大象传媒

Firefighters battled flames for hours at Shuri Castle, a Unesco World Heritage site on Japan's southern island of Okinawa.

The wooden castle, built 500 years ago in the Ryukyu Dynasty, was designated Japan's national treasure in 1933. It was almost completely destroyed during World War Two before being restored.

The main building, as well as the north and south structures of the castle have burned to the ground, local media said. Dr Mechtild R枚ssler, the director of the Unesco World Heritage Centre, explains the significance of this historic building.

(Photo: The main building of the Shuri Castle on fire in Naha, Okinawa prefecture, southern Japan. Credit: EPA/Hitoshi Maeshiro)