Tung Sing, Ancestral temple in Barrio Chino, Lima

Tung Sing （同型, Mandarin: Tong Xing is a temple near Barrio Chino, in the Central Market area of Lima. Barrio Chino is essentially a series of streets in the middle of the Central Market, and the concentration of Chifas (Chinese restaurants) and businesses peters out as one walks further from the main drag of the Calle Capon street and the perpendicular Jiron Paruro street.

The temple is not visible from the street, it is tucked behind a nondescript alleyway, and its main facade is facing away from the street.

The temple is mainly used by immigrants and descendants from Zhongshan (中山）, an area in Guangdong province. It seems as if most Chinese here are from Zhongshan, and to a lesser extent, from Taishan county (where my mother's family is from), Guangzhou city, and Nanhai.






In the corner is German Koo, the "priest" of the temple. Apparently he has some sort of qualifications, but I am told by Chinatown residents that he is quite a greedy character. Indeed, he immediately asked for a donation upon my arrival in the temple.


Photos of Sun Yat-sen, considered one of the founding fathers of modern China, are popular in El Barrio Chino. Actually, Zhongshan was named after Sun Yat-sen (who's name in pinyin is Sun Zhongshan).