina-en
- Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu
- (Japanese) Shikina-en
- (Japanese) Pamphlet with plan of the gardens
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