Arco Chino, Paifang gate in Barrio Chino, Lima District, Peru.
Arco Chino is a red and golden archway located at the intersection of Ucayali and Andahuaylas streets in the Chinese neighborhood. The 8-meter-tall and 13-meter-wide structure is flanked by two marble lion sculptures, each standing 1.80 meters high.
The arch was donated by Peru's Chinese community together with the government of the Republic of China (Taiwan), then recognised by Peru, for the sesquicentennial of Peruvian independence. Lima mayor Eduardo Dibós inaugurated it on 12 November 1971 as part of a remodelling of the area into a tourist attraction. In 2017 two lion sculptures were unveiled at the gate.
The side facing Capón Street carries the Confucian phrase "Under the same sky, we are all equal" in Chinese characters. The opposite side, facing Abancay Avenue, reads "El Arco Chino", while the remaining faces record the gift of Lima's overseas Chinese community and the inauguration date of 12 November 1971.
The gate sits at a busy intersection and is easy to locate in the Chinese neighborhood. Visitors should watch for traffic when exploring the area or taking photographs.
The two 1.80-metre, 2.5-tonne bronze lions placed on the arch were unveiled in 2017, decades after the gate itself. The lintel inscriptions differ by side: "El Arco Chino" faces Abancay Avenue, while the Capón street side carries the Confucian line "Under the same sky, we are all equal".
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