Make It Davao: Chinatown

The Arch of Friendship

And of course, a city will not be complete without a Chinatown. Unknown to many, Davao City holds the distinction of having the biggest Chinatown in the world, with a total land area of approximately 44 hectares covering at least four barangays. The creation and development of Chinatown was an initiative of the Davao City Council Tourism Committee Chairperson, Ms. Susan Isabel Reta, in an effort to attract more foreign and local tourists to Davao City.

So far, there are three grand archways erected strategically on the borders of Davao City's Chinatown. These archways, also known as the "pailou" or "paifang", are usually decorated in red, green, and gold colors with traditional Chinese symbols such as a dragon or a lion, and serve as a memorial of friendship, unity and peace among Filipino and Chinese living in Davao City. The archways were made possible through the efforts of the Chinese families who, over the years, have contributed much to the development and progress of Davao City. Their names are engraved in a slab of granite, which are attached to the archway's beams.

First of the archways is christened as "Arch of Friendship" which is situated along Magsaysay Avenue, near the Jones Circle. It was sponsored by the heirs of Francisco Villa-Abrille (Lim Chuan Juna), one of the prominent Chinese traders whose ancestry originated from Amoy, China, now Xiamen. The Friendship Arch was inaugurated in August 2008.

The archway's design is an inspiration from the 400-year-old architectural designs of Yuan Garden in Shanghai, China. The beams were designed similar to that of the bamboo, a traditional construction material of the Chinese. The archway is embellished with fish and pearl - symbols of the Villa-Abrille Family, and was done by Architect Arnel Villacampa.

The Arch of Unity

The Honorable He Shijing, Consul General of the People’s Republic of China
with the then Mayor of Davao City, The Honorable Rodrigo Duterte
in a toast of friendship.

The second archway, dubbed as the "Arch of Unity", is situated at the other end of Ramon Magsaysay Avenue towards the Magsaysay Park in Manuel Quezon Boulevard. It was donated by members of the Dabaw Kaisa Foundation, and was inaugurated on January 31, 2009 with the Consul General of the People’s Republic of China, the Honorable He Shijing in attendance.

The Arch of Peace

The third archway is called the "Arch of Peace", and is situated at the corners of Jose P. Laurel, and and Sta. Ana Avenues near the Davao Central High School. It was donated by the Yuchengco Group of Companies headed by Mr. Alfonso Yuchengco, former Philippine Ambassador to the People's Republic of China. The Arch of Peace was officially inaugurated on July 20, 2009.