In old Hawaii, if you had broken a law, the penalty was death. Perhaps you had entered into an area that was reserved for only the chiefs, or had eaten forbidden foods. Laws, or kapu, governed every aspect of Hawaiian society. The penalty for breaking these laws was certain death. Your only option for survival is to elude your pursuers and reach the nearest puuhonua, or place of refuge.

As you enter, the great wall rises up before you marking the boundaries between the royal grounds and the sanctuary. Many ki'i (carved wooden images) surround the Hale o Keawe, housing the bones of the chiefs that infuse the area with their power or mana. If you reached this sacred place, you would be saved.

Take a walk back in time to old Hawaii as it was many centuries ago. Ki'i (carved statues) watch over and surround the Hale o Keawe, the former resting area of 23 Keawe line chiefs. The great wall, spanning up to 17 feet wide and averaging 10 feet in height will amaze you with its huge rocks fitting together like locking puzzle pieces. Footpaths take you past Hawaiian temples and other ancient structures. Puuhonua o Honaunau has many places visitors can go to experience the Hawaii of yesterday and today.

--- http://www.nps.gov/puho/planyourvisit/the-puuhonua.htm