CULTURAYMI: PERUVIANS SHARE WISHES FOR BICENTENNIAL OF PERU’S INDEPENDENCE

Parque de la Exposición is located between Av. 28 de Julio and Garcilaso de la Vega. It now hosts Culturaymi, a cultural program organized as part of the Lima 2019 Pan American and Parapan American Games. Thousands of Peruvians already visited Parque de la Exposición’s facilities, stands and food stalls to celebrate the Peruvian Independence Day holidays.  

Among all the festival activities that show and celebrate Peruvian culture, ‘Cuchimilco y el Bicentenario’ is one of the main exhibitions at Culturaymi. It is organized by the Special Project for the Bicentennial of Peru’s Independence and is currently carried out at the beautiful Parque de la Exposición pergola. It is the perfect location for it, as it was gifted by the Italian Government to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Peru's independence.  

A one year to celebrate the Bicentennial, the pergola has become a circular exhibition that invites visitors to explore the origins of cuchimilcos, the Chancay culture figurine which inspired Milco, the Games mascot. Guided visits run from 11:00 to 20:00.  

Thanks to archaeologist Walter Tosso, people can learn about the transformations that these peculiar statuettes have gone through over time, their religious meaning, and the world view of the inhabitants of the central region of Lima.   

At the end of the tour, visitors can write their wishes for the Bicentennial on colorful pieces of paper. Instead of throwing them into a well, they hang them on the entrance gate of the pergola. Some of the messages that can be read are the following: “I hope there is respect, rather than violence, between Peruvians and foreigners”, “Cultural diversity makes us lucky and blessed” and “I hope all Peruvians recycle garbage and stop using plastic”.  

Felipe Carrillo and his children aged 7 and 10 are among those who decided to celebrate the Peruvian Independence Day holidays at Culturaymi. “This festival is very important, not only for tourists but also for us, to learn about Peruvian culture in a memorable way,” said Felipe.  

María Calderón, who is 75 years old, also assured that Culturaymi “should not only be carried out during the Games, but also from time to time because future generations must know what happened before. Teenagers learn things here that sometimes they don't learn at school.”.  

The purposes of ‘Cuchimilco y el Bicentenario’ are to highlight the importance of cultures from Peru’s central coast region, to provide spaces for dialog and to encourage reflection on Peru’s archaeological heritage. ‘Cuchimilco y el Bicentenario’ will run until September 1 at Parque de la Exposición.