Aspers at The Gate worked closely with community leaders and Newcastle City Council on the project, which has involved the installation carefully planned lighting for the arch, as well as a complementary scheme for the rest of Chinatown. The new lighting was switched on by Cllr David Wood, the Lord Mayor of Newcastle.

"We already have very close links to the Chinese community in Newcastle and we're very pleased to have been able to support this project, which will provide a renewed focus for Chinatown," said Richard Smith, General Manager of Aspers at The Gate. "Aspers is an integral part of the local business community and it's great work in partnership with our neighbours."

The 11-metre arch, which was designed by Yonglai Zhang and made by a team of 12 craftsmen in China's Jiangsu Province, was unveiled in 2005. It's painted carvings, which took more than a year to complete, will now be visible in all their glory throughout the year.

"The Chinese arch already provides a colourful welcome to visitors to the city's Chinatown area, so I'm thrilled this scheme will give people the chance to enjoy this stunning landmark at night," said Cllr Wood.  "As Lord Mayor it was my privilege to perform the lighting ceremony, it was wonderful to see the project myself and also meet members of our Chinese community."

Aspers has two entrances, in The Gate and in Stowell Street, and the casino has always attracted many customers from the Chinese community. The Gate car park is also accessed from Stowell Street, so the archway provides a positive first impression to many people who are visiting the area for the first time.

"We are very grateful for the support offered by Aspers to make this project possible," said Mr Barry Yu, who represented Newcastle's Chinese community at the switch-on ceremony. "Many successful businesses are located in the Stowell Street area and the arch will now serve as a beacon, attracting even more people to enjoy the unique experiences of Chinatown."

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

• Aspers is a 45,000ft2 leisure facility in the heart of Newcastle upon Tyne.
• The venue includes bars, restaurant, beauty spa, live entertainment and state-of-the-art gaming facilities. 
• Aspers has attracted almost 125,000 members in just over three years from a catchment area covering Northumberland and County Durham, reaching across to Cumbria and down to York.
• In late 2007 Aspers became the first casino operator in the country to launch a loyalty club - Aspire - that allows customers to collect and redeem points throughout its operations (including gaming).  Customers are now able to gain points for every purchase made on the premises and can also earn bonus points on selected promotions. 
• In April 2008, Aspers became the first British casino to go 'membership free' which means that virtually all visitors can freely walk through the reception area without completing membership forms. Aspers is open to those aged 18 or over.  Photo ID is required if you look under 21 and to join our Aspire Loyalty Club.
• At every Aspers location, the company has set up the Community Action for Responsible Gaming (CARG) programme. This initiative is unique to Aspers and is based on similar successful schemes in Australasia. CARG is a voluntary, not-for-profit group that seeks to constructively address problem gambling issues in society through a working partnership between local community-based interest groups.