In Madrid began final installation work on Monday, 21 September 2026, at the district’s first Chinese gate in Usera . The artist Okuda San Miguel is placing a bear figure and two dragons on the already erected Paifang at the Plaza del Hidrógeno . According to the Ayuntamiento de Madrid , the installation is intended to make visible the coexistence of the district’s defining cultures. Work is scheduled to continue over the coming days.
The structure of the roughly twelve-metre-high paifang has been in place for several weeks. With the support of representatives of the Chinese community, sayings emphasising encounter, respect and togetherness have been placed on the pillars and upper section. The three figures are being installed on supports above these characters, over the gate’s roof. Okuda San Miguel, whose studio is based in Usera, was commissioned by the city to develop the artistic concept. His vivid, geometric style defines the design.
The construction work is part of a programme that designates a pedestrian corridor from Madrid Río to Plaza del Hidrógeno as a development axis for a Chinatown in Madrid. The city administration places the project in an urban-development context and points to its potential to strengthen local businesses and cultural offerings. No specific figures for the individual costs of the artistic design were available on Monday; the technical implementation is being coordinated between the administration and the studio.
The work builds on several years of planning in the district. Local media report that the gate’s official inauguration is expected soon after installation is complete; 1 October 2026 has been mentioned as a possible date. This is an announcement subject to progress on the construction work. The Ayuntamiento de Madrid has announced temporary barriers and brief disruption to pedestrian traffic around Plaza del Hidrógeno, with details to be announced locally.
Usera has been a centre of Madrid’s Chinese community for years. The new paifang gives the district a prominent landmark at one of its junctions. The city highlights the symbolic character of the animals, while some local business and neighbourhood associations see the project as an opportunity to improve public space. Reports have also documented criticism of the cost-benefit balance; however, reliable figures or evaluations were not yet available when installation began.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).