Chinese Cultural Center, Phoenix facts for kids
The Chinese Cultural Center was a special shopping and business area in Phoenix, Arizona. It was built in 1997 by a company called BNU Corporation. This company was part of COFCO, a large business owned by the government of the People's Republic of China. The center was located near the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport.
In 2017, the center was sold to a businessman named David Tedesco. It was then changed into a different kind of building. It became a big place for shops and offices.
Unique Design and Gardens
The main building of the Chinese Cultural Center had a unique look. Its roof was designed to look like a traditional Chinese roof. This roof was decorated with special Imperial roof decorations. These decorations are often seen on important buildings in China.
On the east side of the center, there were beautiful gardens. These gardens were made to look like ancient Chinese gardens. They featured copies of old Chinese pagodas and statues. Pagodas are tall, multi-storied towers often found in East Asia. The gardens were a peaceful place for visitors. However, they were closed to the public in September 2017.
Changes to the Center
In 2017, the property was bought by businessman David Tedesco. He bought it through his company, 668 North. By 2019, the original Chinese Cultural Center buildings and gardens were removed.
The new owners made sure to save the cultural items. They carefully preserved and donated all the special Chinese elements from the center. These items were given to the local community. This way, parts of the center's unique heritage could be kept and shared.
Images for kids
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Replica of the Lingxing Gate at the Nanjing Fuzimiao. It shows typical Chinese elements used throughout the center (2017).
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The entrance to the gardens was lined with Chinese statues (2017).
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This is the southeast corner in 2022, where the Chinese gardens used to be.
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The west side in 2022, showing the main entrance.
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A street sign in 2022 still shows the "COFCO" name.
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