The Chinese Arch ( es, Arco Chino), also known as the Chinese Portal ( es, Portada China), is a paifang located at the entrance of Lima's

Chinatown A Chinatown () is an ethnic enclave of Chinese people located outside Greater China, most often in an urban setting. Areas known as "Chinatown" exist throughout the world, including Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Africa and Austra ...

. It was donated by the Peruvian Chinese colony for the

Sesquicentennial of the Independence of Peru The Sesquicentennial of the Independence of Peru took place on July 28, 1971. To commemorate the 150 years of the country's independence from Spain, the '' Revolutionary Government'' established two years prior organized a Commission to manage ...

and inaugurated with a great party on November 12, 1971, by the

mayor of Lima The following is a list of Lima's mayors through the 20th and 21st centuries. '' Alcaldes ordinarios'' of the first and the second vote Mayors of Lima See also * Timeline of Lima {{Peru lists Lima Lima ( ; ), originally founded ...

Eduardo Dibós as part of the remodeling and enhancement of the area as a tourist attraction. In 2017, two 1.80-metre, 2.5-ton sculptures of lions located in the arch were unveiled.

Overview

The monument is built in the form of a paifang, which is a style of gate in traditional Chinese architecture, resembling an

arch An arch is a vertical curved structure that spans an elevated space and may or may not support the weight above it, or in case of a horizontal arch like an arch dam, the hydrostatic pressure against it. Arches may be synonymous with vaul ...

. It measures 8 metres high and 13 wide. The design is by the architects Tusanes Kuoway Ruiz Dillón and Carlos Lock Sing, and the cover, veneered in wood and marble, was decorated by the Chinese artist Wa Kong Chang. At the top of the arch are various phrases in Chinese characters: *On the side that faces

Abancay avenue Abancay (from Quechua language: Hamanqay, Amanqay, or Amankay, meaning ''lily'') is a city in southern-central Peru. It is the capital of both the Apurímac Region and the Abancay Province, and serves an important cultural, economic, and polit ...

it reads "the Chinese Arch". *On the sides there are various inscriptions indicating that it is a present made to the city of Lima by overseas Chinese living in Peru, as well as the date of its inauguration, November 12, 1971. *On the side that faces Capón street, a phrase from Confucianism can be read: “Under the same sky, we are all equal”.

References

{{Lima landmarks Lima District Buildings and structures in Lima China–Peru relations 1971 in Peru Buildings and structures completed in 1971