Zhong Hua Men Archway: Jim Phillips

Jim Phillips: We ve issued the Chinatown Gate stamps for a number of reasons, first because of the esthetic beauty of the architecture and the stories behind them. Many of these gates are monuments to soldiers and workers, the people who came here and helped to build our nation, said Jim Phillips, director of stamp services at Canada Post, according to The Star. Part of our mandate is to educate and enlighten Canadians about Canadas culture. These stamps do that, they speak to the long-standing heritage of Asian-Canadians and their participation in the life of our country. Our cities are lively and rich and diverse because of communities like the ones these stamp represent, Phillips said and The Zhong Hua Men Archway on Gerrard St. E. near Broadview Ave., erected in 2009, and the gateway of the Mississauga Chinese Centre at 888 Dundas St. E. are among eight Chinatown gates known as paifangs in Mandarin featured in the series. Eight different artists were commissioned to create the stamp series. The other cities include Victoria, Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Ottawa and Montreal. Paifangs are arches made either of wood or stone that have been used for thousands of years to designate different neighbourhoods in Chinese cities. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.