Information about Davao Chinatown

Davao Chinatown

On the southern part of the country, there is a lesser known chinatown. And the only one in fact, in the whole of Mindanao. The Davao Chinatown, similar to the one in Manila, exhibits the cultural connection between Filipinos and Chinese. The area Barangays 27-C and 30-C was declared as the Davao chinatown in 2003

The area is surrounded by four archways that are designed similar pailou or páifāng traditional style of architectural arches in China. The first arch is the Arch of Friendship, the second one is the Unity Arch, The third one is the Arch of Peace,

The fourth and the last arch is the Arch of Prosperity. There are multiple attractions that you can explore, here are a few. First on the list is the Mindanao Taoist Temple which used to be the the tallest structure in the area. The temple with its tall red octagonal brick pagoda is a noted example of the synergism of the beliefs of Chinese-Filipinos. Also in the area is the Long Hua Temple, which means “Temple of the Dragon”.

It is a Buddhist temple, the biggest and most popular one in Davao. It is home to kung fu monks and a school. Various Chinese tourists and migrants visit this place to worship and pay respect.

Lastly, hidden from view and accessible only by a narrow street alley is the Santiago temple, it was visited by the devotees of Kuan Kong, a Chinese general who lived during 200 A.D. in the time of the Three Kingdoms of China who became known as the Chinese God of War, and is also known as the protector especially of business people.

Kuan Kong or Santiago temple is the oldest Chinese temple in Davao, built in 1957 by the local Chinese. The Davao Chinatown, with its cultural attractions, is definitely, worth a visit.