Chinese Sunken Garden Gate - San Antonio, TX - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com

"The entrance portal to the Chinese Tea Garden (now known as the Japanese Sunken Garden) sited off St. Mary's Street in Brackenridge Park was a collaboration by Maximo Cortes and Dionicio Rodriguez, although Rodriguez's signature, "Made by D. Rodrgiuez" is carved into the front left handrail. Four sturdy vertical "tree trunks" with "branches" as brackets support lentils and a palapa-style roof, with four upturned corners , reminiscent of a Torii gate. A second, smaller palapa roof, also with the curved detail is built on top of the main roof, and third, smaller roof of the same design caps it. At strategic joints, "wooden wedges" are inserted.

Two front lentils bear the inscription "Entrance Chinese Tea Garden." The vertical supporting "logs" and attached curved horizontal handrails (on both front and rear) have "worm holes," crevices, patches of "lichen" and exaggerated "knot holes." At critical points, Rodriguez inserted his "pyramid headed bolts." Relief sculpted Chinese calligraphy adorns the right-hand post, and the reverse side of the largest lentil. A translation of the writing is "China Garden." The colors, mainly rich tans and yellows remain very strong, in comparison to other pieces in the San Antonio area. The gate opening measures 7'3" wide and its height is 6'5" tall. The overall height of the entrance gate is 16'3", and the width (including the handrails) isl4'3". The gate is in good condition."