2013.09.18
Shuri Castle Park Mid-Autumn Celebration this weekend
Living National Treasures of Okinawa will perform music and dance at Shuri Castle Park Saturday and Sunday as the park celebrates the Mid-Autumn season.
The events take place in the castle’s Una Forecourt. Admission is free as the castle park closes at 5 p.m. each of the two days. The festivities run 6:30 p.m. ~ 9 p.m. Classical Ryukyu dance performances are accompanied by classical Ryukyu court music.
Four show sets take place Saturday, each lasting about 45 minutes. Sunday’s activities begin about the same time, with a contest to select a king and queen. The king and queen are to be crowned at 8:25 p.m. before the final Ryukyu Classical Dance.
The visual effects of Shurijo Castle Park are spectacular, with visitors able to appreciate the grandeur of the illuminated Seiden State Hall from the festival location in the Una Forecourt. The view from the Western Observatory provides a spectacular and breathtaking evening view of Naha City’s lights.
Shurijo Castle is the key to Okinawa’s history, a rich history recognized by the World Heritage organization under its Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu. The recognition incorporates certified performers with superb mastery of the island kingdom’s intangible cultural heritage of Ryukyu dance and musical drama.