Walking the Chinese settlement of Nagasaki

In the evening we went to Nagasaki Chinatown. As usual, we bought some "Monkey" Chinese New year goods at Min-min boutique shop there.

The distance between Karatsu and Nagasaki is so far, it takes about 3 hours via national highway. We went through the Huis Ten Bosch (ハウステンボス) Dutch theme park in Sasebo. It reproduced the streets of the Netherlands and a replica of the original Huis Ten Bosch palace in the Hague. After passing through Huis Ten Bosch, we could see the big arch bridges called Saikai Bridges (西海橋 -bashi). The bridge spans the Hario Seto (針尾瀬戸) Straight which is known as the three biggest rapids in Japan. Finally we arrived safely to Nagasaki at 5 o'clock.

We stopped our car in the parking lot in front of stone gates. Here is the entrance of Tojinyashiki-dori (唐人屋敷通り) Street that leads to the Kannaimachi (館内町) settlement area. The Nagasaki Lantern Festival will be held after one week, that's why they already have colorful lanterns in the street.

When the walk just a little bit, you'll see the huge Chinese-style entrance gate to Kannaimachi. The gate, a height of 8.7 meters, has become a new landmark of the area.

The history of Nagasaki Tojinyashiki (唐人屋敷) area

After the isolation of Japan in 1639, the Edo Shogunate avoided exchanges with ordinarily Japanese and foreigners, thus the Shogunate allowed to live foreigners to special zones such as Dejima. They decided Chinese immigrants to move Tojinyashiki area located in a place called in the current Kannaimachi district. Tojinyashiki is almost the whole area of Kannaimachi, and it was completed in 1689. 
The area is twice as large as Dejima (出島), surrounded by a double in a brick wall and arrow bamboo fence. The doorway was installed two gates, Daimon or the main gate and the second one. The entrance to the area had been strictly limited by these gates.

Going up some steep hills, we came into the temple street. The first place we've visited is the Doshindo (土神堂) temple. As the name suggests, it's a temple that was dedicated to the god of earth. It was originally built in 1691 and was rebuilt in 1977.

Next, we went to the Tengodo (天后堂) temple. The immigrants from Nanjing who pray for safety of the voyage, it was dedicated to the god of voyage "Our lady Tin Hau" has to be the origin.

We went further walking to the street, we arrived at the Kannondo (観音堂) temple. The main hall has been enshrined Avalokitesvara and the emperor of Qing. It seen to be founded in 1737 and the current building has been renovated in 1917. There is a very very funny place inside the temple, a nursery school with a swing and slide set!

The last one is the Fukken (福建, Fujian) Hall, built in 1897. It's a rare temple style building with a brilliant wood curving.

The time is already 5:45. We got very hungry, so we had decided to go Chinatown to have dinner. We found a good restaurant at the corner of a busy street, called Shinwaro (新和楼). Delicious food and friendly staff. They have English and Korean menu that would be helpful for international tourists. We want to go there again.