$15M Guyana-China friendship pavilion unveiled at Parade Street

A striking new Chinese pavilion symbolising 50 years of bilateral relations between Guyana and China is the most recent addition to the Lamaha Street beautification project.

Being the first of its kind, the $15 million pavilion was officially commissioned on Wednesday at the Parade Street entrance to the Lamaha ‘safe space.’

Foreign Secretary, Robert Persaud said the pavilion is a reminder of the importance of the two countries’ collaboration.

He stated that President, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali has made it clear that the partnership between the two countries must be based on frank discussions and mutual trust.

“This pavilion…is not only symbolic in the sense that it represents our 50th-anniversary observance but also, it reminds us of the place of Chinese culture in being one of our six people in our society. And certainly, the thousands of persons passing through, visiting family and friends here, will also be reminded that Chinese culture is part and parcel of the Guyanese culture. And I think that is very important,” he emphasised.

The foreign secretary underscored that the addition of the pavilion will aid in the government’s goal of making Georgetown into an international tourism destination.

He expressed appreciation to the Chinese Government, as well as the Ministry of Public Works for collaborating to complete the project, and encouraged Guyanese to share in the enjoyment of the cultural addition.

In 2022, the two countries marked the 50th anniversary of their friendship and mutual cooperation through multiple ceremonies and activities.

Chinese Ambassador to Guyana, Guo Haiyan recalled that these included a China-Guyana table tennis tournament, a Chinese film festival, the issuance of a $50 commemorative coin valued at $6,500, an online cultural photo exhibition, and an investment webinar.

“Through these activities, we jointly recorded 50 years of friendship and cooperation featured by mutual respect, benefit, support, and development. So, we know each other better, our trust and confidence are getting stronger, and we have laid a new starting point for our cooperation in the future,” she expressed.

She noted that the idea to construct the pavilion was birthed from the desire to create a physical symbol of the two countries’ valuable friendship that can be publicly visualised and preserved for a long time.

“This Chinese pavilion is representative of ancient traditional Chinese architecture and culture. A good pavilion can be the crowning touch of a whole garden. Just like [the] mutual support to our friendship,” the Chinese ambassador pointed out.

The pavilion features two couplets written in Chinese along the pillars of the east and west entrances, which are expressions of China’s good wishes for its friendship with Guyana.

According to the Chinese Ambassador, the eastern couplet means ‘Working together assiduously over five decades for mutual benefit, our two nations cherishing the solidarity between our two countries for thousands of years to come.’

Meanwhile, the western couplet reads, ‘Always standing together through thick and thin, pursuing common destiny forever and ever.’

A plaque containing the details of the pavilion was also commissioned at the eastern entrance.

Guyana and China continue to collaborate in areas of sport, infrastructure, health, investment, and several other areas for the mutual improvement of the two countries.

Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Elisabeth Harper was also present at the commissioning.