Gate of Harmonious Interest, Traditional Chinese gate in Chinatown, Victoria, Canada
The Gate of Harmonious Interest spans Fisgard Street west of Government Street in Victoria's Chinatown. Completed in 1981, the 11.6-metre gate has red and gold decorations and two hand-carved stone lions from Suzhou flanking it. Its name is written in Chinese as 同濟門 (Tóngjì mén).
The gate was constructed in 1981 as a collaborative project between Victoria's municipal government and the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association. Its creation coincided with efforts to revitalize and honor Canada's oldest Chinatown district during that era.
The gate's name, Tong Ji Men, is rendered in Chinese as "To work together with one heart" and "To help each other achieve harmony" in its two inscriptions, which commemorate the Chinese and non-Chinese communities that built it. The two hand-carved stone lions flanking the entrance were donated by Victoria's sister city of Suzhou.
The structure stands at the intersection of Fisgard and Government Streets, making it straightforward to locate and use as a reference point. Visitors can walk through and around it to access the wider neighborhood, with shops and restaurants nearby on both streets.
A plaque on the gate honours the 61 Chinese Canadians who died in World War II, a memorial that many passers-by walk past without noticing. The two hand-carved stone lions flanking the arch were gifts from Victoria's sister city, Suzhou, in China.
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