Nu‘uanu Pali, Mountain cliff lookout in Oahu, United States
Nu'uanu Pali is a cliff formation along the Windward Coast that rises above the valley and offers views across toward Kailua. From the observation platform, visitors can see the landscape on both sides of Oahu's ridge.
The location was the site of a major battle in 1795 when King Kamehameha I's forces defeated Oahu's defenders. This decisive victory eventually led to the unification of the Hawaiian Islands under single rule.
Two large stones near the back of Nuʻuanu Valley, Hapuʻu and Ka-lae-hau-ola, were said to represent a pair of goddesses guarding the passage down the pali. Travellers left offerings of flowers or kapa bark cloth for a safe trip, and parents buried newborns' umbilical cords beneath the stones as protection against evil. Folklore also holds that pork should never be carried over the pass, especially at night.
The site has paid parking available, and visitors should be aware that strong winds frequently blow through the mountain pass. Layered clothing works well since conditions can change throughout the day.
In 1898, while the old road over the pass was being developed into a highway, workers found 800 human skulls at the foot of the cliff, believed to be remains of warriors driven off the pali in 1795. The Oʻahu nukupuʻu, an extinct bird, was last collected in Nuʻuanu Valley.
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