A groundbreaking ceremony has been held in Okinawa to mark the start of reconstruction of the main hall of Shuri Castle, which burned down three years ago.

The seven buildings at the World Heritage Site burned to the ground in a devastating predawn fire on October 31, 2019.

Ahead of the ceremony on Thursday, a giant beam measuring about 9 meters long was paraded through the streets of Naha City. The beam came from a tree that was cut down in Kunigami Village, northern Okinawa and will be used in rebuilding the castle. About 130 people dressed in costumes from the Ryukyu Kingdom era paraded alongside the beam for about 500 meters.

Then, about 240 people including officials from the central and prefectural governments, took part in a ceremony at the castle's site.

Okinawa and Northern Territories Affairs Minister, Okada Naoki, told the attendees that Shuri Castle is a symbol of Okinawa and the spiritual home of Okinawan people. He vowed the government will reconstruct the castle responsibly.

The ceremony included a traditional Ryukyu Dance which is performed at the opening of festivals.

Praying for safety, officials then made incisions with chisels in the beam.

The Okinawa branch of the Cabinet Office says reconstruction of the castle's main hall will begin by the end of March and will be completed by the end of 2026.

The reconstruction project will cost about 12 billion yen, or more than 80 million dollars.