It is beautiful, phenomenal in fact, but there is more to it than that. If you haven't been following the story, or if you want to see a lot of wonderful photos, including ones from the construction process, check out http://www.ottawachinatownroyalarch.blogspot.com/.
Some nuggets to whet your appetite: 16 technicians travelled from Beijing China to assist with the construction and decoration and painting of the arch. The arch's glazed golden tiles were donated by China. 5 special metal coins (the oldest from the Tang Dynasty) and 5 colour spreads are embedded in the structure to bring blessings.
According to the http://www.chinatown.ca/ website, the first Asian residents arrived in Ottawa about 100 years ago and by the 1930's there were over 300 people in what is known as Chinatown.
