People were taking pictures of their own accord at Paifang of the Mazu Temple in Yokohama

People taking pictures in front of the Mazu Temple in Yokohama — People taking pictures in front of the Mazu Temple

Unlike the Shinto shrines, the Taoist temples in Yokohama's Chinatown have a gate at the entrance, called a Paifang. Like torii gates, you would think that these gates would indicate the entrance to a Shinto shrine, but this is not the case, and they are not always erected at Taoist temples. Although they are said to be built in front of palaces, mausoleums, Confucius temples, and Taoist temples, I don't think there were many Taoist temples that I visited in Taiwan. Rather than being built at the entrance of a religious facility, they are also built at the entrance of Yokohama Chinatown and Chinatown in Bangkok, so in my mind, they are built at the entrance of Chinatown.

The Paifang at the entrance to the Mazu Temple in Yokohama is decorated in the same vivid green and red primary colors as the Mazu Temple itself, and is very eye-catching. Even if you don't know what kind of deity is enshrined in the temple, the appearance of the gate is a great way to show that you have been to Chinatown.

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