Fire ripped through the Shuri Castle on Japan’s southern island of Okinawa on Thursday. (Photo: Chinanews.com)

The historic Japanese castle was largely destroyed during World War II, but reopened as a national park after restoration in 1992. (Photo: Chinanews.com)

It was registered along with the surrounding complex and other Ryukyu sites in the region as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000. (Photo: Chinanews.com)

Here are the scenes of World Heritage Okinawa castle after blaze. (Photo: Chinanews.com)