Zuisen literally translates to “magnificent spring.” Take a moment to look at the side of the gate and you will see water gushing forth from the mouth of a dragon called “Ryuhi.” This water has been flowing ever since the age of the Ryukyu Kingdom.

Since the quality of the water was so clean, it was used as the drinking water for the emperor and was even carried to the Envoy Hall in Naha Port to be used for the envoys that traveled from China. This required 200 liters to be transported to the port per day. While this must have surely been arduous for those working in the castle, it also attests to the Ryukyuan spirit of “omotenashi” or hospitality towards their guests.

The stones in the surrounding area are engraved with words of praise from the envoys who drank the “Ryuhi Water.” The rock that reads “Chūzan Dai’ichi (中山第一)” means “the most delicious water in Ryukyu.” “Hisen Sōgyoku (飛泉漱玉)” describes “the water spouting out vigorously and flying all over;” in other words it alludes to how fresh the water itself is.

There is a legend surrounding the Ryuhi Dragon as well:

The story begins around 500 years ago. A merchant from Ryukyu was traveling to China for trade and picked up this Ryuhi statue. However, it was unforgivable to just up and take things from China on a whim. But the merchant had an idea, he could tie it to the boat so it hung underwater. That way he could avoid it being found during the inspection of his goods. He brought this Ryuhi dragon back to Ryukyu and came to realize this dragon possessed some kind of special power. Thus, the dragon was used to adorn Zuisen-mon. However, if one of the envoys were to discover it, it could complicate things. So whenever the envoys would visit, they would take the dragon down from the gate.

This dragon has existed here for over 500 years. The only one who may know the whole truth of that history may be this dragon itself.

The dragon was damaged in the fires as well, as seen in the nose and mouth, but the main body of the dragon remained intact. However, in the turmoil of the war, the position of the dragon changed overtime. This water, which was so highly praised, barely came out at all.

After examining to see what it would take to return the dragon to the original position, they found a gaping hole beside it. This hole which is large enough for an adult human to crawl inside of continues over for 30 meters. In the wall, there are remains of a hand carved spigot. We can imagine the people of Ryukyu searching and digging for the source of the water. But this wasn’t all. At the far end of the hole, water was found bubbling forth. Lining this pathway were the ruins of old roof tiles used to stabilize the path, part of which had been eroded by the water over time. Once they were able to replace these parts, the water came gushing forth just like old times.

The person who was in charge of this project told us that “while the Ryuhi is the original object, the water is also the original water as well.”