The Ryūkyū Kingdom saga began with the Tenson Dynasty (Dynasty of Heavenly Descent), which was said to have lasted 17,000 years, and ended with three kings of the Shunten lineage. Back in the 14th century, small islands around Okinawa were unified into three principalities known as Sanzan (Three Mountains or Three Kingdoms). Each of these kingdoms � Hokuzan (Northern Mountain), Chūzan (Central Mountain) and Nanzan (Shoutern Mountain) were led by tribal chieftains. Chūzan won the battles that ensued, and was then officially recognized by the Chinese as the ruler of Sanzan. In early 15th century, the ruler of Chūzan passed the throne to King Shō Hashi, uniting island of Okinawa for the first time and began the legendary Shō dynasty.

The Second Shō Dynasty began when Kanamaru as later renamed as Shō En, an attendant to the then demised of the seventh King of First Shō Dynasty, gained Chinese investiture. Ryūkyū's golden age and royal culture started to bloom during the reign of Shō Shin, the second king of that dynasty. Over a period of 3 years from 1492, King Shō Shin built the Enkaku-ji temple, modeled after the Kamakura Enkaku-ji, to enshrine his father, King Shō En. This temple, located inside the Shurijo Park, was the chief temple of Rinzai sect of zen Buddhism and the family temple for kings of the Second Shō Dynasty. Though this site was dedicated as a national treasure in 1933, much of the temple and Shuri Castle was destroyed in one of the fiercest battles in WWII, the battle of Okinawa in 1945. Preservation efforts made the Enkaku-ji Soumon (main gate), the Ekimon (side gate) and Houjyo bridge over the Houjpo �lotus pond� pond still visible today. Resembling many of the traditional village in Ryūkyū, Enkaku-ji Soumon has a red-tile gable roof, supported by eight pillars, and beams which upon closer inspection, reveals the intricate detail of the wood carvings. Thanks to the impressive restoration works, the railings on the Houjyo bridge which were designated as a natural cultural asset in 1972, are a showcase of Okinawan stone sculpture masterpiece that can still be observed today.

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