Shenmue - Chinese letter, Gao Wen location, where to find a phone and the Father's Heaven puzzle solution
Where to find Gao Wen, a phone and solve the Father's Heaven puzzle.
Gao Wen's location, where to find a phone and the Father's Heaven puzzle solution are all linked to the Chinese letter part of Shenmue's storyline.
If you're looking for help with other parts of the game, our Shenmue guide and walkthrough and list of Shenmue tips can help.
Starting the Chinese letter quest
Once you have been to Okoyama Heights, you'll be meeting Charlie the next day at Yu Arcade at 3pm. There's nothing else to do today, so feel free to kill time until you can go to sleep (the earliest you can put your head down is 8pm) until the next day.
The next morning, a cutscene will begin automatically, and you have to fight Fuku-san in the dojo. You don't have to win or lose this battle - just battle until it ends, enjoy the awkward banter along the way.
After that is another cutscene with Ine-san, who gives you a Chinese letter. Leave the residence and after another cutscene with Fuku-san outside, leave towards Yamanose.
Proceed through here to Sakuragaoka, and you'll be stopped along the way at the construction site for a Free Battle with Charlie and his pals. There are only three enemies to take on, so it should be a fairly brief battle.
Afterward, there's a QTE to complete. You'll want to press the following:
- Xbox, Dreamcast: A
- PlayStation: X
After that, you'll learn the child you saved was Chinese. Since now the thread with Charlie has ended, working on translating the letter is your next goal.
Gao Wen location
As the child mentioned, his grandmother knows Chinese and can translate it for you. To find him, head into Dobuita and run down the high street, at the end closest to Yu Arcade. Run back and forth until you spot him - he's wearing a green jacket and light trousers.
He'll then direct you to Russiya, a china shop in Dobuita. It's located in the south-end of the high street, on the same side as the barbers you visited earlier to complete the Three Blades quest.
The grandmother inside will translate it for you, giving you a phone number - 0468-61-5647 - and some strange phrases.
First, let's find a phone. There are many throughout the game you might have passed without realising - including one in the Hazuki residence, next to where you pick up your money - but there's one specific one that will make life much easier.
Where to find a phone and the Father's Heaven puzzle solution
The best phone to use is at the very end of the high street. Run past Yu Arcade, past the car park on your right, to the main road. The last building on the right is the Tobacco Shop, and it has a phone on the desk you can use.
Call the number (again, it's 0468-61-5647) and you'll be told one of the phrases you were told earlier. Each phrase is combined with another - so if you hear one, respond with the matching phrase. They are -
- Father's Heaven and Nine Dragons
- Mother's Earth and Comrades
After some more Shenmue tips? Our full Shenmue walkthrough will guide you through ever step of the main story, from the Three Blades, to where to find Charlie, Warehouse No 8 and where to use the Mysterious Key. And, of course, exactly where to find sailors. We also have pages on Shemue's various extracurricular activities, like feeding the kitten, winning forklift races, Shenmue flashback locations, a full Shenmue Trophy and Achievements and Capsule Toys lists, too.
After responding with the right combinations, you'll be told to meet at Warehouse No. 8. Where is that? If you are calling from the Tobacco Shop, conveniently there's a phone book on the desk you can use.
After learning it's in Amihama, speaking to the lady behind the counter will tell you it's in the harbour. How do you get to the harbour? By taking the bus, with a stop right next to Tobacco Shop.
Wait here until a bus arrives - you can look at the bus times at the stop if you fancy, and they tend to be pretty on time - and off you go to the harbour.
Fun fact - in the Dreamcast version, this signalled the end of the first disc, meaning you were about a third of the way through the game. Nicely done! On to finding Warehouse No 8.