Changes

==Layout==

==Layout==

[[Image:Shuri walls.jpg|thumb|right|250px|One section of the winding stone walls of the ''gusuku''.]]

[[Image:Shuri walls.jpg|thumb|right|250px|One section of the winding stone walls of the ''gusuku''.]]

The castle is situated on a hill, 130m above sea level at its highest point<ref name=Turnbull44>Turnbull. p44.</ref>, the main palace hall (Seiden) facing the west<ref>Kerr. p114.</ref>. The grounds cover roughly 46,000 square meters, extending roughly 400 meters from east to west, and 270 meters from north to south. The compound includes four gates in the outer wall, and eight gates in the inner complex<ref name=shimpo/>.

The castle is situated on a hill, 130m above sea level at its highest point<ref name=Turnbull44>Turnbull. p44.</ref>, selected for its excellent ''[[feng shui]]'' as a "dragon hollow" (C: ''lóng xué'') where ''[[qi]]'' flowing from "dragon veins" (C: ''lóngmài'') gathers and pools, and for the freshwater spring known as Ryûhi ("Dragon Spring") which could provide water to the castle.<ref name=akamine87>Akamine, "The Ryukyu Kingdom," 87-88.</ref> The grounds cover roughly 46,000 square meters, extending roughly 400 meters from east to west, and 270 meters from north to south. The compound includes four gates in the outer wall, and eight gates in the inner complex<ref name=shimpo/>. In contrast to most imperial and royal palaces in East Asia, which face south, the main palace hall (J: ''seiden'') at Shuri faces the west, in accordance with ''[[feng shui]]'' calculations determined by the kingdom's scholar-officials based on the natural topography of the area.<ref>And, perhaps, in the interests of facing towards China, as the center and source of Confucian virtue and civilization.</ref> Interestingly, the ''feng shui'' directional associations at Shuri are rotated, with west serving as though it were south. Thus, the Vermillion Bird (J: ''sujaku'') of the South is associated at Shuri with the west, the "Dark Warrior" (J: ''genbu'') of the north with the mountains to the east, and so forth.<ref name=akamine87/>

A gate in the eastern side of the outer walls known as the Keiseimon (継世門), built in 1546, serves essentially as the rear gate to the compound, situated as it is on the opposite end of the compound from the main gates to the castle, the Shureimon and Kankaimon. A pair of stelae which stand at the Keiseimon are said to have been erected in 1544, and were intended to serve as spiritual or symbolic protection against ''[[wako|wakô]]''<ref>"Shisetsu annai: Keiseimon." Shuri Castle Park Official Website.</ref>. Two other outer gates, called the Uekimon (右掖門) and Shukujunmon (淑順門), situated to the north side of the complex, provided access to an inner garden, called the ''ouchibara'' (御内原) in Okinawan. Today, tourists following the designated route pass through the Uekimon on their way out of the castle at the end of their visit<ref>"Shisetsu annai: Uekimon." Shuri Castle Park Official Website.</ref>.

A gate in the eastern side of the outer walls known as the Keiseimon (継世門), built in 1546, serves essentially as the rear gate to the compound, situated as it is on the opposite end of the compound from the main gates to the castle, the Shureimon and Kankaimon. A pair of stelae which stand at the Keiseimon are said to have been erected in 1544, and were intended to serve as spiritual or symbolic protection against ''[[wako|wakô]]''<ref>"Shisetsu annai: Keiseimon." Shuri Castle Park Official Website.</ref>. Two other outer gates, called the Uekimon (右掖門) and Shukujunmon (淑順門), situated to the north side of the complex, provided access to an inner garden, called the ''ouchibara'' (御内原) in Okinawan. Today, tourists following the designated route pass through the Uekimon on their way out of the castle at the end of their visit<ref>"Shisetsu annai: Uekimon." Shuri Castle Park Official Website.</ref>.