Tamaudun Mausoleum — Royal Tombs of Ryukyu

Tamaudun (玉陵) is the mausoleum of the Ryukyu Kingdom's royal family (Sho Dynasty), built in 1501 and containing the remains of all Ryukyu kings from 1477 to 1879. The structure is distinctive Okinawan tomb architecture — massive stone-walled chambers built into a hillside, with Chinese-influenced decorative elements (guardian lions, curved rooflines) combined with indigenous Ryukyuan motifs.

The mausoleum consists of three chambers: east chamber for kings' remains, west chamber for queens, and central chamber for temporary storage before purification (bones were washed after decomposition, then moved to final chamber — a traditional Ryukyuan funeral practice called senkotsu).