One of the formal entrances or Paifang to Chinatown in London, England.

Paifang or Paifong (牌坊), also called Pailou (牌楼), is a traditional Chinese architectural form like an archway. Originally the Paifang served as a marker for the entrance of a building complex or a town; but by the Song Dynasty it had evolved into a purely decorative monument. Download high resolution version (500x663, 131 KB)Chinatown, London. ... Download high resolution version (500x663, 131 KB)Chinatown, London. ... New York City is home to one of the largest Chinatowns in North America, and is centered around Canal Street in Manhattan. ... Part of the London skyline viewed from the South Bank London is the most populous city in the European Union, with an estimated population on 1 January 2005 of 7,500,000 and a metropolitan area population of between 12 and 14 million. ... England - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... The Song Dynasty (Chinese: 宋朝) was a ruling dynasty in China from 960-1279. ...

Paifang comes in a number of forms. One form involves placing wooden pillars onto stone bases, and bound together with wooden beams. This type of Paifang is always beautifully decorated, with the pillars usually painted in red, the beams decorated with intricate designs and Chinese calligraphy, and the roof covered with coloured tiles, complete with mythical beasts - just like a Chinese palace. Calligraphy is an art dating back to the earliest day of history, and widely practiced throughout China to this day. ...

Another form of Paifang is in the form of true archways made of stone or bricks; the walls may be painted in white or red, or decorated with coloured tiles; the top of the archways are decorated like their wooden counterparts.

Yet another form of Paifang, built mainly on religious and burial grounds, consists of plain white stone pillars and beams, with neither roof tiles nor any coloured decoration, but feature elaborate carvings created by master masons. A mason is a worker in brick or stone, now primarily involved in building walls, but previously also arches and vaults. ...

Outside China the Paifang has long been the symbol of Chinatowns. New York City is home to one of the largest Chinatowns in North America, and is centered around Canal Street in Manhattan. ...

In the past, "Chastity Paifangs" were given to the widows who remained unmarried till death, praising their so-called loyalty to their husbands. China is the worlds oldest continuous major civilization, with written records dating back about 3,500 years and with 5,000 years being commonly used by Chinese as the age of their civilization. ... A widow is a woman whose spouse has died. ... Death is the cessation of physical life in a living organism or the state of the organism after that event. ...

See also

• Torii
• Chinese architecture
• Ruins of St. Paul's Cathedral, Macao