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 Prefecture, Japan.[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 to the 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]
References
- ^ "Japanese Garden Dictionary: Shikinaen". Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties. Retrieved 2 June 2012.
- ^ a b c d "Introduction of Shikina-en". Naha City. Retrieved 2 June 2012.
- ^ "識名園" [Shikina-en] (in Japanese). Okinawa Prefecture. Retrieved 2 June 2012.
- ^ a b "識名園～世界遺産・特別名勝「識名園」の概要～" [Summary of Shikina-en, World Heritage Site and Special Place of Scenic Beauty] (in Japanese). Naha City. Retrieved 3 June 2012.
- ^ a b "Ryukyu sites (Japan) No.972". ICOMOS. Retrieved 2 June 2012.
- ^ a b "Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu". UNESCO. Retrieved 2 June 2012.
- ^ "識名園" [Shikina-en] (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved 2 June 2012.
- ^ "Map Indicating the Location of the Nominated Property". UNESCO. Retrieved 2 June 2012.
Coordinates: 26°12′16″N 127°42′55″E / 26.20444°N 127.71528°E
External links
- (English) Introduction to Shikina-en
- (English) Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu
- (Japanese) Shikina-en
- (Japanese) Pamphlet with plan of the gardens
