If you have entered a major city’s Chinatown, you probably passed under a paifang. These colorful gates evolved in ancient China as entrances to different communities or precincts called fangs. They are also used as a memorial arch over family tombs. Two other common paifangs represent loyalty and chastity. The patterns and characters beneath the tiled rooflines tell the story or significance of each arch. This gate replicates the one at the Temple of Heaven in Beijing.
