The area known as Chinatown in Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...

 (locally known as Barrio Chino) is a largely commercial section about five blocks long in the barrio of Belgrano, Buenos Aires

Belgrano, Buenos Aires

Belgrano is a leafy, northern barrio or neighborhood of the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina.- Location :The barrio of Palermo is to the southeast; Nuñez is to the northwest; Coghlan, Villa Urquiza, Villa Ortúzar and Colegiales are to the southwest....

. The Asian community living in Belgrano is less than 0.5% of the ward's total. Despite the designation of this Belgrano enclave as "Chinatown," numerous other neighborhoods in Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...

, particularly Flores

Flores, Buenos Aires

Flores is a middle class barrio or district in the centre part of Buenos Aires city, Argentina. Flores was considered a rural area of the Province of Buenos Aires until 1888 when it was integrated to the City....

, have higher percentages of people of Asian origin

Asian Argentine

An Asian-Argentine is defined as an Argentine of Asian ancestry, either born within Argentina, or born elsewhere and later to become a citizen or resident of Argentina. Asian-Argentines settled in Argentina in large numbers during several waves of immigration in the twentieth century...

.

Overview

This neighborhood contains several Chinese restaurant

Chinese cuisine

Chinese cuisine is any of several styles originating in the regions of China, some of which have become highly popular in other parts of the world – from Asia to the Americas, Australia, Western Europe and Southern Africa...

s, grocery stores, and a Buddhist temple. It is the heart of the Chinese community

Asian Argentine

An Asian-Argentine is defined as an Argentine of Asian ancestry, either born within Argentina, or born elsewhere and later to become a citizen or resident of Argentina. Asian-Argentines settled in Argentina in large numbers during several waves of immigration in the twentieth century...

 in Argentina. The neighborhood began to develop in the 1980s when newly-arrived Taiwan

Taiwan

Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...

ese and mainland Chinese

Mainland China

Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...

 immigrants settled in this area.

The neighborhood is also known for its celebration of the Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year – often called Chinese Lunar New Year although it actually is lunisolar – is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. It is an all East and South-East-Asia celebration...

. On January 22 the streets of South Belgrano dress up in bright red and golden yellow, as dragon-like puppets and chariots run through the streets undulating and waving to the rhythm of traditional Chinese music

Music of China

Chinese Music has been made since the dawn of Chinese civilization with documents and artifacts providing evidence of a well-developed musical culture as early as the Zhou Dynasty...

.

A proposal for the creation of Chinatown as an official barrio of Buenos Aires was promoted by a group of Asian businessmen for commercial purposes in 2006. The requested designation was without success, however, because "Chinatown" didn't reflect the real population structure of Belgrano, which is populated overwhelmingly by people who are not Asian in origin.

Government inspectors have on several occasions found the sale of expired food at the location, including food in poor condition, which was confiscated.

The Arch

In 2009 an entrance arch

Paifang

Paifang, also called pailou, is a traditional Chinese architectural gating style as an archway.The word paifang originally was a collective term used to describe the top two levels of administrative division and subdivisions of ancient Chinese city. The largest division within a city in ancient...

 was installed on Arribeños Street, a gift for the Argentina Bicentennial

Argentina Bicentennial

The Argentina Bicentennial is a series of celebrations and observances celebrated on May 25, 2010, and throughout the year. They commemorated the 200th anniversary of the May Revolution, a sequence of historical events that led to the Viceroy Baltasar Hidalgo de Cisneros' being ousted from office...

. Brought from China

People's Republic of China

China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...

, at a cost of approximately $500,000, contributed by the Chinese Government without following municipal laws and requirements, as well as Articles 89 and 90 of the Constitution of Argentina

Constitution of Argentina

The constitution of Argentina is one of the primary sources of existing law in Argentina. Its first version was written in 1853 by a Constitutional Assembly gathered in Santa Fe, and the doctrinal basis was taken in part from the United States Constitution...

, as it lacked formal authorization from the Foreign Ministry of Argentina

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship is the Argentine government ministry which oversees the foreign relations of Argentina.The current Chancellor is Héctor Timerman.-External links:...

. There are several ongoing formal complaints about the numerous irregularities that exist in this donation. The donation of this arch had been rejected by competent bodies on two occasions: by the Department of City Planning in 2006 and by the Evaluation Commission Acceptance of Donations Monuments and the Legislature of the Government of the City in 2007.

The installation of this arch, and its having been done without consultation is an issue of contention among neighborhood residents (among them Taiwanese) who do not adhere to the Communist Party of China

Communist Party of China

The Communist Party of China , also known as the Chinese Communist Party , is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China...

, and therefore view the arch as an imposition in their Buenos Aires home by the People's Republic of China

People's Republic of China

China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...

.

Dedication plaque

Chinese Arch

The Chinese community in Argentina

donates with affection this Arch

on the occasion of the Bicentennial of May Revolution

to the beautiful city of Buenos Aires and the great Argentine people

thanking the generosity and love given to Chinese immigrants

with the hope that the Chinese-Argentine friendship

will last from generation to generation.

July 8, 2009