Chancay facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Chancay
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 Chancay
Location in Peru
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| Country |  Peru |
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| Region | Lima | ||
| Province | Huaral | ||
| District | Chancay | ||
| Founded | 16 December 1562 | ||
| Population | |||
| • Estimate
(2015)
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63,378 | ||
| Demonym(s) | Chancayano/a | ||
| Time zone | UTC-5 (PET) | ||
| Website | www.munichancay.gob.pe | ||
Chancay is a small city located 78 km (48 mi) north of Lima. Its population is 63,378. The Chancay culture was a pre-Columbian archaeological culture, later part of the Inca Empire.
The small city is the site of a major new deep water port built by China as part of its Belt and Road Initiative. It is expected to begin operations in November 2024, speeding shipment of resources from Peru to China.
History
It was founded in 1562 under the name of Villa de Arnedo.
The main activity in Chancay these days is as a tourist resort for nearby Lima. The main attraction is El Castillo, a faux castle, recently repaired but constructed in the nineteenth century. There is a small museum in the castle displaying Chancay culture pottery and mummies.
In 2019, COSCO agreed to build a new the Chancay Mega-port, a deep water port, on the coast of Chancay as part of China's Belt and Road Initiative and in 2022, the China Harbour Engineering Company of China Communications Construction Company agreed to build the complex at 992 hectares (2,450 acres) which includes breakwaters, docks and a 1.8 kilometres (1.1 mi) tunnel to warehouses. The first dock was expected to open in early 2023 and when finished, the complex will accept up to 1.5 million twenty-foot equivalent unit intermodal containers and 6 million tons of cargo annually.
The port of Chancay is expected to be operational in November 2024. Several observers, as noted in the references, are concerned that the port area is owned by China not by Peru and that the port is private, not public like other Peruvian ports. COSCO Shipping is the exclusive operator and user of the port, unless Peru is successful in negotiating that others may use the port. China wants to speed the travel time of resources like copper from Peru to ports in China, and this port is anticipated to take 10 days off the shipping time. Concerns have risen internationally about possible use of the port as a Chinese military base. Concerns have also been raised about reparations for damaging effects of the construction in nearby areas, particularly from a tunnel that is part of the port complex.
Gallery
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The oil polluted beach at Chancay, Peru.
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El Castillo, Chancay, Peru
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Chancay culture artifacts. El Castillo, Chancay, Peru.
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Chancay culture textile, late Precolumbian
