Named part of the Ryukyu Kingdom UNESCO World Heritage site in 2000, the Tamaudun Mausoleum 玉陵 is an impressive crypt for the Ryukyu kings and their families in Naha, Okinawa. It was carved from stone in 1501 at the orders of the king of the second Sho dynasty. It is shaped like a castle from that time, down to the peony and other carvings on the roofline. Built into the rock, surrounded by stone walls, and watched over by traditional shisa lions, it is an impressive sight to behold. There are three crypts, which visitors can not enter.
The Eastern one holds the remains of kings and queens, while the western one has other family members. The central room was used for ritually cleaning the corpses for burial. Eighteen kings and related family members were entombed at Tamaudun, the last one in 1920. Unfortunately, much was damaged in WWII, but has since been restored.
There is a small museum which has models of the interior of the crypts and pictures of the structures from before WWII, but there is very little English labeling.
It costs 200 yen to enter the site and museum, or 100 yen for elementary and junior high students. It is open from 9 am to 6 pm. Tamaudun Mausoleum is a walk from Shuri Castle; about 15 minutes from the Shuri Station on the Okinawan Monorail. Alternately, it is about a 20 minute bus ride from downtown Naha on line #1. Get off at the Shuriji-jo Koen Iriguchi Stop.
