Paifang at Front Gate

• The iconic feature of the Po Leung Kuk headquarters compound is its paifang, a Chinese architectural arch, at the front gate.

• Built in 1932, the paifang features six columns and inscribed with three pairs of Chinese couplets.

• The couplets were composed by three former scholar officials from the Hanlin Academy of the Qing dynasty – Zhu Ru-zhen, Cen Guang-yue and Wen Su.

• Being an integral part of the Chinese architecture, the paifang of the Kuk was built in cement from Western construction technology. Combined with glazed roof tiles and eaves, the Kuk’s paifang is an example of the Chinese renaissance architectural style, which joins Chinese architecture with modern construction technology.