Restoring Ahu'ena Heiau

Last March the earthquake in Japan triggered a tsunami that swept in and hit the Kona coast. The King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel and the Ahu‘ena Heiau, which is on the hotel grounds, both suffered damage. Now, almost a year later, the historical site has been almost completely restored by volunteers from Ahuena Heiau Inc., a nonprofit organization.

In the Hawaiian language heiau means temple and Ahu‘ena Heiau was King Kamehameha’s personal place of worship. It was reconstructed between1812-1813 and dedicated to Lono, the god of prosperity and peace. As the King’s son, Liholilo, grew up the temple also became his training ground. Here under the yellow or brown ti leaf roof Liholilo was taught how to be a leader by the high ranking officials of the court and his father. If you visit the site it is not hard to picture a young prince sitting on a soft mate next to an open fireplace listening to the wisdom of his elders.

Lu'au at King Kamehameha's Kona Beach Hotel

Ahu‘ena Heiau Inc. has served as volunteer caretakers of the heiau since 1993. From last March until now they have spent over 3,000 hours restoring the historical site. 100,000 ti leaves were gathered and donated by the community and the Hawaii Tourism Authority supplied the much needed funds. After many months of volunteer labor the Ahu‘ena Heiau is almost ready to be reopened to the public.

This National Historic Landmark is visited by over 100,000 people a year from all over the world. If you are coming to the Big Island, you shouldn’t miss wandering through this historical site. Admission is free and guided tours are available from 9 AM to 4 PM daily.